ad hominem vs. intellectual inquiry

[a telegraph to your soul]

On Fri, 7 Aug 1998, Natalia Pylypiuk wrote:

> >So, all Linguistic and Civilization courses I attended during years at a
> >French University are false ! A myth ! Bewildering !
> >The worse is I can't even go to neighbouring countries to study the truth :
> >I will be obliged to go to Japan , as  language teachers from all romance
> >countries are paid to lie.
> >Thank you for bringing me the light.
> >Georges
>
> The tone of the above, the response to Irene Thompson, and previous
> invectives directed at Tsuji Yoshimasa are all unacceptable!

Is it possible that, much like there's cofusion between
Slavic/Slavonic/Slavistic, that Tsuji (presumably a student) is a bit
confused between "these languages are descended from the same root as
Latin" and "these languages are descended from Latin"?

I'm not criticizing Tsuji - far from it: I respect his insights, though I
disagree, and I respect his ability to communicate in a language *far*
removed in so many ways from his own native language.  What I'm asking,
I suppose, is why some of you - people who should KNOW how difficult it is
to communicate in a foreign language - are jumping all over him and
committing straw man and ad hominem fallacies without first trying to
understand his viewpoint.  This isn't war, this isn't a "mortal insult" to
our societies, cultures, intellects, or whatnot - it's a discussion list,
composed of supposedly educated people who presumably know better than to
behave like a couple of barroom bullies looking for a fight.

Nebezpokoiemtes, soutrudniki.

And if you're going to flame ME, at least attack my presumptuous use of an
alternate form of the imperative, please.  =)
--
"Douglas, if you set me on fire, I will scream and burn." - P. Jones