I hope Jocelyn Chadwick reconsiders and apologize if I in any way contributed to her departure. I think it unfair to place a further burden on this forum's benevolent administrator by asking him to serve as a bouncer. I cannot in good faith call for the ouster of Mr. Fears. I ask my friends to reconsider this request. I can and will sic my spam filter on Mr Fears if he doesn't stop posting instant and often boorish responses to almost every submission to this list. I wish he'd realize that this list is not his personal Rorshcach test. I know I have had a couple of thoughts of posting lately that I abandoned because I didn't want my remarks treated as if they were fodder for "Ask David Fears." No matter how you spin it, you are not a martyr or a victim, Mr Fears. What you are is one member of a forum full of people who are very knowledgeable about Mark Twain. It is a forum that is bleeding members ever since you have begun posting far more often than any other member. As any good teacher might say, "Let's give some of the others a chance." Barry Crimmins > Chadwick On Mar 20, 2008, at 4:01 PM, Larry Howe wrote: > Jocelyn-- > > I'm sorry to read that you're leaving the forum. Although I > understand and > have felt similarly at different points, I urge you to reconsider. > In the > spirit of an historic speech given just a couple of days ago, I ask > you to > maintain an association with a group that has merit despite the > wrongheaded > remarks of a vocal inividual. I appeal to you in part out of > selfishness: if > sensible people leave, there will be little reason for other > sensible ones > to stay and others to join. > > It is, of course, frustrating to have a particularly stubborn > member not > learn from repeated calls to show some sensitivity. I take this > opportunity > to point out to David Fears that his activity on the forum is having a > deleterious effect. I would encourage you, Fears, to grow up > (resist your > adolescent inclination to reply with lame wit), apologize for your > mistakes, > and be considerate in subsequent posts. If you cannot do this, > then I would > call on the list administrator to do something about it. If either > of these > conditions are not met, the list faces the likelihood of > abandonment from > other intelligent, mature voices like Jocelyn Chadwick's. > > --LH > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jocelyn > Chadwick > Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 2:03 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Mark Twain quote? > > I have been a member of this forum for longer than I can really > remember and > have learned from, contributed to, and read with enthusiasm > comments from > this group. I am so sorry that today, I will ask to be removed. I > am making > this request publicly and with much sorrow in my heart and in my > soul. When > I read the quote yesterday, I actually wondered whether anyone > othen than > the usuals would respond. > > I thank you all for the wonderful conversations, but I cannot, > will not > abide any sort of insensitivity on a forum from which I have always > expected > substantive conversation, scholarship, and yes, disputation, but > without > wreckless remarks for no apparent reason other than one can. > > Mr Fears, you have caused me to do something that I never thought > I would > do--leave a forum I have so loved and admired for so long. > > Jocelyn A. Chadwick > > David H Fears <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Isn't it interesting that those who lie here waiting in attack > mode for > terms they *perceive* as pejorative respond by using terms such as > "troll" > and > "fossil" in ways which are undeniably pejorative. Such abuse can > only limit > contributions to this forum. > > David H Fears > > > > **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video > on AOL > Home. > (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15? > ncid=aolhom0 > 0030000000001) >