[Peace-discuss] Cartoon hysteria

[John W.]

At 11:22 PM 2/8/2006, C. G. Estabrook wrote:

>"Civility" is hardly the problem.  Discrimination and
>injustice -- whether in petty matters, as at WEFT, or in
>criminal matters, as in our government -- are still
>discrimination and injustice, even if done civilly.
>
>To be concerned about civility rather than minor or major
>crimes is madness -- a massive exercise in missing the point,
>or what the Freudians calls displacement.  Elsewhere it was
>called straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. --CGE

Leaving aside the fact that semantic sophistry also frequently involves 
straining at gnats and swallowing camels, I can concede that perhaps 
"civility" was too euphemistic a term.  Nevertheless a dearth of brotherly 
love can lead to incivility, discrimination, and injustice both petty and 
colossal, both local and global.  Shall we concern ourselves only with 
symptoms, or can we proceed to root causes?




>---- Original message ----
> >Date: Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:08:48 -0600
> >From: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>
> >Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Cartoon hysteria
> >To: Bob Illyes <mailto:illyes at uiuc.edu>illyes at uiuc.edu, 
> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> >
> >   At 02:10 PM 2/8/2006, Bob Illyes wrote:
> >
> >     I agree with Karen regarding this hysteria over some cartoons.
> >     I saw Hotel Rwanda last night at Channing Murray, and was struck
> >     by just how much evil is like throwing a switch.  Suddenly folks
> >     who have lived as neighbors started hacking each other to death.
> >     It is not easy to understand the change in psychology.
> >
> >     I don't think what is going on is different in principle from
> >     the anti-communist hysteria of the 50s. Once civility has broken
> >     down, it isn't at all clear how one can reestablish it. It
> >     becomes its own reason for existence.
> >
> >     Bob
>
> >   This is true locally, as well as nationally and
> >   internationally.  What principles can we apply from
> >   our recent (and continuing) conflict resolution
> >   training at WEFT to forestall or heal conflict and
> >   restore civility in instances where it has broken
> >   down?
> >
> >   That is not wholly a rhetorical question.
> >
> >   John Wason
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