[PEN-L:7669] Credibility

[sawicky@xxxxxxxxxx (Max Sawicky)]

<< 03 June 1999 19:06 UTC

Typical. I did not engage him.  Max engaged me by posting a lampoon on my
post which had not been addressed to him.  As some one quoted Chomsky: In
American, facts matter little.  I had thought that since the last encounter
with the incident of ridiculing my name, he would keep his direct off-list
promise to me to keep his distance. But not keeping his word to unworthy
people is standard procedure for him, apparently. Perhap this time I would
be lucky and earn his benign neglect.

Henry C.K. Liu >>

      *     *      *

The post referred to is reproduced below, verbatim.

I must confess my first two sentences were lies.

MBS


---------------
[May 2]
Dear Henry,

I think you ought to consider re-subbing to LBO and PEN-L.  My impression is
that your contributions are well-regarded by most.

To me the lists are, among other things, a form of recreation that affords
the opportunity to kid and be kidded in return.  Sometimes the jibes are
sharp, and sometimes one can misjudge the taste of others for this sort of
exchange.  My tendency is to gauge the sharpness by the extent to which I
take exception to something I read, rather than by the disposition of the
individual targeted by some of my remarks.

My joke made no reference to any racial stereotype about Chinese people.
Nor did it exploit any particularly Chinese aspect of your name.  The sound
of "lou" has no particular connotation to Americans.  In any case, I
certainly had no racist intent in punning on your name, and I regret any
hurt that it caused.  I am not a sadist.  I do enjoy kidding people.  I
seldom kid people for whom I have no regard.  There is little pleasure in
trading insults with someone whom one genuinely dislikes.

So do come back.  As for myself, I've written more e-mail than is good for
me and I'll be taking a vacation.  Be well.

Regards,

Max Sawicky