I guess it was not meant to limit the discussion, but rather to focus it. I was replying specifically in regards to the school jokes and the discussion about them. I guess Metin was replying to the subject in general and others. Of course, just about every thread has thread drift these days...

In meetings, the habit of diverting the discussion tends to shift focus and then no decisions are made on the subjects that were meant to be covered. Nothing gets done.


>>I thought we were discussing anti-integration (laws prohibiting integration) laws? The discussion was on schools and integration, was it not?
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>Ah, so it was not just me.
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>What is this... this American way of pedantry - not with words, but with strictly limiting the discourse to the set agenda and not connecting outside of it? I have met this in live meetings, and was bewildered by this behavior - people flatly refused to discuss anything that wasn't put on agenda in advance, never mind that it may have taken five minutes and may have involved three guys, instead of having everybody read about it for the next meeting.
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>I understood this to be about racist laws. So did Metin, I figure. Why does 'integration' have to mean school system only? Shouldn't the process mean 'integration into society at all levels and in all ways'?
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>I sometimes really fail to understand how American mind works.