[at-l] pls cease and desist

[wdaniels@bestweb.net (Walt Daniels)]

>From long observation of the this list and occasional participation there
are really three factions on the list: those who just want to sit around the
campfire, those who want to ask and/or answer AT related questions, and the
activists. I delete almost all the campfire talk without reading, not
because it is not useful, but because I am not interested and don't have the
time. I also delete a lot of the AT related questions, except those on which
I have a useful contribution, e.g. NY/NJ area or ATC related. Similarly with
the activist messages, I tend to read the new topics for awhile and then
start ingoring. There should be room on the list for all three components
and they can coexist happily if people are careful about their subject lines
as that is all I read unless something in the subject line triggers me to
look. Please change the subject line when the topic changes. It might help
if people started the subject line with a trigger of CAMPFIRE, AT or
ACTIVIST. This is sort of equivalent to asking, once again, for Ryan to
split the list, but I really think everyone should be subjected to at least
reading the subject lines of all three threads and they wouldn't if the list
were split.

Now for a few potshots:

Many thruhikers have hiked the trail as a form of escapism from the
realities of the real world. We certainly see plenty of those people on this
list who are continuing to try to ignore the world. It is a useful function
of this list to try to draw them out of their shell and get them to reenter
the real world. To the extent that we succeed we are probably saving them
enormous expenses with their local shrink. Hiking to escape the pressures of
daily life is healthy. Hiking to escape the world is not.

Most of us have been at least partially brainwashed either by religions or
governments. By this I mean we parrot the views of others without thinking
for ourselves. The most intractable wars are those based on religion, e.g.
the Irish problems or bin Laden. Even those wars perpetrated by truely evil
men like Hitler take on a religious like zeal. Most of the activist messages
I have seen on this list are of the form: Wake up and smell the roses. Think
for yourself. Don't believe the party line, you are being manipulated by
politicians, the media, corporations, the Sierra Club, religions (Did I
leave anyone out?).

Watching the media on the NY tragedy, we are seeing a well orchestrated
rally around the flag. There is no hint that we are partially to blame for
the current mess or an expression of willingness to change our ways. Last
night's closing item on Dan Rather's news show was particularly damming - a
large group of people mindlessly singing with a brainwashed glaze over their
eyes. It reminded me of news footage from nazi rallies. Just to make this
more hiking related: Try walking a mile in the other persons shoes.