As a former judge, I can relate my experience that
personal attacks simply lowered my view of the person making the comment.
It is a sign of weakness of one's argument. If you are right, a logical
statement of your position is usually the most persuade thing you can
do.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2004
16:03
Subject: Re: [Winona] Wilson
Annexation
[Winona Online Democracy]
Apparently I have not been clear enough in
re-stating the rules. Please pay special attention to rules number 4 and
5.
1. Discussion topics should include local and
regional issues that impact the quality of life in the greater Winona
Area.
2. Sign all posts with your full actual name.
3. Don�t
post more than twice in one day.
4. Disagreements and conflicting
viewpoints are a natural part of discussion, but list members should work to
discuss them constructively. Talk about the issues, not the individuals. Try
to help people understand your point without being antagonistic, sarcastic or
argumentative. Ask questions to try and understand others� points of view.
Keep in mind the words of Thomas Jefferson, "I never saw an instance of one or
two disputants convincing the other by argument."
5. Personal attacks
directed at another list member are not allowed.
6. Commercial
messages, chain letters, virus warnings and joke emails should not be sent to
the list. If you think one of these should be posted to the list, forward it
to the list manager for consideration.
The issue of annexation appears to be one about
which there is a great deal of emotion from all sides. I am concerned
about how all of this emotion is impacting the discussion (as I have often
been when the conflict has been high). I would invite you all to
join me in a discussion thread to examine more specifically the issue of
civility online and how to bring members' expectations and behavior onto the
same page.
Kathy Seifert
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 11:46
PM
Subject: Re: [Winona] Wilson
Annexation
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
>
> On Jul 12,
2004, at 12:16, Eric Sorensen wrote:
>
> > In summary, Turek
offers nothing to the debate except a clear vision
> > of her
personal bias. She is not a citizen of the City of Winona and
> >
cannot vote here. I guess that frustrates her. Perhaps, she would
>
> consider moving to Winona to have that privilege. And to personal
> > performance reviews, I hope that someone at WinonaHealth reviews
her
> > personal use of their computers.
> >
> >
Finally, WOD leaders need to control their system and its usage. I
>
> read somewhere a concern with Steve Schield's letters. How about
>
> Turek's personal attacks? How about we go back to a factual
debate?
>
> You are right; Janice is not a citizen of Winona.
However I am. Does
> that make my opinion more important? I hope not,
because I was taught
> in Winona's schools that equality is something
Americans are proud of.
> I would hate to see that Conservative
American value thwarted for
> minuscule annexation debate. If
citizenship were a prerequisite for
> participation in the debates of
various issues in the process than I
> can guarantee one thing: The
political debate would stagnant, quickly.
>
> I have been a
citizen for more than 15 years and I have been watching
> in dismay as
the city again acts in a manner that is guaranteed to get
> it
sued.
>
> I can rattle off a list of 500 items that need
improvement in the city
> of Winona yet when the chips are down the
city choses to waste its
> money on lawsuits that the city will not win
rather than spending the
> money in a fiscally reasonable way.
>
>
> I will provide a brief list for the last several
years:
> 1) Secret meetings about Wal Mart with a Wal Mart
representative which
> were a blatant violation of the MN open meeting
law. Sorry, the
> official explanation still does not hold when held up
to the light of
> the law.
> 2) The stupid morality law suits and
appeals over the existence of the
> porn store and attempts to create a
legal monopoly.
> 3) A conflict of interest scandal months back
that involved
> environmental compliance problems and the
enforcement.
>
> Heck, getting sued, settling issues, or outright
acting illegally seems
> to be a Winona government past time.
>
> 1) "Sheriff" Brand firing political opponents and costing the county
> money when it settled both cases.
> 2) School board holding a
secret session for non-secret issues
> 3) School board conferring with
email exchanges inappropriately
>
> I am sure if I went through
the docket and newspapers I could find
> more, but my point should be
apparent.
>
> --
>
> I also find your comments
adding nothing to the debate. In fact, it
> shows exactly what others
have been stating about the city government's
> actions in this
annexation process to be true. I also find it
> interesting that you
have declined to participate in this debate until
> now and when you
do, it ...
>
> Perhaps you should also read my comments about
Steve Schild's "paper"
> and recognise that this is nothing more than
an opinion of one man. It
> is not the word of god that you and others
seemingly make it out to be.
>
> I find it odd that you
vehemently protest WOD's usage for one
> questionable email. If the
same logic where applied to Musims...
> Iraqis... Christians... or city
government officials... than it would
> be easy to say all members of
these groups are corrupt.
>
>
********************************************
> David Dittmann
>
> Support equal rights, open the bike path up to all automobiles, not
> just automobiles driven by the sheriff's department.
>
>
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>
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Contact page at
> http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
>
_______________________________________________
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posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the
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No commercial solicitations are allowed on this
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To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please
visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or
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If you
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