[at-l] Warning! WF Post

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley)]

At 10:38 PM 6/8/01 -0400, Jim Mayer wrote:
>Hi Kahley,
>
>I was on AT-L before there was a Trailplace, and I used to be on both AT-L
>and ATML.  I remember, and I have a little first hand experience of how
>touchy Dan is.  I'm not defending Dan at all... My point is a simple one:
>why is Dan Bruce an issue?  Why should we care if Dan calls us "jackasses"?

personally, I don't care if he calls me a jackass...I get passing miffed 
that he calls
us all jackasses, but not severely so.

>I don't think that not obsessing about Dan Bruce is like not mentioning that
>"cotton kills": Dan Bruce never killed anybody.

Jim, I'm sure you didn't think  I was making a direct comparison. The truth 
about dan
is as complex as we found out the truth about cotton.  Maybe not dangerous 
if you
have enough information or previous experience.  But the info flow on TP is 
one way...
dan's way.  How do people learn the whole story?

>I don't think that not
>attacking him in public is like appeasement in the 1930s: Dan Bruce is not
>going to invade Poland.

No but he is devoting his life to being the "one stop for all things 
AT"  so I fear
he wants to invade the Trail. <g>  And the word attack bothers me.  I try 
to keep
my posts non personal....I'll try harder.  I hope we all will keep it "clean".
Lots of folks learn lots of things about Dan on the Trail that have never
be an issue here!  It HAS to stay that way!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I balk at any discussion of him being viewed as an attack.  That
neuters discussion......


>I'll stand by my point: the Dan Bruce that gets talked about on AT-L is
>much, much bigger than the Dan Bruce who lives in Hot Springs.


OK......which is it?  Either he is irrelevant or he is
(in some eyes) the saviour of the Trail?
Can't be both.
He claims to have the ear of important folks in DC.
We know he is the "go to" guy for the media.
That doesn't not add up to 'irrelevant' in my book.

We are not inflating his importance....he is....with
the assistance of the media and those who support
his roboforms.  As long as Google keeps delivering
new folks to TP, he will continue to have a growing influence.
Please note, I am not suggesting that we oppose Trail issues
on the grounds that dan supports them.  But_independent_
actions count more in the big picture as well as not inflating
dan's power base.  Any one of us could cruise down to
our Rep's local office and spend 15 minutes chewing the
fat with who ever will listen.  AND write letters.  And attend
meetings.  Sure it takes more effort than 5 minute roboforming
but it also shows 1000% more passion and conviction in the
eyes of the power people.  Personally, I feel that the people who
preformed for dan, solely to keep from being denied access toTP
week kneed on two counts.  Unwilling to actually defend the
Trail by the most effective means while willing to surrender to
extortion....not the type of people I'd want in a real battle.

Here's a thought for those planning a thru....instead of just a sightseeing
day trip to DC, plan to clean up a tad and visit your senator
or representative in full hiker gear.  That should get some attention!!!!
A couple hours to familiarize yourself with funding issues should
be very impressive!

Sunday mornings, we are usually headed out to hike
so I have the chance to catch a semi local outdoor/sportsman
show on the car radio.  It's interesting because it has a heavy
emphasis on the conservation efforts in PA.  I hear about the boom
in deer, turkey, elk and bear and the effects of land management.

  I also hear hunters complaining about hikers.  Jim, you know how
much of the Trail passes through State Game Lands and areas
  designated as multi use here in Pa.

Do you remember the scheme dan proffered to force hunters to
have some GPS linked gizmo on their rifles that would disable
firing if the rifle was pointed towards the trail?  It didn't matter if
the hunter were 5 mile down, off the ridge the gun would be disabled.

Please look at the map....how much of the Game Lands would be effected
by such idiocy.  Believe me....the hunters who's money bought that
land would not stand still for such a restriction.  They are already
complaining about careless campfires and illegal camping and the
"holier than thou" attitudes of hikers.  How do you think they'll
take to such a scheme.  Hunting may be fading from Americana but
it is still a VERY BIG DEAL around here.  The closest hiking gear
store to me is almost 50 miles.  There are four hunting stores within
a ten mile circle of where I sit...prolly 50 in a 50 mile radius.  All those
nice parking lots at the Trailheads were not built for hikers.....That's
one hornet's nest that I DO NOT want poked cause I know the road
walk that would happen if the Trail was no longer welcome on State
Game Lands in PA. .  That's one change to the Trail that I don't
want to see.  We gripe about the careless hunters but they are no more
the norm than the careless hiker.  The majority are conservative
oriented and devoted to public lands ...out of developer's hands....
a goal we share.  These folks can be our allies or our enemies...
If dan get's his way it will be war instead of cooperation.

Shall we talk about quotas and registrations and lotteries and
monitors and more rules....all in dan's play book........

As long as he deigns to speak such titillating nonsense in the
name of the Trail Community.ie ME, and then have Backpacker Mag
run to him instead of the ATC for quotes and opinions, I cannot
consider him irrelevant.  But my friend, I agree in part with Toe.
I like knowing you an respect your position.  and am glad
to call you friend!!!!!