Heraldry

[I. Marc Carlson]

<James Crouchet <crouchet at infinity.ccsi.com>>
>>By responding to it, you are, in essence, trying to pressure
>> me into changing my statement.  It's a fairly simple and extremely common
>> social dynamic.
>....I seems unlikely I am pressuring you to "get with the program" on 
>items I don't do.  I think you may be reading more into my statements 
>than is actually there. 

There are two aspects to this answer.  The first regards your last sentance,
the second, the question of heralds.  If I am reading more into your
statements, as you suggest, but not, as I have suggested, attempting
to simply, objectively present the social dynamic, then what response
would you have preferred from me?  The options for the answer are:
a)  Silence (Thereby indicating that either I am unable or unwilling to
    respond effectively to your comments)
b)  Agreement.
c)  Arguement.

You made a statement I believe to be fallacious, or at least so in a broader
picture than what you are familiar with.  Rather than disagree openly,
I am attempting to show you by analogy that these pressures exist in
even the most simple social discourse.

>> Those pressures exist all over the place in the Society (not to mention the
>> greater Society at large), whether you notice them or not.
>Sure, this is how we guide the development of our fellows.  It is the 
>only enforcement method for courtisy and honor. We are, after all, a 
>Society. 

So, then, it is appropriate to pressure those people who do not wish
to perform heraldic activities to doing such, since that is what the Lady
Estril and I are referring to.

>Perhaps the hairs being split here are too fine for me.

I think that the root of this problem may be deeper than the hair can 
be split :)

As Estril pointed out, there doesn't seem to be this sort of pressure
in the south where there is a sufficiency of Heralds, and the anecdotal
evidence from southern Heralds here has supported her statements.  While
the current Herald of Mooneshadowe doesn't appear to be having the 
difficulties Estril and I have spoken of, to judge from her spouse's, recent
note (and to be honest, I'm delighted to hear it), this doesn't alter the
fact that there are very few heralds in the North, and that there is the 
perception among many of the non-Heralds and ex-Heralds that the job is just
too much of a pain in the rear to bother with.

I am not being critical of Heralds, the College of Heralds, and so forth.
At worst, I am suggesting that the experience of people who live in large,
heavily populated regions, may not be the same as that of those of us who,
for whatever reason, find ourselves trapped in the periphery.

This, however, is another thread, is it not?

Diarmuit