After the furor over "the letter" I decided to look for a USMS charter or similar statement. I expected to find something that said something like USMS serves to promote adult swimming open to all (etc.).
Instead I found nothing. The FAQ is mostly about nuts and bolts of USMS and why join. The Administration pages on this site describe how USMS is run.
I could not find anywhere a general statement of USMS's purpose for being other than to give adult swimmers their own group. I couldn't find any language about non-discrimination or to promote adult swimming, etc.
Shouldn't USMS have something like that?
... Perhaps the board should consider a policy against derogatory comments in USMS publications and speeches.
From Websters':
de·rog·a·to·ry
rog-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
–adjective tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory: a derogatory remark.
I think most anything could conceivably be perceived as derogatory to someone predisposed to find it thus. (You might think this post is derogatory.)
Does promoting one person's "difference" lessen the merits of another's difference, or lack thereof? Does our predisposition to focus on elite swimmers' performance lessen the merits of the thousands who are not?
I agree that we must be more accepting of others, but in doing so, we must also be able to realize in ourselves the fact that we will not always appreciate everyone else's perspective.
... Perhaps the board should consider a policy against derogatory comments in USMS publications and speeches.
From Websters':
de·rog·a·to·ry
rog-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
–adjective tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory: a derogatory remark.
I think most anything could conceivably be perceived as derogatory to someone predisposed to find it thus. (You might think this post is derogatory.)
Does promoting one person's "difference" lessen the merits of another's difference, or lack thereof? Does our predisposition to focus on elite swimmers' performance lessen the merits of the thousands who are not?
I agree that we must be more accepting of others, but in doing so, we must also be able to realize in ourselves the fact that we will not always appreciate everyone else's perspective.
