[Ansteorra] The SCA's existance (was the Death of Chivalry)

[Marc Carlson]

>From: Lori Campbell <countesskat at yahoo.com>
>....The SCA’s existence is all about the death of
>chivalry, right?  It offers something society doesn’t
>– a means to save the chivalric values we perceive to
>be ideal (plus, we get to dress in beautiful clothes,
>create really cool things and hit people with sticks)...

I have to say this -- such a statement may be true for you, and in fact may 
be true for many folks here.  It is not true for all of us.

It has certainly been pointed out to me over the years that the chivalric 
ideal is not mine, and apparently I barely qualify as a gentleman.

My personal ideal is to treat people absolutely equally levels of respect, 
courtesy and honesty, barring those who have demonstrated that they don't 
deserve that.  I feel it is more polite to do this in the SCA than it is to 
treat people as history indicates that they should be treated -- it's an 
accommodation to the goal of accuracy I am seeking for me.

*I find* the idealization of women inherent in the chivalric ideal to be *in 
my opinion* sexist, oppressive and demeaning to both parties (not to mention 
*not period*, based as it is on a Victorian romantic fantasy of the Middle 
Ages).  Other opinions exist and that's fine for them - as long as everyone 
is happy.

Just making sure it's clear that not everyone is playing the same game here.

Maybe we can start simply and just start teaching people a modicum of 
civility and basic manners and work up from there.

Marc/Diarmaid