ANST - What is a Peer?

[Dr Tiomoid M. of Angle]

--- Lady Simone <margiejr at sprintmail.com> wrote:

> With respect I must say I feel you are in error.

That's allowed.

> Frankly it surprised me that a *Peer* would adress
another
> with such venum in a public arena.

Then you haven't been watching the way other "peers"
address me in a public arena. What's sauce for the good is
sauce for the gander.

> Did you  think  about *What kind of message you are
> sending to those of us who are not Peers* .

Yes. The message is "Wake up and smell the manure."

> I thought and I could be wrong that Peers are suposed to
> be examples of the Perrage,

Fooled you, didn't they? There are peers in the SCA who are
exellent exemplars of good conduct and public virtue.
Unfortunately, they are a minority -- sometimes a very
small minority -- and that is one of the things that annoys
me most about the SCA.

> Examples of the best in service regardless of what area
> they recived their Peerage.

In theory, Yes. In practice, far too often No.

> Examples of  Honor, integrety, Chivalry , and Civility.

In theory, Yes. In practice, far too often No.

> Teachers who demonstrate through there words actions and
> deed what it means to be a Peer. To show others that once
> the peerage is recived that it is not the end of a path
> but the begining of a new one. *That it is "NOT" a trophy
> to be Won, or an Excuss to allow Civility, Tack and Just
> plain  good manners fall to the wayside.

I'm sorry you object to my having questioned what appear to
be your religious beliefs, but I just paint what I see.

> > Oh, please -- I didn't wear my boots today.
> 
> Master,  This was just plain wrong

No, it's not. I know Gunnora well enough to know that this
is just hypocritical cant on her part. I object to
hypocrisy even more than I object to vice.

> > nobody I've ever met who hasn't been "recognized as a
> > peer" (whether they are a Platonic peer or not ... and
> > I've known several) believes it for a minute. It's just
> > a self-esteem Consolation Prize for those who don't
> > happen to win in the Race For The Dangly. Let's leave
> > this bromide with Santa and the Tooth Fairy where it
> > belongs, and talk about reality.

> Now you have. I guess it was because I had a knight in my
> youth who stressed that it was not the achievement of the
> peerage that was important. but how you walked towards
it.

All knights stress this. Nobody is going to be given a
white belt (or any other kind of honor) who is not willing
to preach the party line in public. I've known  a number
who actually practice what they preach -- but, as I say, a
minority.

> He stresed that The Peerage was a beging and I should
> walk the path towards it irregardless if I ever became a
> peer or not. 

Would you accept a mundane job on that basis? "You need to
take pride in your work, whether or not we eventually get
around to paying you for it." Awards are the psychic
currency of this game.

> that my life should encompass the Ideals of  honor
> integrety, chivalry, valor, civility, and service to the
> best of my ability. that the more I worked and
> learned the se Ideals the stonger they would become. 

All very true. What's your point?

> That a true Peer is a Peer years before they are
> recognized,

And sometimes they're never "recognized" except by their
friends and family; while often people who aren't "true
peers" are made members of a peerage order. You seem to be
preoccupied with "messages"; what message does that send to
people who aren't peers? They either buy into the "pie in
the sky by and by" line, as you appear to have, or they get
discouraged and quit (an opportunity cost that is
impossible to quantify, so nobody every takes it into
account), or they  get cynical and do what it takes to get
the dangly while preaching virtue in public. I've seen all
three of these happen, and I don't like any of them one
bit.

Rather than shooting at the messenger, you ought to take
the message to heart -- recognize that there is a problem,
appreciate the nature of that problem, and work to fix the
problem, not waste our time attempting to sweep it under
the rug.


Tadhg
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