Re: A delicate question

We definitely shouldn't have deleted Rufus's post, in my view. The
unnecessarily personal stuff was out of bounds (and I think would have
been out of bounds even for a more public figure whom we're not on
friendly terms with), but those comments could have been deleted
without interfering with his legitimate questions about suffering.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 11:10 AM, Erik Kain <erik.kain@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh certainly. I'm on very good terms with Helen. It was all very much
tongue-in-cheek.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 8:08 AM, Mark Thompson <mwthompson88@yahoo.com>
wrote:

FWIW, the "spat" with Helen was, as far as I know, almost entirely
tongue-in-cheek.

________________________________
From: "matthewschmitz@gmail.com" <matthewschmitz@gmail.com>
To: Erik Kain <erik.kain@gmail.com>
Cc: Mark Thompson <mwthompson88@yahoo.com>; Will Collins
<williamf.collins@gmail.com>; Jason Kuznicki <JKuznicki@cato.org>; Barrett
Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>; David Schaengold <david.schaengold@gmail.com>;
Scott H. Payne <scott.h.payne@gmail.com>; Rufus F. <rufus138@gmail.com>; Ned
Resnikoff <nedresnikoff@gmail.com>; "lisakramer1979@aol.com"
<lisakramer1979@aol.com>; "Davidaruggiero1973@gmail.com"
<Davidaruggiero1973@gmail.com>; "awhaleyb@gmail.com" <awhaleyb@gmail.com>;
"williamrandolphbrafford@gmail.com" <williamrandolphbrafford@gmail.com>;
Logan Wall <jlwall88@gmail.com>
Sent: Thu, October 21, 2010 11:02:45 AM
Subject: Re: A delicate question

If only we were more a more prominent site, we'd have Sullivan and others
making wild conjectures and demanding explanations for Helen's vast and
undisclosed influence on the site. Hilarious considering our old spat with
her.

Also, uh, sorry to drag you into this, Rufus.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Erik Kain <erik.kain@gmail.com> wrote:


In other words, there is no coordinated effort to do anything. I took
down my post independently of any decision to remove the second post.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 7:55 AM, Erik Kain <erik.kain@gmail.com> wrote:


I definitely wouldn't have cut the second post entirely - it was my
understanding that there was simply a comment in the thread that was perhaps
over the line? I don't know as I did not read the comment thread. I deleted
my Helen post pretty quickly after it was written, and at the request of
Helen's friend Dara Lind who was trying to minimize damage to Helen's
career. Because I consider Dara to be a friend, I did gladly since it had
only been up a short time. The second post had been up quite a while...I
think it would have been okay to leave it up. Just my two cents.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 7:20 AM, Mark Thompson <mwthompson88@yahoo.com>
wrote:

I second Will.

________________________________
From: Will Collins <williamf.collins@gmail.com>
To: Jason Kuznicki <JKuznicki@cato.org>
Cc: "matthewschmitz@gmail.com" <matthewschmitz@gmail.com>; Erik Kain
<erik.kain@gmail.com>; Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>; David
Schaengold <david.schaengold@gmail.com>; Scott H. Payne
<scott.h.payne@gmail.com>; Mark Thompson <mwthompson88@yahoo.com>; Rufus F.
<rufus138@gmail.com>; Ned Resnikoff <nedresnikoff@gmail.com>;
"lisakramer1979@aol.com" <lisakramer1979@aol.com>;
"Davidaruggiero1973@gmail.com" <Davidaruggiero1973@gmail.com>;
"awhaleyb@gmail.com" <awhaleyb@gmail.com>;
"williamrandolphbrafford@gmail.com" <williamrandolphbrafford@gmail.com>;
Logan Wall <jlwall88@gmail.com>
Sent: Thu, October 21, 2010 9:54:06 AM
Subject: Re: A delicate question

I'm a believer in comity, but two posts have just flat-out disappeared
from the site in recent days. Can we stop doing that? For future reference,
I'd prefer to delete the offending comments or add a note walking back any
wrong-headed claims with the original post preserved below the fold.

- Will

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 9:16 AM, Jason Kuznicki <JKuznicki@cato.org>
wrote:


Fair enough.  Let us be gentlemen even to those who court
ungentlemanly behavior.  Perhaps it will piss them off even more.



________________________________

From: matthewschmitz@gmail.com [mailto:matthewschmitz@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 9:12 AM
To: Jason Kuznicki
Cc: Erik Kain; Barrett Brown; David Schaengold; Scott H. Payne; Mark
Thompson; Rufus F.; Ned Resnikoff; Will Collins; lisakramer1979@aol.com;
Davidaruggiero1973@gmail.com; awhaleyb@gmail.com;
williamrandolphbrafford@gmail.com; Logan Wall
Subject: Re: A delicate question



Hey Jason,

Here's the relevant email thread for context. Like I said to Rufus, I
really didn't desire to censor anything or step on anyone's toes. So
apologies if that's what ended up happening.

-MJS

----

Ah, I see where that post goes against the aim at gentlemanly
behavior. It's gone. Not a problem.

- Hide quoted text -



On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 12:05 AM, <matthewschmitz@gmail.com> wrote:

Sorry again if this was out of line. I really don't mean to set myself
up as hall monitor.



On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 12:04 AM, Rufus F. <rufus138@gmail.com> wrote:

Sure. Why not? I'll kill it.



On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 10:49 PM, <matthewschmitz@gmail.com> wrote:

Rufus,

I by no means to step on a co-blogger's toes. So please forgive what
follows if I'm out of line.

Do you think it might be worth deleting at least that one comment that
could be read as indirectly musing on Ms. Rittelmeyer's sex life? I fear
we're playing into the hands of Mr. Seavey. I've never met Helen or him, and
I'm not trying to make a chivalric gesture. But I thought you might want to
see that her friend had already reached out to Erik, an indication that this
situation is bringing a kind of scrutiny that is unwelcome even to a girl as
thick-skinned as Helen.

Thoughts? (Again, sorry...)

Matt



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Erik Kain <erik.kain@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 9:31 AM
Subject: Re:
To: matthewschmitz@gmail.com


Definitely.



On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 6:10 AM, <matthewschmitz@gmail.com> wrote:

Sounds good. I have to say that I really respect Helen's calm
response.



On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 9:04 AM, Erik Kain <erik.kain@gmail.com>
wrote:

Dara Lind asked me to kill it, to let the story on Helen die out of
respect for her - which I gladly did.



On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 10:31 PM, <matthewschmitz@gmail.com> wrote:

Erik,

It seems your post on Helen disappeared. Any reason or is it a glitch?

-MS









--
Rufus F.



--
Rufus F.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 9:00 AM, Jason Kuznicki <JKuznicki@cato.org>
wrote:

Are we deliberately pulling punches on the Helen Rittlemeyer thingy?
I know the thread didnt bring out my

 kindest or most gentlemanly instincts.  But I did think that some of
the points it raised were valuable, including (if I may say so) the idea
that creating extra suffering was satanic rather than Christian.  The Fall
being bad enough, as Im given to understand.