[at-l] THIS LIST..was political activism and all the other crap

[ronm@fallingwater.com (Ronald Moak)]

Ron >The price of maintaining a democracy is higher than simply shedding our
blood. <

Kathley > I'm trying not to put words in Ryan's mouth, but I've never heard
him say he
wanted to pay the price for servers etc. to maintain democracy.... <<

I was speaking figuratively not literally. This is the democracy of our
country as reflected in the workings of this list.

Also I'm certainly not advocating turning this list into a political forum.
There are many other more suitable lists for that purpose. However, when the
topics are pollution, land acquisition, environment, etc. They do have a
significant bearing on the AT. I've seen first hand the effects of land use
policies over the last 25 years on the AT.

Some have been good, resulting in a better experience for the AT hiker.
Others have significant negative effects on the quality of a hike along the
AT. Maine and Georgia are a perfect example. The changes are not due to
increased hiker traffic, but due to the encroachment of civilization and
land use policies. 

Some may disagree and argue that all the roads running over Springer are a
"Good Thing". But then they probably weren't there when there were no roads.


It's one thing to talk about the AT in terms of how our generation views it.
How about our children and grand children? What is the legacy we choose to
leave for them? If we aren't the stewards of it's future, then who is?

If we refuse to discuss issues because they bother us, then we ultimately
leave the decisions up to those who either don't give a damn or want to lock
up everything. 

One of the major reasons politics is so polarized at times is because too
often those of us in the middle couldn't be bothered. So we leave it up to
the fringes on both sides to do battle for us. Then we wonder why things
have gone to hell.

This is not an attack on you or anyone on this list. I suspect most people
hit the delete key as soon as they saw the author or the subject. Topics are
kept alive only because they effect people. 

Ron
---------------------------------------------
Ron "Fallingwater" Moak 
www.fallingwater.com/pct2000