[Noisebridge-discuss] [SPAM] Tattoos vs. behavior

Tue Jun 18 19:37:17 UTC 2013

Okay, I've got a few minutes to kill...

*1. If you are offended regarding his tattoos, don't look. They are not
your tattoos. Nobody in or outside of Noisebridge needs to consult you, the
membership, the board, or the Grand Poobah of Noisebridge regarding what
tattoos they are allowed or forbidden to get*

Let's say someone decides to stand up on a table at Noisebridge, drop their
pants, spread their buttcheeks, and spin around in a circle. I think that
for many visitors to Noisebridge, a spread-open butthole would be less
offensive (and certainly less threatening) than a white power tattoo.
Despite that, nobody would have objections if the butthole guy was asked to
leave and come back to a Tuesday meeting. Nobody would argue that people
who are offended should just turn away from the butthole, or not gaze quite
so long into the abyss of the butthole. This display, like the display of a
white power tattoo, is offensive and disruptive enough to warrant some
action.

There are lots of other issues that could be "solved" by the upset
person(s) looking away, such as:
* Someone masturbating in the corner
* Someone leering at girls
* Someone following you around, just staring and saying nothing
* Someone standing by the door, giving everyone who enters the finger
* Someone putting up Whites Only signs on various rooms

But it would be ridiculous to suggest that the person being victimized in
any of those circumstances is the problem.

*2. No, his tattoos do not offend you. You have, based on your experiences
and attitudes, chosen to be offended by them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_emotive_therapy#Theoretical_assumptions
*

You've upped the ante from, "You shouldn't be offended," to, "You aren't
actually offended, you're confused about what you're actually feeling,
here's some therapy that might help." Without getting into whether this
attitude is right or wrong, you might want to reconsider it from a
rhetorical perspective, since it's incredibly insulting.

*3. Yes, getting a tattoo is a behavior. However, what one does elsewhere,
unconnected to Noisebridge, is none of Noisebridge's business. To my
knowledge, only one person has gotten a tattoo *at* Noisebridge. Robby is
not that person.*

The second sentence here is obviously untrue. If we find that someone is a
thief or serial rapist outside of Noisebridge, that will affect their
position at Noisebridge. Rolling back to the first sentence, *getting the
tattoo* is only the first piece of behavior. The main concerns here
are *keeping
the tattoo* and *displaying the tattoo*.

*4. If you all are allowed to make assumptions based on appearances, then
everyone else in the space is allowed to do the same to you. As I have said
before, Hell is your double standards applied back at you.*

Yes, everyone is allowed to make assumptions based on appearance, when the
person *chose* that appearance for themselves. They are sending signals
about their opinions and attitudes. If I got a cross tattooed on my bicep,
it would be a safe assumption that I was a Christian. And if I got a white
power tattoo on my head...

*5. I could explain Robby's tattoos, if I wanted to disrespect him by
repeating several conversations that I had with him, without his
permission, to a bunch of people who are going to assume the worst of him
anyway. Doubly disrespectful, in light of the fact that he has asked me to
tell anyone who brings it up "they can come talk to me about it or shut up".
*

I think that he should come on the list and explain his tattoos himself. If
people have concerns about the tattoos, but avoid confronting him because
they are afraid he will become violent, that is a serious issue. Demanding
that every person approach him individually is unreasonable.

*6. Considering that Robby was completely comfortable having a conversation
with a gay man, a woman of Asian descent, a male of African descent, and a
differently-abled person, perhaps all of you need to stop perpetuating your
self-fulfilling prophecies and treat other people like human beings.
Despite what your mommy and preacher told you growing up, it won't kill you.
*

Human beings are sometimes violent racists. If you have a tattoo that is
associated with racist gangs, and I have no other information about you,
I'm not going to approach you to talk about politics.

*7. I have been working in political and social issues a lot longer than
most of you have been alive. My first political action, against homophobia
and racism, took place before most you were conceived. I was facing loaded
guns before most of you were facing loaded diapers. I was giving speeches
and workshops on fighting bigotry before most of you learned to speak
(which really isn't saying much, given the coherence and logical fallacies
being exhibited by some of you).*

This is not particularly relevant. Your main arguments so far are that this
person is not racist, based on secret evidence you don't care to share with
anyone, and that people who are offended aren't actually offended and
should look into therapy. It's arguments that most people are concerned
about, not credentials.

*8. I realize this email violates all the Unwritten Unified Field Theory
Policy of Noisebridge Email Lists (c). Both those who would object the most
already, according to one of our Ultimate Excellent Authorities On Proper
Email Behavior (c), have filters set up to delete my email to the list
anyway.*

I don't have much to say about this.

*9. I would suggest you all put on your big boy/girl panties, add a little
calcium to your vertebrae( 0+0.1>0), and act like adults. Either talk to
him yourself, or STFU. All you are doing right now is precisely what you
bitch and moan about: manufacturing melodrama so you can make sure you get
all the spotlight time you think you deserve. In my experience, those who
make the most noise on a subject are the least deserving of being listened
to.*

Closing out with a series of unsupported insults. Again, this is a poor
rhetorical strategy. The only thing of substance here is the assertion that
people on the list are manufacturing melodrama. But the first real message
was from Robby, with his tattoo. If someone sent an e-mail to this list
with nothing but a subject line that read "WHITE PRIDE," "WHITE POWER," or
"HITLER A-OK," I think it would be fair for people to look into it.

John

On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 3:45 AM, Mitchel McAllister
<xonimmortal at yahoo.com>wrote:

> 1. If you are offended regarding his tattoos, don't look. They are not
> your tattoos. Nobody in or outside of Noisebridge needs to consult you, the
> membership, the board, or the Grand Poobah of Noisebridge regarding what
> tattoos they are allowed or forbidden to get
>
> 2. No, his tattoos do not offend you. You have, based on your experiences
> and attitudes, chosen to be offended by them.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_emotive_therapy#Theoretical_assumptions
>
> 3. Yes, getting a tattoo is a behavior. However, what one does elsewhere,
> unconnected to Noisebridge, is none of Noisebridge's business. To my
> knowledge, only one person has gotten a tattoo *at* Noisebridge. Robby is
> not that person.
>
> 4. If you all are allowed to make assumptions based on appearances, then
> everyone else in the space is allowed to do the same to you. As I have said
> before, Hell is your double standards applied back at you.
>
> 5. I could explain Robby's tattoos, if I wanted to disrespect him by
> repeating several conversations that I had with him, without his
> permission, to a bunch of people who are going to assume the worst of him
> anyway. Doubly disrespectful, in light of the fact that he has asked me to
> tell anyone who brings it up "they can come talk to me about it or shut up".
>
> 6. Considering that Robby was completely comfortable having a conversation
> with a gay man, a woman of Asian descent, a male of African descent, and a
> differently-abled person, perhaps all of you need to stop perpetuating your
> self-fulfilling prophecies and treat other people like human beings.
> Despite what your mommy and preacher told you growing up, it won't kill you.
>
> 7. I have been working in political and social issues a lot longer than
> most of you have been alive. My first political action, against homophobia
> and racism, took place before most you were conceived. I was facing loaded
> guns before most of you were facing loaded diapers. I was giving speeches
> and workshops on fighting bigotry before most of you learned to speak
> (which really isn't saying much, given the coherence and logical fallacies
> being exhibited by some of you).
>
> 8. I realize this email violates all the Unwritten Unified Field Theory
> Policy of Noisebridge Email Lists (c). Both those who would object the most
> already, according to one of our Ultimate Excellent Authorities On Proper
> Email Behavior (c), have filters set up to delete my email to the list
> anyway.
>
> 9. I would suggest you all put on your big boy/girl panties, add a little
> calcium to your vertebrae( 0+0.1>0), and act like adults. Either talk to
> him yourself, or STFU. All you are doing right now is precisely what you
> bitch and moan about: manufacturing melodrama so you can make sure you get
> all the spotlight time you think you deserve. In my experience, those who
> make the most noise on a subject are the least deserving of being listened
> to.
>
> - Reverend Mik McAllister
> "You can see the summit but you can't reach it
> Its the last piece of the puzzle but you just can't make it fit
> Doctor says you're cured but you still feel the pain
> Aspirations in the clouds but your hopes go down the drain"
>  - Howard Jones, "No One Is To Blame"
> Purveyor of Subversive Fiction
> http://www.prismandink.com
> http://www.lunatextpublications.com
> _______________________________________________
> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>
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