With apologies

[Jack Kollmann]

Dear friends (small "f"),

         My two cents on behalf of keeping the SEELANGS list on topic:
         (1) It is bothersome to open SEELANGS mailings only to read
material that is outside the subject area of our list -- time wasted
reading through the item to see if it turns out, after all, to be on topic,
frustration discovering that one's "SEELANGS" moment of concentration at
the computer has been diverted to another subject, in this case a subject
about which we already have access to a plethora of information and points
of view (including views similar to Mr. Jameson's).
         (2) Beyond being bothered, such submissions can be painful to
read.  We are all in mourning in various ways, we are all attempting to
translate (to use an appropriate SEELANGS term) the national tragedy into
what it means in our own lives and to decide what we think national
post-tragedy policy should be.  While we are in mourning, I suggest that it
is intrusive and cruel to present one's political views on this list that
is intended for scholars of Slavic and East European Languages
(SEELANGS).  To take Mr. Jameson's submission as an example:  while I
sympathize with some of his points and can appreciate the sincerity of his
convictions, some of what he says offends and pains me.  I won't say what
and how, because that would continue this unfortunate thematic deflection
of (assault on?) our list.  I feel as if Mr. Jameson (and some previous
contributors) has grabbed my arm at a funeral of a loved one (I'm a captive
audience at the funeral, just as I am on this distribution list) and
whispered things in my ear about the deceased, about the meaning of the
victim's death, and about what we should all do as a result -- some of
which things I disagree with and which offend me, disturb me, and which I
find inappropriate to the occasion (the funeral, the list).  Please, please
stop.  Please choose another forum in which to vent your well-intended
wisdom on how we should interpret our national tragedy.

         To those who respond to my plea, I thank you.

Respectfully,

Jack Kollmann
Stanford University




At 12:07 PM 9/14/01 +0100, you wrote:
>Dear Colleagues,
>Britain's experience of IRA terrorism (many horrific large-scale
>city bombings and 30 years of insurgency) leads me to the
>following conclusions:
>
>(You'll only hear from me once about this.)
>
>Andrew Jameson
>Member, Lancaster Monthly Meeting
>Society of Friends (Quakers)

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