[MR] Pennsic Theft

[Jeff Campbell]

I was torn between letting this slide and posting a retort, obviously I
chose the latter. God Sir, I happen to be part of a  mercenary household and
I can tell you that no one in my house has EVER "felt that their persona
made it 'okay" to steal,
maltreat, and molest ". I am saddened that someone or some group has caused
you to feel this way but not all of those who walk a different path act in
such a manner. To generalize that we have "no moral compass" or have
"tainted the mix" is quite insulting. I offer a quote from SCA.org : "You
will frequently hear a SCA person describe the SCA as recreating the Middle
Ages "as they ought to have been." In some ways this is true -- we have few
plagues, indoor plumbing, few peasants. In the dead of winter we have other
things to eat than King's venison, salt pork and dried tubers. However, a
better description is that we *selectively* recreate medieval culture,
choosing elements of the culture that interest and attract us."
Not everyone aspires to be knighted or crowned, or to personify highborn
nobles complete with pompous attitudes. For some the mercenary or pirate
aspect of Middle Age culture interests and attracts us. If I choose to earn
my bread by the point of my sword or face of my hammer that doesnt mean I am
willing to trample "The Dream" in order to do so. I believe my point made
and humbly ask that you not cast such a broad blanket over communities and
houses who share a love for history but have taken a different point of
view.


On 8/13/07, Richard Mowbray <syrrichard at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> This is by no means a rampant problem in the SCA, but it does recurr
> fairly frequently. I like to think it is the result of "bad persona"
> and not just that we are seen as weak and easy marks for those with no
> moral compass.
>
> It's like the mercenary thing. We have a group that from its inception
> sought to recreate the Middle Ages as a noble and chivalric vision. But
> somehow it became acceptable to be mercenaries, pirates and theives.
> That tainted the mix. Shortly thereafter, we had 80 to 90 percent of
> these folks as a boisterous, fun-loving lot... and ten to twenty
> percent opf them who felt that their persona made it 'okay" to steal,
> maltreat, and molest the rest of us. But it was "okay" because they
> were "dark" personas.
>
> You know, I bet they would get really uptight if we who represent the
> noble and chivalrous aspect started hanging these idiots. Real rope,
> real trees. But hey, it would be okay because that's what our personas
> would do. Right? Sounds more correct to me than giving them something
> to drink and sending them off to steal someone else's property.
>
> Maybe they need to build some stocks for these critters at Pensic. We
> could show our distaste for them by launching bad food into their
> incredulous faces. That is, if we could keep the bondage community out
> of the stocks long enough to get any use of them.
>
> Perhaps our big tent needs some trimming...
>
> -Richard
>
>
>
>
> --
> Jeff/Chinua
>
>
> "I am the Flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not
> have sent a punishment like me upon You."
>
>
> Genghis Khan