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language, thought and behavior
Mark Rogers (MAROGERS@DAVIDSON.EDU)
Mon, 12 Feb 1996 09:14:14 -0500
effort almost overcame my growing feelings of simultaneous revulsion and indifference (if such
is possible) to what I've been receiving from the list lately. But I have decided that
despite the interesting and substantive contributions of people like Mr. McCreery, it just
isn't worth my time to remain on the list. Unlike some others, however, I think it's
important to name some names and point some fingers, not as a participant in the squabbles,
but in the hope that someone (hopefully the principals themselves) will do something about it
and I can someday return to a list that actually has something of value to say. I think Mr.
McCreery's portrait of a virtually worthless type of discourse very accurately depicts people
from both sides of the feminist/anti-feminist "debates" that have drowned anthro-l. On the
one hand, Ruby Rohrlich, whether an elder statesperson or not, is inflammatory, rude and
virtually substance-less in her posts, and I would join with her son in encouraging her to
leave the list. She may claim that she "started" the discussion about the Iroquois, but she
also contributed to that thread's long wallow in irrelevance and flaming. On the other hand,
she was met with a degree of "feminist-baiting" although not from Thomas Kavanagh, who
consistently tried to keep the thread to something of substance (though he does have his own
agenda and interests). I recall Ralph Holloway as a particularly egregious offender in this
regard, and later Anthony Dean Dauer pitched in his consistently shrill and hostile voice. I
think the list would be better off if these folks formed their own list, on which they could
continue their alternation between insults and refusals to engage. I have a feeling that none
of these people will care a whit about what I have to say, but it seems that in the interest
of the collectivity, those of us who opt out should make our reasons known. Perhaps the
ultimate solution will be that everyone will leave except that core group who spoiled it for
everyone else.
Mark Rogers
marogers@davidson.edu
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