[at-l] Cell phones VS Nature - An attempt to clarify - LONG

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

Shane wrote: 

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RNR sees cell phones as an 
>evil device that directly counters the AT's wilderness ethic.  He carries 
>a radio, though, and that's just fine for him.  A radio would completely 
>ruin any sense of wilderness for me.  I'd never carry one.
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             I no longer carry a radio. Personally I believe a radio is OK 
and doesn't break the civilization line by offering two-way contact for all the 
reasons Shane conspicuously avoided in his attempt at devaluing the AT's 
wilderness ethic above (via a cheap example of alleged hypocrisy). I thought about 
the radio and realized it did let civilization into the Trail and maybe did 
alter the Trail experience. Imagine that, I was taught a lesson by someone who 
doesn't really value the lesson he's teaching! But mostly I've decided to not 
bring it because disingenuous people would use it as an example.

           Now I'm awaiting Shane's response dealing with the Trail's purpose 
and how cell phone use (the real use, not the airy philosophical wandering we 
see in these posts) affects it. You can't argue that networked connectivity 
doesn't make the Trail less wild - which is probably why no one does. Shane's 
reply strikes me as seizing on a potential hypocrisy rather than appreciating 
what was really said, and its validity. I suspect people using the radio 
example don't really care about the radio's impact. They are just using it to avoid 
the real issue, which is responsible stewardship of the Trail by its users 
(which some reduce to "telling others how to run their lives")...

           I hope people realize that Shane used a wilderness ethic argument 
against the radio in order to undermine the AT's wilderness ethic. The AT is a 
unique situation. Its very circumstances of proximity to large populations 
and high use necessitates closer oversight of how it is used. Most people use 
these infringements as an excuse for not backing that purpose at all. Shane has 
offered us an anecdotal example. He completely avoids how that affects the 
AT... 





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