[at-l] The Reverend and sundry matters

[RoksnRoots@aol.com (RoksnRoots@aol.com)]

In a message dated 5/21/01 5:10:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time,=20
OIdMaster@aol.com writes:

<< from R+R of Trail Place's ATML:

    ~~~ Yes, I do feel that ATML provides an outlet for Trail conservation=20
and I confess I do post there often [probably too often ;) ]


 <<"It was reported in writing from the Tennessee congressman's office that=20
WF's=20
 campaign for the Gulf Tract was the deciding factor in Washington for the=20
 appropriation of the 3 million in public monies for the purchase. No, I=20
don't=20
 have the time or effort to do so, but it could be proven that this is true=20
by=20
 researching the facts.">

  *Produce your "facts." I'm sure if they actually exist you have them ready=
=20
to=20
 post in response to a challenge. Post them.*

   ~~~ I was going to try and dig these back up, but they are probably=20
erased. I will say that I saw a forwarded e-mail from an official office=20
displayed on TP indicating this. I'm not sure if headers can be forged, but=20
they were there. WF also self-promoted it. If this was a fraud by Wingfoot t=
o=20
forge an official looking recognition I must admit it was good and he fooled=
=20
me. It had the appearance of genuineness. If you take this as proof that thi=
s=20
isn't true because I can't produce documents I don't know what to say. I do=20
believe, however, that it is not impossible for this source to produce some=20
good for the Trail, as others do, in spite of what they already know or=20
refuse to believe. (If you petitioned WF I'm sure you would receive an=20
avalanche of material, LOL)
    WF indicated that the Gulf Tract went through relatively easily compared=
=20
to other contested areas because there was strong local approval for=20
preserving the acreage. The e-mails were said to be the needed proof that th=
e=20
public would approve the public monies needed to pay for it. This input=20
always helps to justify the expenditure.
  =20
 <"The glaring glitch here is that it really isn't that important for the=20
 Trail's sake what the organizer's motives were if he could gain some affect=
=20
 for the Trail. As far as I am concerned he could put a header at the front=20
of=20
 the form spelling out the pure need for ego fulfillment in his participatio=
n=20
 and I would still work with him if it helped the AT.">

 *It's a certainty that you would. Such behaviour is not uncommon among the=20
 sheep following their Judas goat. The man had to threaten his listers with=20
 removal to get them to use his Trail Place letter bot. His priority was to=20
 have Trail Place credited.*

    ~~~ When WF did that I wondered how many members would take that poorly.=
=20
Well, maybe, but I don't discount the fact that he strongly desires to see=20
Trailplace function as a effective apparatus of Trail advocacy. He says so o=
n=20
the surface. Why he did that was because, I'm sure, he saw a waffling,=20
tentative response by a percentage of the number of members he felt was too=20
low. I guess he sees Trailplace as a place where you either back the Trail o=
r=20
move on. Who would hike the AT and not back the preservation of Saddleback?=20
Shock move by WF, and probably an act of frustration. Maybe a secondary=20
priority was to help save Saddleback?
   I thought about this, my thought was to put the question to you if you=20
thought TP was worth having around if there was no alternative substitute fo=
r=20
what it offers. As flawed as some see it to be, I personally see it as makin=
g=20
available a dimension of Trail involvement offered nowhere else to this=20
degree. I feel if TP was exiled by the Trail community, a significant and=20
needed segment of the needed Trail protection potential would be severed at=20
the Trail's cost. I propose that even if you are at irreconcilable odds with=
=20
the owner, you could see it as a platform or apparatus that can be used as a=
n=20
effective organ for Trail support. As I see it, tolerating strongly pressed=20
"traditionalism" is a minor burden compared to the great potential to assist=
=20
the AT. I see this nowhere else.


 <"I believe Mr Bruce really did want to save Saddleback, the rest is dodgy=20
 trail politics.">
=20
 And Bruce has 7 thru hikes, and the ATC has legitimized the Avery Society,=20
 and the AMC is anti Thruhiker, and ALDHA is responsible for the=20
Philosopher's=20
 Guide no longer being published, and people should donate money to Bruce vi=
a=20
 the so-called Center for AT Studies, and Bruce invented Trail Days.
 Get a clue, Rocks. Not everything Bruce posts on Trail Place is true.
 OldMaster
 oidmaster@aol.com >>

   ~~~ I respect him for creating and supporting Trailplace. I admit I do=20
back many of the espoused AT "traditions" as being good for keeping the Trai=
l=20
the way it always was. In my view the 'purist' imbroglio arises from persons=
=20
claiming to have hiked the entire Trail without actually having come close t=
o=20
having done so. To some purism is petty distinctions, minutiae, and an=20
offensive evaluation suggesting elitism or egotistically-render=20
discrimination, to others it is keeping true to the quest. Some see this as=20
not worth causing the offense people will inevitably take from this=20
interrogation. ATC used to do it until it became pass=E9. Some would argue t=
hat=20
it is better to be lenient to draw more supporters. In this case, purism has=
=20
a right to at least promote its cause.
    Aside from the political aspect, the Handbook is recognized to help many=
=20
AT hikers. It is important to be honest about that. I respect persons who=20
hike the entire AT to do it justice, and I also respect those who wander the=
=20
corridor enjoying the variety of trails and experiences as they encounter=20
them. I see promotion of strict purism to be an attempt to steer people back=
=20
to the old school approach of tackling an end to end hike with the sense of=20
commitment and joy of challenge that the early through-hikers anticipated. N=
o=20
great harm.
   Let's not fall into the trap of forming splinter groups or sects -each=20
claiming an inside connection to the true spirit of the AT. It ends up=20
looking like fanatic zealotry or extremism. Let anyone present any reasonabl=
e=20
AT belief he feels and back it, but let's always leave a clear path open to=20
fighting for the Trail and not letting internal disagreements interfere in=20
our cooperating for that purpose.
   In this light we can each enjoy the great gift of inner peace the Trail=20
gave us, that brings us to AT-L, and I see no reason why we can't get along.