Kirt,

>>I think we would all benefit tremendously if, each time we read a post
>>from someone, we read it as if the person were completely unknown to us.
>>Then we will find that we can learn an amazing amount even from people
>>we thought had nothing to teach us.
>
>This sounds very warm and fuzzy but it is not really very social at all
>IMO. People do have a past and being accountable to it is not a "wrong"
>thing. Nor is it all that much of a limiting thing really.

Well, if somebody tells us he loves kids, and we happen to know he
served
time in jail for child molesting, we would be a fool to close our eyes
to
that.  But if we are engaging in a discussion about nutrition or some
other
subject, trying to advance our knowledge, it does little good to
attack or
ridicule people for what they may have said in the past.  I mean, it's
not
like we are engaging in a debate because we are running for office or
anything.  We're just trying to get to the truth about whatever
subject we
are discussing, right?   Ideally, that is.  Our egos may have totally
different agendas.

I remember advocating nuclear disarmament in a discussion with my dad
when I was about 30, and he blew up and reminded me of the Che Guevara
T-shirt I wore when I was in high school (not one of my prouder
memories).
Needless to say, our discussion of the nuclear problem came to an
abrupt
and unpleasant end.

Mark
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