[Ansteorra] From the Rialto

[iainmacc at juno.com]

On Tue, 5 Jun 2001 15:59:06 -0500 Kimberly Koch <sarapenrose at yahoo.com>
writes:
> I cannot possibly begin to describe how violently
> opposed I am to posting this sort of information to
> the lists. It invariably does more harm than good. I
> can do nothing to mend the damage done, but I can tell
> you what I believe with all my heart to be true.

        I came into this conversation not knowing who was being spoken
of, only that since it was someone from the north I was unlikely to have
met him.
        My first thought was that, while it is old news, the fact remains
the we the ruled should have the option to know whether those who would
rule are worthy to do so in honor. That thought stayed with me a while.
        However, while it was never displaced, it was modified by
something else. I have had people I am very close to hurt badly by an (at
least partly) intentional smear campaign waged against them in the SCA.
Things were said about them on the far side of the Kingdom that had no
basis in fact whatsoever. The fact is that the "rumor mill" transmits
anything that is interesting or worrisome, and has no means to filter for
truth or falshood at all.
        Further, I find myself in disagreement with our legal system and
the processes it uses to attempt to find the truth on a fairly regular
basis. Often it goes beyond "less than perfect" and heads off in the
direction of "ludicrous". I''m sure you can all think of an example of
this without straining.
        The bottom line is the reason I am still in the SCA after 19
years is because mundane society pushes everyone to dishonor themselves
every day, and considers it no big deal. I find this true of a large
percentage (if not a majority) of mundane individuals, and certainly true
of nearly every institution, public or private. Because of this, never
having met the man, I trust myself to tell whether or not he is honorable
A WHOLE LOT more than I will ever trust a lawyer's opinion, or a mundane
jury's.
        And personally, it has been my experience that trusting the
discretion or judgement of the rumor mill is an even chancier proposition
than trusting the discretion and judgement of a drunk.

                                                Yours in Service,

                                                        Iain MacCrimmon