sigh
Sorry I’m so late for my own party…too busy slaveing away at work. So this is what it is like to be flamed. Funny, because I have never been flamed before. During my years here at the SDMB I have generally been considered at least a decent poster. I am certainly not the best, but I try to add constructivly to the threads. Until one day, I posted an upopular opinion, and then suddenly my friend Spiris Mundi launched what I perceived as an uncalled for attack. I would understand if he was saying that he did not agree with my point. But, alas, he was not. Instead he merely said the equivelent of “your not good enough” and left it at that.
I do not think my first post in that thread was all that out of line for GD. Other people unsupported statements like:
“This sounds (in theory) like a great idea - much better then dropping off your child with someone who commutes 45 minutes from another town to teach your child (and who gets your child to write your town rep and urge them to spend your tax money to put handicap ramps on corners in an area where there are plenty of driveways and are not needed or some other local issue that the teacher wants to take your money to pay for it).” (Now where is the cite that all teachers live 45 minutes away?)
and personal ancedotes such as:
"ok i was home schooled from 4th grade through 8th grade. It was the best thing that my mom could have done for me. she homeschooled my older brothers and they are very sucsesfull in their jobs. I just finished 9th grade at the local public high school and they put me in all the advanced classes and all of them (but french) are too easy for me. if you are worried about your child not going to succsed in life then you have been contaminated by the public school administarors (they loose money if you homeschool). trust me home schooling is much better then public school and private schools (I have been to them too). " (are you going to pick apart their poste to show that they did not, in fact, get an adequete education?)
and even outright misinformation such as:
“You are not allowed to simply pull your children out of regular school and announce, “I am now homeschooling my kids” and then teach them whatever you want. You have to fill out forms, which go on file with your local school district. You are given a standard curriculum by the state school superintendent, and you go by the book. It’s broken down for you, day by day, week by week, in words of one syllable, “cover this”, “now cover this”.” (CA home school are often put in the same catagory as private schools, which have a lot of leway in what they teach).
My post was not unusually bad. Not exactly the shineing moment of my GD career, but not the lowest, either (I reserve the lowest for my few feeble attempts at humor.)
I, not really being interested in fighting (as oppossed to participating in an honest debate) posted a reply explaining why I did the things I did. I stated that I was a political extremest not to start a fight or paint myself a martyr, but rather to illustrate that I understood fully the unpopularity of my positions and underline how irrelevent I understand them to be (and yes, it was related because my position on homeschooling is tied to my position on life in general.) I hoped to leave it at that and allow the debate to continue. But I was wrong. Soon after, I found beloved Mundi tediously deconstructing my humble response.
By this point Mr.Mundi was starting to work my nerves. I produced yet another reply. This time my tone was was all but groveling. I spent a nice chunk of my day of my day off trying to write a post that Soiritus Mundi would approve of. I admitted my mistakes, and tried to leave the door open for further discussion.
This time Mundiman actually got off his high horse and discussed, as opposed to confronted. Too late, by this time I had found a page in the pit, in which another poster seemed to have faced the same treatment I got. I added my (by this time somewhat strong) opinions on Spiritus’s way of contributing to debates.
And so I find myself here.
Yes, Mr. Mundi. I do understand the complex relationship between form and content. That is actually one of the most important things I deal with in my studies. Your argument was not “I don’t like what Madam Sven says about the subject of homeschooling”, but rather “I don’t like how Svensta supports her arguments, regardless of her position”. Notice that Mundi never really takes up a position himself. Most debates I know of go along the lines of “I’m right; your wrong”, not just “your wrong.” Your posts might have been helpful if I were submitting this to a thesis commitee. Except that most thesis committees avoid being that self-important and condenscending.
Now, I have offered you the chance to review some of my scholarly work. Pehaps it would be best to judge my education on works that were created and presented in an academic setting, as opposed to a messege board that I am not really able to devote as much time and energy to as my studies. I think it has already been established that my post was somewhat typical for the setting. My offer stands. My email adress is in my profile, and I would be glad to send you a sample of the work that I produce for school. After that, I will consider you free to debate in a public or private way the merits of my university, my work within that university, and my fitness as a scholar.
I understand if you decline. It appears that your medium is cheap shots.
