[Sdalliance] Suspension of Michael Russell

[Eric Chamberlin]

Monty,
It was a member of the IWW who put forward the motion to suspend Michael from the list serve not a member of the DAF so attacking the DAF on this issue unfounded. You make comparisons to "executing" and "bloodshed." I think this is more like removing someone from an organizational meeting for being repeatedly disruptive, harassing people between meetings, trying to physically intimidate someone at a meeting and finally making it ABUNDANTLY clear that they aren't even sympathetic to the goals of the meeting. If that makes me a dangerous authoritarian so be it. 
Eric 

      From: Monty Kroopkin <mkroopkin at juno.com>
 To: gm.leuning at gmail.com 
Cc: SDalliance at lists.resist.ca
 Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 12:51 PM
 Subject: Re: [Sdalliance] Suspension of Michael Russell
   
Process! Very dangerous to ban people with no pre-agreed upon process, especially in a coalition. If people don't want to engage off-list with an individual, nobody is forcing them to read or respond to any message they find offensive. The comparison to the extremes of arbitrary and capricious violations of even the minimal bourgeois rights that are the current standards is apt. Banning somebody from communication in a group is a symbolic form of execution. Real internal bloodshed on the Left should teach us all about being very careful about exclusion practices.

---------- Original Message ----------





I wanted to chime in here so Monty's voice isn't the only one. The decision by the Communications committee seems like a prudent one based on the email and the very broad points of unity that this person seemed unable or unwilling to deal with. The comparison to "enemy combatants" is unhelpful, unconsidered, and inflammatory. This listserv is an organizational tool meant to be used for enacting political actions, not for the posturing of free-speech absolutists who engage in suspicious splitter behavior any time they or their friends aren't treated with deference.  Thanks to the Communications committee for their diligent work. On Wed, Jan 18, 2017 at 7:51 AM Monty Kroopkin <mkroopkin at juno.com> wrote:
Our organizations have not yet seen, let alone ratified, our alliance structure and decision-making process. Therefore this banning decision is a huge process violation. Mature adults don't freak out about bad speech. Accusation of threatening behavior cannot be treated the way the government treats accusation of "enemy combatant" status: no formal charges, no fair trial, etc etc. If DAF asserts that it started this alliance and that until the orgs ratify structure and start using it, that the listserv is the property of DAF, and that DAF can ban whoever it pleases, then we are owed at least affirmation that this was actually a decision of DAF, not only a decision of four committee members who have received zero delegated authority from the alliance to ban anybody they dislike. No coalition can survive with that type of arbitrary power being impose upon us. There will be lots of other times when people get heated up about some issue. We need to learn to deal with it in a principled and inclusive 'coalition' manner. In Struggle,
Monty

---------- Original Message ----------






| 
After receiving several complaints today, Communications Comm. members Eric, Yesi, Erin, and I decided to suspend  Michael Russell of San Diego Speaks from the listserv for inappropriate/harassing emails, and inappropriate and threatening behavior during the meeting at Bread and Salt.  They will not be able to receive listserv emails and any comments they try to send out will be flagged for moderation.  Unfortunately, this will not prevent this person from harassing members through personal emails.  We plan as a committee to develop a standardized procedure for such actions in the future, however, we felt that urgent action needed to be taken.  For the sake of transparency, we are sending this message.
  |

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