Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

[Roger de Coverly]

Just to clarify, I was referring to Roger raising the issue Malcolm Pein’s non-election a few years back. i wasn’t trying to make a point about the current situation.

Given the very slow turnover of ECF Council voting members, I could perhaps imagine that the question of whether Malcolm will actually do the mileage of attending FIDE and ECF meetings might surface again.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

It will be interesting to see if all three candidates for FIDE Delegate present their views at the AGM itself. I was one of the AGMs where there was a contested election (in itself a rarity) and that saw Sabrina Chevannes and Phil Ehr giving speeches, IIRC. It will be good to see Dominic Lawson say something in person at the AGM to Council, even if he is elected unopposed.

[IM Jack Rudd]

My official position, as the ECF Manager for Disabled Chess, is that I am concerned about this potential appointment. The way Mr Lawson has written about other underprivileged groups in his newspaper columns does not fill me with confidence that he will strike the right note of inclusivity when it comes to disabled chess players.

[Rob Thompson]

It's probably worth noting on this that, despite having a daughter with Down's syndrome, he sees no reason to retire the phrase "mentally handicapped". Apparently, he gets to describe groups of people however he wishes, regardless of their wishes in this regard.

[Martin Regan]

Jack Rudd wrote:

My official position, as the ECF Manager for Disabled Chess, is that I am concerned about this potential appointment.

What pomposity.Why not resign on principle then?

RT wrote:

It's probably worth noting on this that, despite having a daughter with Down's syndrome, he sees no reason to retire the phrase "mentally handicapped".

No it isn't.

[Rob Thompson]

It's not worth following up on the the concerns of the ECF Manager for Disabled chess with some evidence of the very attitudes that said manager is concerned by? I don't follow how that could possibly make sense.

[Martin Regan]

RT:

It's not worth following up on the the concerns of the ECF Manager for Disabled chess with some evidence of the very attitudes that said manager is concerned by? I don't follow how that could possibly make sense.

Oh please, bin the self-righteousness. There is no "evidence", not by any measure other than that of a Kangaroo Court.

You wrote: "He sees "no reason to retire the phrase mentally handicapped", as if that itself proved that he is a wrong-un - just as on the increasingly odd Stretham site we are told, as it it were all the proof needed, that he denies climate change.

Stop the pretence - just say what you all mean : He's a Tory and you can't stand Tories.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Stop the pretence - just say what you all mean : He's a Tory and you can't stand Tories.

When I want you to put words in my mouth, Martin, I'll ask for them.

[Martin Regan]

When I want you to put words in my mouth, Martin, I'll ask for them.

Then don't come on a public forum beating your breast in anguish and talking of your concerns about an event that hasn't even taken place yet.

[Rob Thompson]

I haven't been involved in a serious car accident yet (and hopefully never will). That doesn't mean I'm not concerned by the possibility (and neither are my insurers). To say that you should only voice concerns about things that have happened is just patently ridiculous.

[Martin Regan]

RT wrote:

I haven't been involved in a serious car accident yet (and hopefully never will). That doesn't mean I'm not concerned by the possibility (and neither are my insurers). To say that you should only voice concerns about things that have happened is just patently ridiculous.

Where to begin. There is a statistical chance that you will have a car crash. A concern would be based on might loosely be termed evidence. There is clearly a quantifiable chance that Lawson will be elected (very high, I'm guessing) but there is no evidence whatsoever for your fear that he is some monster when it comes to the disabled. Indeed, everything that resembles evidence points the other way.

It is not that you fear Lawson being elected - it is that you fear Lawson (as you imagine him to be) will be elected.

Nothing wrong in fearing a road crash before it happens, but if you said to me you were concerned by the possibility of being attacked in your car by dragons, I would have my doubts.

[Roger de Coverly]

I do get confused by those who would tell me how to express my thoughts. Perhaps it comes from reading a book by a man named Blair many years ago. Anyway if it isn't OK to use the term "mentally handicapped" is it still all right to use the similarly constructed expression "visually handicapped"?

[Rob Thompson]

It is probably good for me then that I don't believe Lawson is a dragon. Unlike dragons he actually exists, and being a journalist his (remarkably exclusive) views are well documented. It is not the disabled in particular that I am concerned that Lawson would be exclusionary towards, but the fact that this latest conversation was sparked by the ECF Manager for Disabled Chess means that this is where the focus has been this evening. I have previously raised concerns about his comments regarding both women and gay people, but that would not have been relevant to focus on in reply to Jack, and this is why I didn't repeat those concerns here.

I don't believe that Lawson is a monster. I also don't believe that he is someone that the ECF should associate with.

[Rob Thompson]

Roger - that is something I didn't know, but a quick google suggests that visually impaired seems to be the more widely accepted phrase now.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I am not a Tory, have never voted for them and never will.

Even so, it does not bother me in the slightest that Dominic Lawson is one - some of the on the record opinions of his DO concern me, however.

Trying to conflate that with a blanket demonization of everybody who supports the Conservative party is, quite frankly, deeply disingenuous.