Scandal taints fathers' rights group — Debate

Preceding Message (message # 4)

From: "Louise" <malenfant@powersurfr.com>
To: "David Shackleton" <editor@everyman.org>
Subject: Re: <no subject>
Date: Tue, Apr 24, 2001, 6:27 PM

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(Message # 5)

Reply

From: David Shackleton
To: Louise
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 2:46 AM
Subject: Re: <no subject>

Louise,

Thanks for your reply.

You say "I would agree with you in all but one respect", and then, it seems to me, you disagree with most of what I have said.

In essence, the choice we have to make is this.  Do we give priority to public credibility and a kind of "political correctness" of opinion around child sexuality (or any other issue: take your pick), or do we give priority to principles of free speech, free assembly and due process.  For me there is no contest: I see the latter principles as fundamental, and I am convinced that we can build a healthy (and therefore effective) movement on no other foundation.

You seem to feel that public credibility is more important.  That's a kind of "expediency rules" argument that sees principles as secondary.

However, you don't actually come out and make the choice, clearly.  You just talk at length about the dangers of being permissive or liberal about child sexuality.  Well, yes, there are dangers, and there are also dangers in removing people from organizations without due process, or making public credibility top priority.

So let me ask you to make the choice.  Do you think that Ferrel Christensen and Paul Adams shoulc be expelled from ECMAS for their opinions/past crimes, based on the strength of your and Donna's argument about the negative effect of their membership on our public credibility.

And if you do, how do you propose to defend against the next fashionable ideology that might have you on the wrong side of the fence?  

And if you don't, what do you want?

In the end, the court of public opinion is simply mob rule.  I don't want it.

Regards,

David Shackleton, Editor and Publisher
Everyman: A Men's Journal
PO Box 4617, Station E, Ottawa, ON  K1S 5H8, CANADA
http://www.everyman.org
"The World Changes When We Do"

Louise Malenfant's reponse (message #6) to the letter shown above