A Question for Adam Reed

Jon and Jody, you, too, are right. None of this should have ever been here in the first place. I didn't do it. I didn't lie about myself...heck, I wasn't even the one to post about myself. Now that I've fixed as much of the damage as I can, the topic doesn't need to be discussed further.

You see, Jon and Jody, I don't want this topic here any more than you do. Unless more misinformation is posted about me or my mother, I have no reason to write on the topic--if there's nothing more written, I have nothing more to correct. I'm afraid I wasn't clear enough. I value my privacy. I value my image. I value my personal liberties.

Tell me, Jon and Jody, what would you do in a situation where misinformation has been posted about you in a public forum and you've tried (unsuccessfully) to deal with it privately?

Post 61

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 4:57pm

Tell me, Jon and Jody, what would you do in a situation where misinformation has been posted about you in a public forum and you've tried (unsuccessfully) to deal with it privately?

I would demand that it be removed(which you have done) and I would demand an apology(which you have done, and which Adam has given). I would then communicate with my father privately that I wished any further communication on the subject to be private or I would simply tell him there is nothing further to discuss and be done with him. I see nothing wrong with your setting the record strait about yourself, but your further grievances with your father regarding his perception of vs. your perception of your mother do not belong here.

Post 62

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 5:10pm

"Are you going along the line that families will have squabbles, that is healthy, etc.? I agree."

Yes, I am.

The arguing in the street image you offer has me thinking, Rich, and it never occurred to me that way... I think you're absolutely right, and I thank you for pointing out what wasn't so obvious to me this morning. We really aren't at a private party, are we?

Andy, let me give you some advice here learned from the Drooling Beast bullshit: It's a mistake to run with speculation in a forum devoted to facts. When all that exists are two opposing views, there can be no moral condemnation without sufficient hard evidence (real action) to warrant it.

Reed of course would disagree, and take full advantage of this use of principle to squander any remaining respect I could muster for him with petty, obscure, far-reaching moral criticisms of people he's clueless about.

Apologies to Phil, Halina, Andy, all.

Post 63

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 5:25pm

Adam Reed is not the only promient SOLOist who believes that some 14 year olds are mature enough to consent to a sexual relationship with an adult. (No, the other is not me). Professor Machan does also, for clarity. Utterly disgusting.

I think it is a rotten, cocksucking thing to do for Mr. Reed to have attacked Andy's character via Google, and then posting it on SOLO. Confront his ideas, and don't engage in character assassination. Who he is may be terrible, but why are his IDEAS wrong?

I think what Andy has done to Adam is just as bad. All Adam was, was accused, and charges dropped. Is this going to be a new trend? I dont like X, so I am going to air his dirty laundry on SOLO? Nice.

Both of you are a couple of rotten, underhanded, sneaky little fucks in my book, apologies or not. I suggest that ALL character assassination threads be deleted and posters of such be moderated. It would hopefully end such weasely, cowardly behavior in the future.

Post 64

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 5:27pm

Both of you are a couple of rotten, underhanded, sneaky little fucks in my book, apologies or not. I suggest that ALL character assassination threads be deleted and posters of such be moderated. It would hopefully end such weasely, cowardly behavior in the future.

Is the irony here intentional?

Post 65

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 6:06pm

Andy's way of handling Adam's scurrilous post was a terrible misjudgment: he had the overwhelming sympathy of readers, but chose to respond in kind, which promptly emptied that reservoir of good will.

Halina's case is different, and I'm disturbed that some appear to be engaging in a kind of "moral equivalence": blaming her equally with her father for posting on such personal matters.

But there is a world of difference between the two.

The sad fact is that that this young lady was publicly and repeatedly wronged, and her privacy terribly violated, on this site, by her own father. Where else, exactly, was she supposed to seek redress or set straight a record of continuing lies?

Even after she publicly requested that the offending posts be removed, her father replied (post 59) that he was waiting on HER to assume the responsibility of tracking down and identifying the offending posts for him. Which abdication of responsibility simply compounds the outrage.

No one wants to see this ugliness continue, least of all me. I would hope the moderators expunge from the site this entire thread, along with the disgusting and false posts that launched this exchange. But let's be very clear about the original source of the ugliness, and who thus bears the full responsibility of making substantive amends that amount to more than cheap rhetoric and empty apologies.

Post 66

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 6:24pm

Robert-

Halina's case is different, and I'm disturbed that some appear to be engaging in a kind of "moral equivalence": blaming her equally with her father for posting on such personal matters.

I am not blaming her, I'm merely stating that SOLO is not the place for family feuds. I stated that she was appropriate in demanding that her father redress any wrongs against her and Adam seems to be willing to do so. I don't see it as him demanding that she do the leg work at all. He is merely asking that she let him know which posts she finds personally offensive. I do not think that one can fault Adam for this. In certain discussions on SOLO, especially the more personal ones, I'm sure that it was necessary for him to supply the proper context(remember that term, context?) and I'm sure that very context involved people and events from his past. Halina is not a lesbian; Adam has admitted his wrong in this assumption. As for the other matters involving his ex-wife(Halina's mom), there is simply no way for us to know what happened a couple of decades ago, or the dynamics of that relationship, or who was the asshole or who the bitch, and it is for this reason that I ask that this episode be finalized in private. Halina has made a dignified effort at clearing up things about her personally, but unless she wishes to make the same mistake you accuse Andy of making, at this point she should move the discussion to a private venue. As for the rest of this disfunctional-family feud(i.e., my mom is right/my ex-wife is a manipulative ass), I for one do not give a fuck and I think others here will second that.

Post 67

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:21pm

Jody--...and I don't give a flying squirrel dance about your family or "yo momma" either. So, I really struggle to grasp why you feel that fixing the lesbianic fiasco is of greater importance than repairing the far worse lies about a woman you don't even know. Honestly, do you think she should get herself an account and do what I've had to muster up the courage to do here? Seems pretty clear that no one wants any more of this crap than there has to be. You know what else, Jody? I don't even know why you're still posting. Remember when you said, "this thread is dead to me" on page one? Why, do tell us, is it resurrected only when you prance in to gnaw at an attempt to erase the slander on this discussion board website which so many of us wish to see as noble, intellectually stimulating, and virtuous (in the truest objectivist sense)?

I don't post much, but I do read the writings of many others, and I yearn for the day on which we can all look to the discussion boards and know that we see a rich, stimulating, intellectual debate that is not tarnished with defamatory claims against people that no one here even knows.

AR would shit herself.

PS: I'm trudging through A Reed's 1100 posts, and all of the response posts (poor Adam with the *****), and all articles related (scholarly blurb...my daughter is a *****, more scholarly blurb), and other forum's posts (see Adam Reed's Article ******). Its gonna take a damn lengthy while and it shouldn't even be my job. Now, for a break--dinner, a movie, and taking puppy to the park! (Charlotte needs to go roll around in the grass--she's got that crazed manic look)

(Edited by Halina Brooke Reed on 11/02, 7:23pm)

Post 68

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:22pm

Halina have you ever though that maybe your father needs help
as much as your mother? or is it you who needs help?
It could not be other wise!

Post 69

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:30pm

Ciro, yes, I'd love some help. Want to help dig through Adam's posts? It is quite a large task! Great! Thanks so much hunny bunch! You're such a doll.

...Oh wait, you were talking mental help weren't you? Can I get your therapist's number? Oh, never mind. He seems not to be doing a very good job with you. Better luck with the next one!

Post 70

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:33pm

Ciro, please! Let's not compound this mess with amateur psychologizing.

Post 71

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:35pm

I like you Ciro, but that post is the reason why I did not go into the practice of psychology...please be careful with such psychologizing.

Joe
Szasz-sense is tingling...

Post 72

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:44pm

Halina-
My first piece of advice is "Drop it." You and your daddy hash it out somewhere else, Thanksgiving dinner or elsewhere, just not in here.

So, I really struggle to grasp why you feel that fixing the lesbianic fiasco is of greater importance than repairing the far worse lies about a woman you don't even know.

(1) Don't flatter yourself, until you brought it up, I did not know, or had forgotten that Adam said you were a lesbian. I don't care what gender or species you fuck. (2) I have know way of knowing who is lying about the "woman" in question: this involves discussion of a personal relationship from way back when, ergo, I'd rather it not be up for discussion on SOLO. As someone else hinted at, take it up on Springer.

Even if you are correct and your father is a raving, psychotic asshole, you are the one further dragging your mother into this discussion and into public character assault, by further challenging Adam in a public forum.

I don't even know why you're still posting. Remember when you said, "this thread is dead to me" on page one?

Yes, I said that regarding the original bitch-fest subject of this thread, which was Adam vs. Andy. You, however, hijacked it with the adolescent "my dad's such an asshole" subversion, so that now I feel as if I am not being hypocritical at all. Notice that I am not addressing the he said/she said crap between Adam and Andy, but rather the he said/ she said crap between you and your father. I'm merely asking that it stop!

so many of us wish to see as noble, intellectually stimulating, and virtuous (in the truest objectivist sense)?

Perhaps I'm horrendously mistaken then. If this forum consists of people who find this father-daughter spat as "noble, intellectually stimulating, and virtuous" then I am in the wrong place.

I will not judge you or your father here Halina, because I do not have the evidence to make that judgement. This is an emotionally charged family matter that needs to be sidelined from SOLO.

Post 73

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:50pm

[sarcasm]Gee, that "eye for an eye" stuff works so well everywhere else, I wonder why it didn't work here.[/sarcasm]

Bonk, bonk, bonking, bonking, bonk!!!!!!!!!!!!

gw

Post 74

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 7:54pm

Ok! Halina please accept my apologies!
Ciro

Post 75

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 8:10pm

I basically agree with Jody's reponses.

I certainly don't fault you for being upset, Halina. But save the rest for the next family reunion.

Post 76

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 8:35pm

I guess as far as Adam Reed goes, I see gold with a little tarnish, many of you see nothing but shit. I have to say I've never seen such a bunch of moralistic, thin skinned people in one place.

Halina,

I would be the schmuck who sanctions your father. I think he is a very nice man who always apologizes when he realizes he made a mistake. I do not think he is at all mean spirited, but he does have a LOT of spirit. Please realize that virtually all of the conversations here are speculative in nature. Your father is always trying to find context to ground some of the speculations in reality. That context is the most real if it comes from personal experience. Your father has laid himself open here far more than most in his efforts bring reality to his arguments. I am certain his efforts are to further his own and others in understanding how philosophy relates to our lives. He means no harm to anyone, of that I am certain. I for one appreciate and have learned from your father. I have learned especially, context, context, context, and the primacy of existence. And something about a sense of life, which is what we are all here for. Not to blow a small offense completely out of proportion. As for losing your dignity, I don't think a person ever loses their dignity, but sometimes they discover that they never lost it. No one here on this site is offended by anyone's gayness or straightness. Or their youth or age or nationality. Solo is great that way.

It's nice to meet you.
Mike Erickson

Post 77

Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - 10:50pm

Mike,

Thank you.

Halina,

I'm taking this to private e-mail, and hoping that you will do the same.

Post 78

Thursday, November 3, 2005 - 4:24am

Jody:

When I get upset at obviously-intelligent people behaving horribly, sometimes I use salty language. They both deserve a good dressing down. I don't see irony because there is no equivalence between my yelling at them and their antics.

Post 79

Thursday, November 3, 2005 - 6:51am