Tony Russell has the right to his views, expressed how he pleases, and with
all the vigor he likes. Nothing in Scott O'Keefe's comparatively low-key
and to my mind pretty sensible reponse denied him that, for all his bluster
about it tending "to deny people the right to say anything which isn't
academically verifiable, well researched and well documented." But his
final crack about how he is "an
environmentalist by choice, not by pretence." is too cheap and nasty a
sneer to go by without comment. I for one do not see how anyone who is
genuinely committed to effective action to alleviate Australia's very real
environmental problems would expect sneering at their natural allies to be
an effective way of building community pressure. Everyone who is on this
list and who is thereby interested in nature and the environment is way,
way above the Australian average for interest in these issues. So if we are
going to pour shit on one another, what chances are there of reaching those
who are not already half-converted? So I do not believe you, Tony, in your
claim to be a genuine environmentalist by choice - you just want to sound
off and feel smug. If you really cared, you'd be trying to build bridges to
people like Scott, not write in ways that are bound to piss them off.
Kim Sterelny
Dr Kim Sterelny
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and
Philosophy, RSSS, Australian Nataional University
Australian contact information:
Philosophy, RSSS, Australian National University
Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
Phone: 02/6249-2886
Fax: 02 6249 3294
Messages with Di Crosse, Program Administrator, 02 6249 2341
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