Wednesday, January 7, 2015

We Want a Pitcher, Not a Glass of Water


Chuck Ross contacted me to ask me if I had seen what Noah Jacobs wrote about me on Noah's facebook page.  Chuck included a link to Noah's page.

No, I had not seen it.  I'm not a member of facebook.  I have no access to it.  And if that's how Noah wishes to unburden himself, I'm not really interested.  However, having used the link Chuck sent me, and having seen the weird places Noah took himself, and the wrong assumptions he made, and the seemingly deliberate misstatements he uttered, I thought I would use the "comment" opportunity to make some corrections.  I can't do it without access to facebook, access which I don't have.

So I asked Chuck to communicate with Noah, through Noah's facebook page, to let him know that I had an incomplete opportunity to know what Noah said, and no opportunity to respond.  I asked that Chuck suggest to Noah that if Noah had anything to say to me, or to ask me, that he do it in an effective way.  Noah actually addressed at least one of his paragraphs to me by name.  So it's a straw man, to be sure, but he did seem to want to give even the childish impression that he was simulating a conversation.  Another crack Noah made about me was that I was acting "brave" in some of the positions I publicly took.  Well, I guess that makes one of us.

I have asked Noah, as I have asked others, to meet with me, to criticize me, to have a proper and adult conversation.  I'm not getting takers.  All I get is wimpy sniping.  If it's not Noah's facebook page, it's someone else's secret and closed e-mail circulation.  And either one is replete with nonsensical and grossly inaccurate accusations.

I don't expect always to be agreed with.  Hell, I'm not even always right.  But there isn't much I, or anyone, can do with these timid and cowardly swipes.  I'm sure it makes Noah feel better, and like a big boy, when he can bluster on his facebook page.  But it does nothing for or about the areas of disagreement, or complaint.  I don't know about them, and if someone brings them to my attention, I can't respond.  I can't even respond to Noah privately, because Noah has taken the brave and grown up precaution of blocking me from his e-mail.  I don't even know what terrifies him so.

If you see Noah, please send him my way.  I don't bite.  I don't hit.  I don't threaten.  I'll listen to what he has to say.  If I disagree with him, I'll tell him so, and I'll explain myself.  If I come to think he's right, I'll tell him that.  I might even apologize, if I think that in being wrong, I compromised him in some way.  And that goes for anyone else, too.  Anyone who disagrees with me, or who thinks I'm wrong, should tell me so.  Most often, there are valid and differing approaches to a given problem.  Sometimes, one approach is more right than another.  If you're right, and I'm wrong, don't you think I should know about that?  How do you think I'll find out about it, if you don't tell me?  If you put it on facebook, or whisper it to your close friends, I'll never know.  And your failure to correct me will make you complicit in my wrong actions.

at

2 comments:

  1. CHUCKJanuary 10, 2015 at 5:17 PM

    Fred,

    I'm sorry I didn't get around to making a comment on his Facebook page, but I heard he got wind of your blog post (I assume he read it) so to set things straight he should have a dialog with you on the blog. If he can't do that then it tells you something. He is entirely wrong, about your attendance at Commission meetings, you have promptly attended every regular commission meeting. I do recall we had a record setting special meeting that lasted 10 minutes or so and you walked in as it was ending, you were on an extended conference call as I recall.

    However, maybe he confused you with Barbara Watts. Barbara missed the January 7th 2014 and the October 7th 2014 meetings. In addition she was late for at least five of the 10 meetings she did attend in 2014.

    I would also remind Jacobs that his own attendance on the Rec Advisory Board has been spotty at best. It caused several meetings to be unable to meet as there was no quorum as I recall.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FredJanuary 10, 2015 at 8:21 PM

      Thanks, Chuck. I've already been around with Noah about this in the past, and he refuses to leave anything-- a comment or even a whole post-- on this blog. When we were all running for election at the end of 2013, I reached out to Noah, and to all the other candidates, to offer them all the space they wanted on this blog. Noah never responded. On a subsequent occasion, Noah complained about something, or criticized me about something, and again, I suggested he make his thoughts public in this blog. As I recall, he was using his sheltered communication circulation, and I figured he should have more of an audience. Again, he refused, saying he likes to communicate in ways he can control. I agreed with him that this blog is not controlled, and that if he published something here, he would take the same risk I do: someone might let him know they disagree with him. He preferred what seemed safer and more predictable, or controlled, to him.

      As I said, "we want a pitcher, not a glass of water." Noah is more than welcome, as is everyone, to post whatever he wants here. I don't expect to hear from him.

      Fred

      Delete