On Mar 2, 2017, at 9:22 AM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
I note this discussion is leaning "I totally am not offended myself, but unspecified others might be." I think some posters need to own their own discomfort more.
The trouble with liberality is a tendency to shy away from wishing to assert oneself even when actually it's quite important.
*I* an engaged and asserting myself on these issues and in support of appropriate organizations in each area.
The WMF is not the appropriate organization to do that. It detracts from what the WMF is chartered to do for it to go rolling in the mud with the pigs on specific issues not related to creating and maximally sharing neutral encyclopedic knowledge.
We have enough problems in the core mission, communities, and Foundation that we're no good at solving yet. I do not want the Foundation going off mission. We haven't got the mission solved yet, and going off mission into politics damages our brand in real and serious ways.
No matter how much I agree with all the specific positions implied, it was wrong to go there.
It may feel good, but it's a net negative to neutral and conservative readers and our position in the US social and political spectrum to move off organizational neutrality. Liberals don't need us patting them on the head saying we agree with their views. It's more ammunition for everyone else's distrust and fear of our community and organizational motives.
-george
Sent from my iPhone