4 ms·

So... sexism in and of itself ought to be a punishable offense?

_jal 7y ago
Oh, stop it. The GP clearly did not say that. If you need to scroll up and read it again, do so.
KirinDave 7y ago
Are we talking about RMS? If so, RMS wasn't "punished." Folks were tired of his bad leadership and demanded he leave, because he was consistently bad at his leadership job. You can decide this is punishment and it might feel that way to RMS, but I think we can all agree sexism is a bad trait to have in the most senior leadership position of an organization founded around principles of liberty in expression and action. RMS was bad for that cause, and he couldn't keep his position on pure tenure and prestige anymore.
- atypicaluser 7y ago
  "...principles of liberty in expression and action." It amuses me that you fail to see the irony in your use of that phrase when it comes to RMS being forced to resign for what he said.
  - KirinDave 7y ago
    Oh yes, in this case liberty would be allowing a man to stay in a leadership position with power over others despite their defiance of his legitimacy. As we all know, real liberty is when one person has power over others who object to it.
  - kentm 7y ago
    Other people exercising their rights to speech and freedom of association in response to someone's speech is not an attack on freedom of expression.
emptyfile 7y ago
Yes, of course, how is this even a question? I wouldn't want a person in my team voicing sexists opinions, I would want that person removed from the team. Let alone as a figurehead and leadership figure.
- atypicaluser 7y ago
  It's a question because I'm trying to assess where the line is drawn, eg. if a person is sexist in their private life, but keeps things professional on the job, should they be punished for being sexist? You've helped draw that line, but where does the line really lay?
  - KirinDave 7y ago
    Sorry, But I've been around the block enough times here to know that your actual goal is to label this action as "punishment." That's a position with enormous rhetorical value to you. You can use that framing to turn a conversation about a man's actions over time into a philosophical question. That way you can avoid any inconvenient particular facts.
    - atypicaluser 7y ago
      What could it be other than punishment? RMS committed no crime. What he did was offend certain people by having the audacity to speak up on behalf of his dead friend. That was his 'act.' Inconvenient enough?
      - KirinDave 7y ago
        What, indeed?
  - povertyworld 7y ago
    It's not punishment. The "most plausible scenario" is that he resigned "fully willingly".
  - kentm 7y ago
butterfi 7y ago
um...Yes? Don't we already have laws regarding sexism? Isn't there a whole history of sexism law, going as far back as the Romans? Maybe I don't understand the question...

_jal 7y ago

Oh, stop it. The GP clearly did not say that. If you need to scroll up and read it again, do so.

Are we talking about RMS? If so, RMS wasn't "punished." Folks were tired of his bad leadership and demanded he leave, because he was consistently bad at his leadership job. You can decide this is punishment and it might feel that way to RMS, but I think we can all agree sexism is a bad trait to have in the most senior leadership position of an organization founded around principles of liberty in expression and action. RMS was bad for that cause, and he couldn't keep his position on pure tenure and prestige anymore.

atypicaluser 7y ago
"...principles of liberty in expression and action." It amuses me that you fail to see the irony in your use of that phrase when it comes to RMS being forced to resign for what he said.
- KirinDave 7y ago
  Oh yes, in this case liberty would be allowing a man to stay in a leadership position with power over others despite their defiance of his legitimacy. As we all know, real liberty is when one person has power over others who object to it.
- kentm 7y ago
  Other people exercising their rights to speech and freedom of association in response to someone's speech is not an attack on freedom of expression.

emptyfile 7y ago

Yes, of course, how is this even a question? I wouldn't want a person in my team voicing sexists opinions, I would want that person removed from the team. Let alone as a figurehead and leadership figure.

atypicaluser 7y ago
It's a question because I'm trying to assess where the line is drawn, eg. if a person is sexist in their private life, but keeps things professional on the job, should they be punished for being sexist? You've helped draw that line, but where does the line really lay?
- KirinDave 7y ago
  Sorry, But I've been around the block enough times here to know that your actual goal is to label this action as "punishment." That's a position with enormous rhetorical value to you. You can use that framing to turn a conversation about a man's actions over time into a philosophical question. That way you can avoid any inconvenient particular facts.
  - atypicaluser 7y ago
    What could it be other than punishment? RMS committed no crime. What he did was offend certain people by having the audacity to speak up on behalf of his dead friend. That was his 'act.' Inconvenient enough?
    - KirinDave 7y ago
      What, indeed?
- povertyworld 7y ago
  It's not punishment. The "most plausible scenario" is that he resigned "fully willingly".
- kentm 7y ago

butterfi 7y ago

um...Yes? Don't we already have laws regarding sexism? Isn't there a whole history of sexism law, going as far back as the Romans? Maybe I don't understand the question...