[Air-l] Lachlan Brown

[robert m. tynes]

I find it a bit troubling. I'm not sure exactly why, but I do have a few
reflections.

Although I conceptually understand why Lachlan was booted, I don't feel
comfortable with the decision. Maybe it appeared to swift, which, I know,
is probably just my vantage point as a list member. (I've heard tell that
Lachlan was warned off-list to settle down. And, he was openly admonished
for making sexist statements and personal attacks, and for posting
off-list e-mails. Nasty deeds, to be sure.)

Maybe I would have felt better if he was warned publicly - on-list - so
that it was obvious what might happen. There was no public debate about
whether he should be yanked or not. The rule was "handed down". Now, I
know this may sound like an attack on the powers above: it is not. All I'm
saying is that now I know that there is power above.

But that's not really the problematic part for me. Rather, I find it odd
that Lachlan gets removed from the list for inflammatory postings and
personal attacks, and yet there are no apparent repercussions for trashing him
publicly, i.e. he's a *troll* and a *witch*. Is that fair? As scholars of
social phenomenon, shouldn't we be a tad more aware of the social
construction of online reality and our contribution to, and
institutionalization of, deviance. Is Lachlan so awful that he deserves to
becomes AOIR's subaltern Other?

My e-mail is not meant to defend Lachlan (what would be the point of that,
right?). I'm merely curious about what our meta-discourse is, and how we
are governing it.

-Robert Tynes