[MR] the real petitions are now online

[Robert Van Rens]

Your Grace, you had me in your corner up until this post.


>From: "Logan" <logan at ebonwoulfe.com>
>i understand your position completely.  i do, however, think there are some
>factors you might need to consider.  first, the rule changes were done by
>fiat.  meaning, laws that we deal with in the modern world where our 
>elected
>officials propose laws, those proposals are examined by lawyers and judges,
>then they go to the people for a vote (in a perfect world).  in this case 
>we
>had no real representation, no real review, just the opinion of one man who
>happens to think we need meaningless rules and that man happens to be in
>charge.  and, i will add, was not elected to be in charge but rather
>appointed the position.

The SCA is an autocracy, not a democracy.

Standards of the Marshallate are not laws; they are more akin to gov't 
regualtions, like the tax code; we don't elect those who create or enforce 
them, yet they restrict our lives and guide our conduct.

Unlike many of us, you are in a position to do something about it; win 
Crown.  A King's voice is rather louder than the rest.


>i don't know duke hrothgar and im sure he is a fine
>fellow.

Meaning you're not sure of this at all...:)

>we are not empowered in the sca to force change.  the bod and the society
>officers are not chosen by our votes and we can not kick them out.  this is
>very frustrating when stupid rules are place on our heads.

Again, it's an autocracy, not a democracy.

>
>for me, however, it is hard for me to refuse to follow the rules i am
>supposed to enforce.  i view marshals as safety officers only.

But the SCA doesn't, and since it's thier rules we are playing by...

>as a safety
>officer i can not enforce a rule that i think is dumb and meaningless.

Fair enough.

>most marshals are
>under qualified, un-trained, and inexperienced as fighters to do their jobs
>well.

Again, become King.  Reform the marshallate.  Most of the marshalls I've 
known have been competent, dedicated, and vastly underappreciated.  As a 
former marshall, I take major exception to your assertion.

>anyway, hope some of this makes sense and i applaud your willingness to
>enforce rules even if you don't understand them fully.  best of luck with
>your fighting and marshalling experiences.
>
>regards
>logan
>

I take significant exception to your characterization of marshalls as a 
group; I would suggest that you are absolutely wrong in dismissing them as a 
group of feckless incompetents.  Certainly, there are some that are a danger 
to themselves and others, but proportionately no more so than the fighters 
they oversee.

I agree with you that the rules are pointless, but I have yet to hear a 
legitimate reason why they actully make combat LESS safe.  A hard elbow 
actually reduces you control of your shield?  Please.  Get a better elbow, 
or restrap our shield, or just bloody well learn to cope with it.  Padding 
on the aventail increases the possibility of overheating?  Come again?  If 
you really need to cool your body off, ditch the vambraces.  The human body 
sheds more heat through the forearms and the head than anywhere else...1/4 
inch of padding on the inside of an aventail REALLY won't make that big a 
difference.  If you are really in danger of overheating from this change, 
then it's time to sit down and rethink your armour.

The new rules are wrong because they are arbitrary and unneccessary, not 
because they make anyone less safe.  If we are to ultimately accept 
responsibility for our own safety, we need to be able to find constructiuve 
ways to cope with the rule changes while trying to get them rolled back.  
Civil disobedience isn't the way to convice an autocratic authority figure 
to renege on a decision; presenting rational, well-reasoned arguements might 
be more effective.

As for resigning, what message does that send to Duke Hrothgar?  "Your 
Grace, since I harbor strong moral objections to your policies, and can't in 
good conscience enforce them, I hereby resign from the marshallate, thereby 
eliminating any chance that you might actually be required to listen to what 
I have to say."  Duke Hrothgar's response:  "Uh, good?  Thank you for 
sparing me the trouble of publicly slapping you down and thereby possibly 
creating a discussion whereby other viewpoints might be heard..."

As I said before, I still think you're ultimately right - the rules are not 
good ones.  I just think the justifications that are cited are weak and 
misleading, and I think that resigning in protest is the wrong move - it 
just eliminates voices that can be raised in protest.

Eadric the Potter
getting off my soapbox

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