simard@loral.UUCP (Ray Simard) (10/13/84)
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Essay: net.politics.tennis
There is a fascinating returns the serve: "If you
tennis match underway here think that's bad, you should
on net.politics. It starts, look at the record in
say, with a serve from the postwar Vietnam!" And on it
player on the left: "The goes, each side earnestly
U. S. support for someone playing its best, lobbing
like Marcos is immoral!" The the issue back and forth
player on the right deftly over the net (the double-
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entendre is entirely inten- Also, something like foot-
tional). ball, players leave and are
replaced with others who
Like tennis, there are carry on the battle.
singles matches, and doubles
matches; in this case, how- net.politics.tennis
ever, the number of players also has it personalities.
on a given side can increase There are the sober,
without any real limit. reserved players to quietly
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display their talents, such playing with shouted invec-
as they are, in play. Then tive and noisy complaint
there are the McEnroes of that those who disagree with
the net: the boisterous, them are irrational, unin-
flaming types who seem formed, thoughtless puppets
unable to distinguish of someone-or-other who, if
between a criticism of their they would only open their
views and of themselves as eyes a little, would sud-
persons. They pepper their denly be on the other side.
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And, like tennis, there sides. The winners of this
are winners and losers. game are the ones who can
Scoring, however, is done a stand by their principles
bit differently. Issues such while at the same time per-
as those getting lobbed mitting themselves to ack-
across the net are rarely- nowledge valid points from
to-almost-never discussed at the other team. They are the
length without revealing ones who who are willing to
something worthwhile on both rethink a question, and yet
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are not afraid to support
and validate their positions
when appropriate.
Which kind of player
are you?
--
[ I am not a stranger, but a friend you haven't met yet ]
Ray Simard
Loral Instrumentation, San Diego
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