[Artemisia]BoD comments

[Chuck Heisler Jr.]

I, for one, feel I am a bad person.
   
  Seriously.  I don't even hate the BOD, but I'm certain that by dissenting with them I'm a bad person.  I must be.
   
  Only a bad person would resent the autocratic and (realistically) unappealable nature of the BOD (if not its nature) and then resent taking the only check (the BOD investigation) out of the process and give it to one person, the Society Seneschal. 
   
  Now, I do not know nor am I bad mouthing the current Society Seneschal or any single person.  But at least the BOD is seven people who decide a persons fate.  The Society Senschal (SS - yes, I realize its an unfortunate acronym)) is only ONE person.  And although we say its only a 'temporary' suspension, it has been the BOD's habit to accept the SS's word in situations like this.
   
  What if someone is unjustly accused, 'temporarily suspended' by the SS and then it is forwarded on to the BOD.  Now, as we've all pointed out, the actual Mundane Legal system takes a while.  This unjustly accused someone could be 'temporarily suspended' a long time.  Worse, they could be R&D'd based on their 'temporary suspension' before they ever come to trial.  Hence, the BOD, The SS, the royalty et al. have essentially R&D'd a member of our society for nothing at all.
   
  The Laws of the United States were created to protect us from unjust rule.  The Laws of the SCA are supposed to reflect that.  Although I sometimes disagree with the arbitrary length of the punishments meted out by the BOD, I do not deny their right to do so.  This rule, however, seems to imply that the SS should be allowed a right of the BOD's without having to recourse to the actual effort the BOD puts in.  If I were the SS, I would not only not want this (right/responsibility/power) over other people.
   
  I realize that this suggestion has come as a reaction to the bad behaviour mundanely and SCA-wise of a few particularly nasty people.  But, like mundane laws, I think we should very deeply consider how much power we want to give to a very few people, before we sell out our own personal rights. Especially in regard to the actions of a very few.  As I've said, that makes me a bad person in this argument.  I can live with that.
   
  Sir Conrad von Zuberbuhler, Black Baron of One Thousand Eyes, Loose Cannon, and All Around Bad Person.
   
  P.S.  I used my soap box for kindling for the books we'll be banning next.  I vote we start with anything referring to stuff that happened after 1500.  :)

Sondra Gibson <sgibson at edulog.com> wrote:
  Greetings all, 

Until today, I didn't see any of the posts on this topic as attacking anyone
personally. There was a discussion going on. Many people have many
different opinions, for many different reasons. 

And you know what - *that is OK!* People were stating their opinions and at
times using examples to back up their thoughts. No one was being called
un-peer like for airing their opinions. We are all entitled to our
opinions, whether we are Royals, Peers or non Peers. And in a group this
large, they are going to differ. Sometimes by quite a lot. Ideally this
*should* be a place where opinions can be expressed without our discussions
degenerating into name calling and finger pointing. 

Yes - each person who has strong feeling on the topic of BoD sanctions needs
to express those thoughts and feelings to the BoD. But at times it's useful
to hear other people's point of view, before making one's mind up about
something. (you might just hear something that will change how you feel!)
So please people, listen to what others have to say, and try to reread your
response before posting it. Don't expect everyone to share the same
viewpoint. Just because they don't see things the same as you do doesn't
make them a bad person. 

(ok - getting off soapbox now)
Gefjon 


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