Author Topic: Charity, giving people a chance, and SGG (Read 844 times)

Matthew · « **on:** November 18, 2009, 03:44:06 PM »

Normally, I wouldn't over-scrutinize a new user, or ban someone for anything less than a flagrant violation of charity and/or forum rules.

However, these are not normal times.

Most of you know that countless SGG "defenders" have signed up in the last 4 months to fight for the cause of Fr. Cekada on CathInfo.

There has been SOME variety, but a lot of similarity, in their personalities, arguments, techniques, angle of attack, "personal story", reason for being here, etc.

Anyhow, my point is this:

The accusation against SGG mostly involves abuse and bullying. Now when dealing with bullies, can you give them much quarter? Of course not. They are the type to get in and manipulate everything for their own benefit. In the context of a web forum, you have to be very careful. A cult leader (or his direct helpers) can craftily undo any opposition, if allowed to do so. Lies mean nothing to such people. A lie and the truth look very similar in text form. Innocent 3rd parties can easily be deceived.

When dealing with bullies, you can't just let them be "as long as they follow the rules" -- no, you have to be careful, and not let them dominate the discussion. Especially since BAD GUYS (or the guilty side) has a lot more at stake than the GOOD GUYS -- except maybe Eamon, who started this thing for noble reasons.

Remember Vatican II. The revolutionaries/bad guys were FAR OUTNUMBERED by the unsuspecting good guys. Remember, a motivated revolutionary works harder than 20 good guys maintaining the "status quo". The status quo, as good as it is, just doesn't get one's blood moving! Especially when only the bad guys, not the good guys, understand what is at stake.

How can Eamon oppose 5 or 10 intelligent, motivated SGG apologists? He can't, at least not easily. So I'm going to intervene a bit to keep it fair.

That's what I've been doing up till now, and what I'll continue to do.

I don't mind a bit of opposition -- let Eamon explain himself. But remember, this isn't just about Eamon anymore. If it was, 200 people wouldn't have left SGG, and Fr. Cekada wouldn't have pulled $135,000 from St. Clare's bank account.

Matthew

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** November 19, 2009, 10:32:28 AM »

Another thing to point out -- bad guys and good guys can't be treated the same. They AREN'T the same. For one thing, they both follow a different set of "rules".

For example, 3 bad guys on a forum is not the same as 3 good guys on a forum. The bad guys will collude together, try to steer the conversations off-course, use logical fallacies such as "poison the well" and "shoot the messenger" (ad hominem), etc.
Plus the bad guys are motivated by whatever goal binds them together; the good guys are just spending some free time online.

See the mismatch?

If I treated everyone "equally", the bad guys would win. Every time.

So I have to be extra careful when I see "the bad side" bringing in a bunch of people to attack. I know for a fact that the anti-Eamon faction is the bad side -- I know that because of their behavior.

Robert Rawhide's threats, Fr. Cekada's slander of various priests and laymen, etc. -- it all tells me who the good guys are.

Matthew