[MR] Poor Hamlet's Dad...

[April Dwiggins]

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I've been reading this thread for the past couple of days.  First off, I want to say that I don't know a single soul involved in this debacle.  While I may not agree with the way this was delivered, I understand why it was done.  But just because someone is in pain doesn't mean that absolves them of responsibility for their actions.  I am sure that Mr. Stoneking was well aware of the fact he would receive angry words from those who took offense.

The actual reason that I am replying to this at all is to state that, regardless of the chivalry and courtesy that we aspire to, corruption is indeed present.  While Mr. Stoneking spoke about the A&S and Rapier "crowd" specifically, rest assured that corruption is Society wide.  It's humanity wide.  When you get a group of people together, you get politics.  When you get politics, you get corruption.  The truly sad part of this is that dark underbelly of human nature- the backstabbing, toadying, jockeying for position- is probably the number one most historically accurate part of what we do.  Why else do we have a wonderfully period reference as the subject line of this whole discussion?

One very important thing to keep in mind, though, is that just because it exists and will always be a part of what we do (not just as members of the SCA but as a species as a whole) doesn't make it right or acceptable behavior.  Being a toady, a lackey and a boot licker is deplorable, reprehensible and contemptuous.  Thankfully, for every person who may tarnish what we stand for, there are many, many who are great examples of those ideals.  Noble chivalry and grand courtesy may fall just beyond the grasp of the Society's Institutions, but it's well within reach of the Society's Individuals.

By the way, the Trebuchet rocks!

Arianne
(alias April Dwiggins)

"I expect nothing but gratuitous violence from the lot of you.  Just because we are firing blanks doesn't mean we have to be thinking nice thoughts"
- Sgt. H. G. Wells, Dog Soldiers
http://living9lives.tripod.com/damnthetorpedoes/index.html
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