Trail Ethic -- [Was: Re: [at-l] On topic if you carry a cell on the trail...

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

In a message dated 7/29/2005 11:34:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
daveh@psknet.com writes:
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One person might be a vegetarian because of their views 
By extension, it is not safe to assume that just because we may agree on how 
we feel about cell phones that we also agree on other issues of ethics, 
standards, etc.

Also, my first two hypnotically vegetarians might well have some missionary 
zeal to convert others to their ethics, 

             ***             I agree different people have different ideals 
they feel a deep-seated and sincere belief to persuade others towards. Mormons 
go door to door etc. An extreme example would be the Taliban.

             A discussion of the need to spread vegetarianism would be 
relevant if the AT were designed around, and had a connection to, vegetarianism - 
but it doesn't. If you want to review missionary zeal, OK, but that's just 
'talking about talking about'. I don't feel I'm being presumptuous or offensive 
because I believe this is directly related to the cell phone controversy. The AT 
needs role models and leaders who can discuss this directly. The fact that ATC 
stays silent speaks incompetence to me - or NPS coopting impotence. Sorry.

            
       It would be entirely inappropriate to speak of zealot vegetarians as 
if they were abnormal or out of line, as you imply, if you were on a vegetarian 
site. To me it seems plain foolish to not realize we are on an AT list for 
goodness sakes so "vegetarianism" is not something anyone should need to sell in 
the first place. Some people preferring this HYOH-based view should really 
stop for a second and think how that applies to THEMSELVES and how they 
themselves might be the ones proselytizing the eccentric ideal here. 
         
          The AT needs more straight talk. It's been doped by HYOH fairyland 
parables. It needs wilderness with balls and people who aren't afraid to put 
it straight. That is what the Trail was designed for. To sell yourself as a 
well-centered opinion that then alienates the central AT premise is foolish to 
the point of destructive. Above all it is wrong, considering what is at stake. I 
think I heard you once admonish that if Trail users didn't behave on the AT 
they could lose it. You should be aware that goes for the Trail's purpose as 
well. To me cell phones could be the first real trickle through the dike.       



I'm afraid of little.  My years of trail work is all the commitment I feel I 
need.

            ***   The AT does not live on trailwork alone. Nor is it the 
exclusive domain of HYOH'ers.




However, I just don't feel that my ethic is the only moral high ground, nor 
do 
I would I want to push my ethics & standards on other, even if I could.  It 
might just be that those I think are ignorant, or indifferent, know 
something, 
which I don't.

As always YMMV.

Chainsaw

            ***   Sorry, I don't think that answers to, or responsibly 
addresses, what is actually happening to the Trail. It's way too vague and doesn't 
necessarily say anything that would make any tangible difference out on the 
Trail. Of the two, the AT would be better off with people who cared about the 
AT's wilderness ethic and upheld it as a common goal. I also think it is 
slanderously wrong to render this in the offensive terms of "moral high ground" when 
it should be more than clear from what we wrote that it is just the basic AT. 
If anybody had any greater or subtle wisdoms to offer the list is here for them 
to do so. But none of what you wrote overturns the worth of the wilderness 
ethic (really, it's the AT we're talking about).

              Really, it's time this ephemeral philosophy be given it's 
proper place and Trail mentalities that actually make a real difference for what's 
best about the Trail be encouraged. Trying to pose long-suffering Trail 
members as zealots just for trying to express the basic Trail is not only insulting 
but counterproductive.

            There's something basically wrong when a city restaurant or train 
car can easily get cell phones banned but the only place purposely designed 
for civilization exclusion can't...







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