Maggie, Beria, and all:
I've read through the discussion of Sue's blog post with a mixture of interest (in
the substance of the various things that have been said) and concern (about the tenor). I
want to address the second of those, the way we choose to communicate with each other.
There are two statements that stand out to me -- things that I feel simply should not be
said among people convened around collaboration and equality.
Maggie, you said:
"I'm not clear what point you are trying to prove, other than the 9% of
"girls'" voices don't matter."
I can't begin to imagine which of Beria's words made you think that. She
didn't say it. But it's the very first sentence of your response to her.
Beria, in a very brief message, you said:
"… the lies Sue told in the post…"
"Lie" is a very strong word. If you're going to make such an accusation (as
opposed to "I disagree" or "she is mistaken"), I believe civility
demands that you state VERY clearly and concisely, in the same message, precisely what you
think the lie is. I did follow your link, and I think I understand your position; but for
such a strong statement, I don't believe it's appropriate to expect your readers
to go digging for the meaning.
If both of you feel your words above are appropriate to this list, I disagree. Honesty and
the validity of women's views are core values that we all share here. Accusations to
the contrary are not productive.
-Pete