some recent bigotry on this list

Mon Mar 6 21:42:45 PST 2006

Just because 'everyone at an event has bipolar or schizophrenia" no one free
of ignorance and bigotry would assume an expression of anger meant mental
instability.

On 3/6/06, Tree Fitzpatrick <therese.fitzpatrick at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Paul, I did read Birgitt's entire post.
>
> Just because all of the participants at Birgitt's event had bipolar or
> schizophrenia, you had no reason to make the bigoted assumption that when on
> member voiced anger and pain she was 'clearly mentally unstable'.
>
> It has never been the custom to publish private emails on this list.  I
> tried to approach Paul privately and he rebuffed my efforts.  In the past, I
> have gotten private emails from Paul that I found so offensive that I have
> asked him to never write to me privately.
>
> I wrote to him, first, privately this evening because I knew that I tried
> to confront his bigotry about mental illness online, he would be even
> nastier than usual -- which is exactly what he has done.
>
> You had no right to publish my private emails online, Paul.  You do not
> own the copyright to my words, of course.  I suppose you did so in an
> attempt to show that I used profanity.  Or maybe you hoped to continued your
> bigotry????
>
>
> On 3/6/06, EVERETT813 at aol.com <EVERETT813 at aol.com > wrote:
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 3/6/06 8:09:36 PM, therese.fitzpatrick at gmail.comwrites:
> >
> > In the same nasty note, Paul portrayed a woman that Birgitt told us
> > about as 'clearly mentally unstable."
> >
> > Tree,
> >
> > Perhaps you should read Birgitt's post again, produced below, especially
> > the first sentence or two.  It was that to which I was referring.  Sane
> > people do not come up and scream at a leader because they could not make the
> > choice to not participate.  That is extreme individualism and mental
> > instability, in my humble opinion.
> >
> > Further, your posts to me reek of another kind of individualism that
> > feels it is OK to heap calumny, invective and profanity on another.  Perhaps
> > you have not heard that the use of profanity is the attempt of a weak and
> > disordered mind to express itself forcefully.
> >
> > Since this is an unmoderated list anyone can post anything they wish.
> > I, however, do not wish to be the recipient of such ranting and ravings so
> > will be exercising the law of two feet.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > Birgitt's Post:
> >
> > Years ago I was taught a big lesson. I facilitated an OST for about 300
> > people, all of whom were on medications, all of whom had bipolar disorder or
> > schizophrenia. And all of whom were leaders in their communities and
> > incredible people. The side effects of the medications and of their
> > illnesses had an effect on all that happened in the 3 day event. They found
> > a way of working around it all to achieve what they wanted to achieve. They
> > were remarkable. I was deeply moved. At the closing, I did something that I
> > had learned from Harrison. After the microphone had gone around the circle
> > for comments, I had everyone stand up and hold hands as the start of a
> > closing to the event. We then did a the exercise of paying attention to the
> > energy inside of the circle of us, and then turning 180 degrees to feel that
> > energy at our backs as we went out into the world. When it was all done, a
> > woman came up to me and in a rage said "Do not ever do that to another human
> > being again. I had had a wonderful time here until you asked us to touch.
> > And then it was destroyed for me. I cannot touch another person. It is my
> > story and it has roots in my childhood and in my illness. By asking us to
> > hold hands, I had a choice...to be part of what the group was doing and
> > feeling violated by it, or not participating and feeling awful about
> > that....neither option was okay for me. YOU (and she shouted) have NO IDEA
> > of what anyone's personal story is so you should never do this to a group
> > again...to ask them to hold hands. You just don't know what is going on for
> > someone and by asking me to hold hands, you invaded my space."
> >
> > *Tree's rants and raves to me, my replies, both public and by email:*
> >
> > Sent to me via email, not list)
> >
> > just because people on the oslist believe in the principles of open
> > space, don't you think it about time you stopped taking advantage of
> > their good nature and stopped shoving your extreme indvidualism down
> > our throats?
> >
> > you get, right, that people put up with your bigoted, out-of-date crap,
> > right?
> >
> > I am happy to tell the list what I really think of your recent, ugly
> > words about a woman you have outrageously concluded had to be
> > 'mentally unstable' but I consider you to be a big mentally unstable.
> > . . so I won't.
> >
> > who among us has never voiced angry, anxious energy form time to time?
> > who the fuck are you to declare someone mentally unstable?
> >
> > and do you have any clue that the oslist is used by professional
> > facilitators to design real world events for real people and that,
> > golly gee, Paul, many events have people that bring their
> > individualism into a circle?  are you so ignorant about process design
> > and facilitation that you don't know a thing about it?
> >
> > go pop off somewhere else, you bigoted old pig
> > --
> > Warmly,
> > Tree Fitzpatrick
> > Hearthkeeper
> >
> > (Reply by Paul Everett)
> >
> > Tree,
> >
> > I thought we had a respectful agreement not to correspond with each
> > other.  Why have you violated that?  Think hard about what that implies
> > related to your need to put me down.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > WE did not have an agreement to not correspond with each other.
> >
> > But okay, then I will tell the list what I think of your recent,
> > hideous, ugly, bigoted denigration of the mentally ill.
> >
> > And, by the way, fuck you.  No respect from me.
> >
> > Tree
> >
> > I told you to leave me alone.  If you got the impression that you had
> > my respect, you misunderstood me.
> >
> > Tree
> >
> > (Paul's reply to the above two notes)
> >
> > Tree,
> >
> > Yes, and I did leave you alone.  It is you who is not leaving me alone.
> > I did not comment on your post.  I expect you to afford me the same
> > courtesy.  As for respect, I was referring to the agreement, not you or me.
> > I know there is a mutual dis-respect there.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > Posted to the OS List:
> >
> >
> > We were having a nice conversation on this list called 'a quiet time'.
> > . . and then Paul posted a couple of nasty phrases that stung me.
> >
> > He wrote derisively about 'extreme individualism', making it feel to
> > me, in a very ugly way, that he does not think it is okay for people
> > to try to get their needs met.  His derisive portrayal of examples of
> > individuality as 'extreme individualism' left me thinking that he
> > might not be a professional designer of human gatherings. . . at least
> > not one with the value of inclusion.
> >
> > In the same nasty note, Paul portrayed a woman that Birgitt told us
> > about as 'clearly mentally unstable."  Ouch.  That one seems even
> > uglier.  Who among us has never popped off, expressing anger in a less
> > than optimal manner?  It might not matter to most on this list but I
> > do have a mental health disability and I am fed up with being made to
> > feel like I have to tolerate ignorant, bigoted statements about the
> > mentally ill.  Like most bigotry, these kinds of statements usually
> > stem from the speaker's lack of knowledge about what they are talking
> > about.
> >
> > I have made a personal commitment to point out bigotry when I see it
> > and I believe Paul's nasty comment of 'clearly mentally unstable' was
> > bigotry.  I know 'most people' routinely tolerate bigoted
> > generalizaitons about people with mental health disabilities and when
> > they do tolerate such bigotry, I always wonder why.  why would anyone
> > think people with mental health disabilities did not deserve the same
> > absence of bigotry as anyone else?
> >
> > Sorry to bother the list with this but Paul's statements were, for me,
> > shockingly offensive.
> >
> > Tree
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Warmly,
> Tree Fitzpatrick
> Hearthkeeper
>

--
Warmly,
Tree Fitzpatrick
Hearthkeeper

*
*
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