[atlarge-discuss] ...the last several days’ posts

[**star*walker** <starwalker@gay.com>]

Thursday, August 08, 2002 * 4:25 PM EDT USA

Everyone:

I must apologize ahead of time if I use words from time to time that may 
send some of you to dictionaries. However I cannot think and write at my 
best without running that risk.

I will also say that I hope that I will only write, to the icannatlarge.com 
list and elsewhere, when there truly is a point to be made, a useful and 
useable point, and to do so in the most reasoned, gentle and precise, if 
sometimes passionate, way.

It is my desire to contribute to the discourse and work in the 
icannatlarge.com list and organization, to recognize, acknowledge and 
actively value and respect everyone, regardless of any differences I may 
come to have with them, in all I say and do.

Having said all of the above, this is NOT always an easy thing for me to 
do, and certainly not as easy as I would like it to be. I hope my failures 
will be gently brought to my attention.

Notwithstanding having a B.A. in Political Science; one year of Law School; 
run for and held public and private political office; trained and practiced 
as a psychotherapist; and survived and thrived to the age of 58 as a gay 
man in a repressive-oppressive culture -- notwithstanding all those things 
-- I’ve acquired exquisite perception, sensitivity, intuition, compassion 
and actual knowledge of-and-about a few things, people and “politics” chief 
among them.

It is these generalist offerings I am gifting the icannatlarge.com list and 
organization with. Specific gift offers to or requests from 
icannatlarge.com will come later I trust.

I will just as quickly acknowledge that not having my gifts accepted is 
likely the most psychically painful thing there is for me, so that all will 
aware, AND that is my personal challenge to grow with and not anyone else’s 
responsibility.

It is necessary for me to say this because I am always full of idealism and 
bright ideas and many of the ideas prove to be less than fully baked. 
However, when I know that what I offer is fully baked, that it is right on 
the mark, yet proves repeatedly ineffective or even impotent in this list 
and organization then I will eventually withdraw and secede. I am fully in 
charge of myself at all times and have the greatest integrity in complement 
of my unflagging loyalty.

That concludes my preamble to this post. As I am newly active here, though 
certainly not new, I think it important in context to let people better and 
better know who I am. It seems to me that getting to know each other as 
real live in-the-flesh human beings in this all too virtual world is our 
foremost, immediate and on-going challenge, at least for those of us, me 
especially, who have not yet had the opportunity to get to know others in 
person, in real time.

[The above is being contemporaneously posted to my “Bordo, Joe • aka Joey 
Borda • icannatlarge.com • Profile” now begun at 
http://www.icannatlarge.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=250]


I write on this occasion to address a number of things in the last several 
days’ posts.

First, the trashing, pejorative, and corrupted use of the word politics is 
being used in this forum, without appreciative understanding, as a weapon. 
This is unnecessary, counterproductive and saddens me.

Properly, ethically, politics refers to the artful activity of two or more 
people openly, guilelessly, respectfully deciding what to do about 
something of mutual importance, interest and benefit.

EVERYTHING is political!

Instead the word is used with its most scurrilous meaning in this list to 
attack, impugn and invalidate people.

I DON’T CARE how angry anyone is at anyone else in this organization there 
is no excuse for any of the attack behaviors, and I would like to see them 
STOP. I will never initiate such, and if it happens to me they will lay 
there because no matter how hurt I may feel, I will NOT respond in kind.

Second, it is simply at the least bad form not to have published the 
complete panel vote with all candidates’ names and panel member votes for 
each. The way the results were announced, and still so far un-corrected, 
omitting the non-winning candidates’ names and voters is in my conviction 
disrespectful and devaluing of those individuals. I would like to see this 
corrected.

I do not think it useful to speculate as to the possible worst significance 
of the faux pas so I will not. I know that in that respect time will tell 
all to the observant if indeed there is anything to be observed.

Third, one of the burdens taken on by each of the new panelists, whether 
they are aware of it or not or whether they are comfortable with it or not 
or whether they like it or not, is to read every last post of every member 
to this list and respond to the merits of suggestions and proposals made in 
any such posts, however lame brained or “late to the party” they may think 
an offering is within the limits of this marvelous near-instantaneous medium.

Either an idea or a point of view has merit to each of you or it does not. 
In my view you are obliged to say so, singly or collectively, with reasoned 
response. You cannot simply ignore someone, or hope they will go away. 
Above all, this is THE first and greatest burden you all carry.

Fourth, I would like to soon see others follow my step in creating my forum 
profile and personal space, most especially the panel members. I was 
surprised that I am the first to do so. Since we are all of us volunteers, 
the current forum “VOLUNTEERING” would be the appropriate space for all of 
our use.

I see a great creative and synergistic potential in that space.

/s/ Joey