On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 12:01 AM, Kenneth Gonsalves lawgon@au-kbc.org wrote:
In this case, the discussion is highly relevant as it gives a clear pointer as to why so few women appear on community mailing lists. This is a problem that worries a lot of us. I personally was horrified at the sexist
Stop right there. I was *not* being sexist in any manner. If you think so, thats your opinion and it is *wrong*. Her behavior was completely uncalled for when she provoked me. The problem here is that these days people rarely understand that their actions have consequences. I wasn't the one indulging in *repeated* name calling or provoking others. There was a thread which I replied to. She had no business provoking me or any member on this list. She did that and these were the consequences.
These days people make issues out of millions of things. Seems they have nothing better to do but to pick a topic and make an issue out of an non-issue. As I've reiterated time and again, helping a minority group by providing them means is one thing. Herding them into using something just because you think its the best thing around *and* doing it all under the pretext of helping them is pure BS. You give them the means, educate them. Thats just about it. Let them decide.
Secondly the issue of equality. The moment you start dividing or identifying or classifying any individual, you've started to discriminate. I treated Ms.Ayer as I would treat any person irrespective of their gender. That is called equality. Live with it.
Thirdly, if people think women should be given preferential or different treatment because they cannot tolerate our behavior then they should go form a separate community ( which is what Linuxchix is about ) but they should be given a good lesson in tolerance.
In todays world there is nothing impeding well women from entering into any field. They know their choices and they have the means. There are some nasty social problems and I am definitely against them. If Ms.Ayer or anybody here on this list feels that I should've been more polite or whatever *because* shes a woman then they're the ones who need a lesson in equality.
The mere fact that I have treated Ms.Ayer as a person and not someone of the opposite sex is ample proof that I value equality.
Lastly, a person's principles go with him no matter where he is. I can see that Ms.Ayer doesn't believe in her own principles as I mentioned in an earlier reply that she broke no less than 4 codes of conduct that had her name on it. I value my principles and I dont abandon them. I believe in helping the needy but definitely *not* at the cost of hurting the sentiments of the majority or by putting them at a disadvantage.
This is precisely the reason why this world still has quota raj and minority politics.
I am definitely *against* misbehavior and harassment. But at the same time everybody should learn to accept and treat people equally and this *cant* be accomplished by categorizing ourselves.