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[abrightboy]

 This is Bright. Leave a message.

Comments

after Flint's post, before flood

[lone_horse]

I saw your comments about the fight I had with Hands-san.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

[ He doesn't sound angry or defensive. He sounds like he wants to hear what he has to say, that he's willing to listen.]

[abrightboy]

I honestly don’t think it was the problem, if it solved something between you and stayed between you. I really think Roman’s conduct was the problem and, honestly, he probably deserved a spanking from a pirate. You don’t run around a very multicultural ship assuming honour doesn’t matter to anyone or that a wound to honour isn’t the same as a wound to an arm, but the people around Roman seem intent on insisting that he’s the victim here and my point to James was only that violence leads to more violence. If we are going to have a set of prescribed rules, who’s going to prescribe them? Realistically, they could only come from the Admiral. And they won’t, but even if they did? If we have a set of prescribed punishments, who will prescribe those? If we can’t even set out rules, I don’t think we’ll agree on prescribed punishments. The system James is describing had something we don’t: one captain. What are we going to do? Elect a President Warden and a Warden Ruling Council? When I got here, I was appalled that there weren’t set rules of conduct, too, but in any group of We The People, no laws were ever written without someone in charge of it. This place has even less structure in many ways than the Wild West. I think it’s astounding that more people don’t get stabbed. I think it’s astounding that I haven’t been stabbed. I mean, I’ve been stabbed, but, like, here on the ship. I keep trying to get pirates and cowboys to talk about how toxic masculinity influences their reactions to things.

[lone_horse]

[ Oh wow. That's a lot of words. That'll take him a moment to parse. It's obvious from his face on the video that he's trying to absorb all that, and when he's done, he'll nod.]

I've spoken to Lark about the idea of a code, but it would have to be discussed and negotiated among the groups and pairings on board. [ Are there 'families' on board, 'gangs', 'crews'? They might not be called that, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. And each of them has their own social beliefs, ideas on how to conduct themselves, ideas of what is appropriate or reasonable. 'Multicultural' is absolutely right and that's not even accounting for the personal wardening styles. ] Without buy in, any 'code' or 'justice' would simply be a club to use against others.

[ ...or a bat. He's still a little sore about Raylan's choice of action, but he's not here to complain. ]

I wanted to make sure you haven't lost trust in me, as a co-worker in the counseling office, or as a warden.

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm can definitely be A Lot Of Words. He smiles softly.]

No, not at all! I believe what happened between you and Izzy was consensual. An unusual technique, but we live in an unusual place. And you’re right: rules without buy-in, enforced by some, would be easy to wield for bullying. If you and Lark are working on something, I’m interested. He seems… kind and solid. I think we probably, as a group, can do better, but taking everyone’s differences into account to do that will be a major undertaking. I certainly don’t think violent tit-for-tatting is going to help at all, though it seems to be the current go to between groups. I prefer non-violent solutions, but violence is going to happen sometimes and we need to be able to deal with it.

[lone_horse]

For many people here, violence is one of the only expression they were ever taught. When we find out the source of the problem, we can help find a solution. But answering violence with violence, or even trying to just 'silence' those voices without finding the cause won't fix anything.

The worst problem I see is a lack of good faith. You can't deal with others without the assumption that they're willing to work with you.

[abrightboy]

I can help them drill down to those problems, but yeah. They have to want to and most of them don’t.

[lone_horse]

[ He shakes his head. ]

They have to believe you have any reason to make things better for them.

Wardens are the ones in power. The way it looks to many is that it's in our interest only to make them vulnerable and soft, or to bend them to our wishes. Or both.

[abrightboy]

I only came here to help people, but you can't make people accept that. Trust takes time.

[lone_horse]

Yes. Or understand it. It's harder to trust what you don't understand.

[abrightboy]

It's true. That's why I try to be very open about what I offer.

[lone_horse]

Being open helps. But it needs patience too.

[abrightboy]

“I have patience,” Malcolm assures him. “And I know how to use it.”

[lone_horse]

Of course you do, Bright-sensei. Or you wouldn't be able to work in our office.

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm smiles at the floor for a second.]

What sort of conversation are you going to have with Izzy so long after the fact?

[lone_horse]

To be honest, I object to his actions least of anyone's.

But he's not an unreasonable man. And I want to address how we're going to move forward.

[abrightboy]

I don’t think his reaction should have been unexpected to anyone involved, to be honest. I don’t agree with violence as a solution to much and even I would have called Izzy’s reaction. Roman was the instigator and he was intentionally provocative. One reaps what one sows, generally. I wonder what his problem is, exactly.

[lone_horse]

Too much anger, not enough consequences.

[ That's his professional diagnosis. ]

[abrightboy]

Do you think this contentious wound offers enough consequences to straighten him out?

[lone_horse]

That would depend on how it's handled.

I trust Givens-san to talk to him about it in a constructive way.

[abrightboy]

You’ve known Raylan longer than I have. What are your impressions of him?

[lone_horse]

...right now, I'm wondering how well I know him. And if something is wrong.

Before it happened, I never would have expected this from him.

[abrightboy]

Expected what from him, exactly?

[lone_horse]

That he would go after an inmate with a weapon.

And that he would hide what he'd done from me. Or hide what Hands-san had done. I thought we trusted one another as coworkers.

[abrightboy]

I had a sneaking suspicion the attack wasn’t reported to you. Raylan went after Izzy with a weapon?

[lone_horse]

Lots of wardens are armed. That's not out of the ordinary. And Izzy's also armed.

...the fact that he didn't tell me what happened to Roy-san or that he intended to have the meeting is what alarms me.