Beckhorn Affair

[plinsenmayer at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C886
From: plinsenmayer
Subject: Re: Beckhorn Affair
Reply To: [Yahoo! #882] April Fools, huh?
Date: 4/3/00 10:53 am  (ET)

Hi:

Skimmel I share your concerns. The thing I found most worrisome was that
such a person had infiltrated our message board and would perhaps stifle
our conversations or cause disagreements. There was one point last week
where I wanted to reference another HP listserve that I subscribe to,
but all I could think about was not giving this guy yet another forum
to invade. So, I refrained from mentioning it (not that someone like
that won't find every forum available if they are determined enough).

Danger to HP Books: I think the potential is there for them to be
banned from many schools. It's amazing how quickly something like that
can snowball, and if a strong and vocal group of parents don't stand
their ground on refusing to ban books, well . . . But, overall, I don't
think they will be banned from anywhere near the majority of American
schools. Certainly they will be banned from some though.

RESPONSE: I agree with darwinnie -- there is NO reasoning with some of
those people. They are literalists and will never be convinced they are
in the wrong. Reasoning, on the other hand, is the rational response
and might work on some people who just have misperceptions (but aren't
diehard literalists). Even though I was one of the vocal ones who tried
hard to reason with "Mr. Beckhorn," I think the first line of defense
might well be to ignore them. That was my first inclination with him,
but I let my temper get the better of me. But, if we did all have an
unspoken pact that we would just go on with our conversations and ignore
the person, it might be the best course.

Troubling questions, huh??!!

Penny