Re: german harps etc

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

I would like to make it absolutely clear to everyone on the list that the 
message below, which appeared on the list, was a strictly PRIVATE offlist 
note to Mr Costine.  He did NOT ask me for permission to post it to the 
list, nor would I under ANY circumstances have given permission for it to be 
published. I feel extremely offended by this and I hope that you read this 
post before deciding that I was going for "the last word."

- ----Original Message Follows----
From: Anthony P. Costine <acostine@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>
CC: harp-l listowner <owner-harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: german harps etc
Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 19:59:07 -0400

Anthony,

I really wish we could let this drop now.  There IS another point of view 
beside yours regarding the politics of the latest overseas exploits of the 
USA, and my country too, the UK, whether you find that palatable or not - 
but at any rate this kind of stuff, whether emanating from people you 
disagree with or from you yourself, simply has no place on this list.  I 
have always, with very few exceptions, found harp-l to be a positive and 
upbeat place to air views about all things harmonica, and I hate to see it 
being degraded in this way.  I have written to owner harp-l to express this 
view and to express the wish that this kind of angle applied to harp-l 
discussion should be nipped in the bud.

Steve Shaw.


Hey Steve, just to kind of set the record straight, I did let it drop. Did 
you write to what's his name and tell  him that he shouldn't've dredged up a 
week old topic that generated bad feelings, and was very offensive to more 
than a few people here? Yes, there is another point of view. I certainly 
acknowledge that. What I don't acknowledge is this whole idea that these 
other people can say things that are out of line or over the top and then 
when someone is offended by it and responds (as I did), suddenly the 
responder is the bad guy who needs to be censored. If I need to be censored 
on this topic (and I'm sure I do...it's a deeply ingrained thing and the way 
things are going in the world right now I think that someone--indeed lots of 
someones--needs to stand up and remind the world just how good the USA is. I 
find it kind of offensive that I've gotten lots of private "atta boy" notes 
from people who apparently don't want to find themselves getting publicly 
ripped by you.
Further, for harp content: I challenge anyone to tell me what great blues 
harp player came out of Iraq under Saddam, or North Korea, or wherever.
And, special note to the Listowner, who I have all the respect in the world 
for: I'm sick and tired of this whole bunch of garbage. If you want me to 
stop defending myself, you need to establish that this whole topic is 
off-limits. Because I'm not going to let this stuff pass anymore at all. If 
you feel you need to unsubscribe me from the list because I refuse to lay 
down and let people like this walk all over me, that's more than fair and 
fine with me.
But I'm not going to stop defending my country against...well, against other 
people who seem to be jealous or just misinformed.

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