Re: Dr. Gunn

En réponse à Jan van Steenbergen <ijzeren_jan@...>:

>
> Dear Christophe, I don't agree with you at all if you say that your
> message is
> not good enough. I believe it's excellent, just like Aidan's reply to
> Dr.
> Gunn's message, which is excellent too.
Thanks! Still, I feel I could have put things better. But as I see it, she
won't even bother read it, so I won't bother try to make it better...

> Personally, I can't feel upset by her text, even though it is by all
> means
> stupid. Bearing in mind some jokes which have passed earlier, about
> the
> "Language Police" etc., I would rather have fallen off my chair with
> laugher,
> if her text had not been anything but a joke.
My problem is that I got problems in my student years for the simple reason
that I never hid my homosexuality, even at school. One teacher (who was so
hypocritical that he never admitted it when I confronted him) did everything to
prevent me getting my diploma. Luckily other teachers didn't like him very much
and helped me out. So you can imagine that I am a bit sensitive about
academician close-mindedness.

> It's a sad thing that a person, let alone an academician, can be so
> narrow-minded, prejudiced, and utterly ignorant, but it's even worse (to
> avoid
> the word "evil") if this person tries to convince others in her ideas.
Unfortunately, my experience is that narrow-mindedness is nearly more present
in academic circles than in average life. At least in France. I personally
blame it on a conservative education system which tries as much as possible to
wipe out any originality and any individual reflection. You're not supposed to
have your own opinion, but to move with the flow. It cannot help break
prejudice IMHO.

> On the other hand, I would rather doubt this person's academic
> qualities, if
> she consequently dismisses every serious counteranswer (often a couple
> of
> hours' work for someone who takes it seriously) as "SPAM".
>
Unfortunately I don't think your opinion is the most common one in academic
circles. I unfortunately know that by experience.

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.