Enough is enough

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

In response to an appropriate question backed up by some solid
physics from Skip Kilmer, David Rutherford wrote:

> I can only assume that you are playing games, now. Nobody can be THIS
> stupid in real life.

This is far from the first time that Mr. Rutherford has abused his
right to participate in our discussions.  This remark--like many of
his previous remarks--is outrageous on its face.  More importantly,
however, it represents an ongoing assault on the intelligence of
members of this list that should not go unchallenged.

No member of this list should fear ridicule for asking sincere
questions no matter how simple or misguided and no member of this
list who consistently ignores patient responses and rewards them
instead with sneering public derision deserves our tolerance.

I know that most have opted for silence in the face of these
continuing assaults out of one or both of 1) a well-meaning desire to
avoid inflammation and 2) a hope that by ignoring the posts, they
will go away.

But I think it is now time for us to communicate our collective
abhorrence of this kind of behavior.  It might even be worth
tolerating 700 messages to the list to make that message
unmistakable.  Instead, however, I will suggest a brief personal
message to Mr. Rutherford at his own email address.  In any event, I
don't believe we should kid ourselves about our ability to reason
with Mr. Rutherford in further threads.

Enough is really enough.

--
   A. John Mallinckrodt        http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm
   Professor of Physics      mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
   Physics Department         voice:909-869-4054
   Cal Poly Pomona              fax:909-869-5090
   Pomona, CA 91768-4031     office:Building 8, Room 223