RE: the recent political discussion

well said.

At 02:48 PM 2/18/03 -0500, you wrote:

In defense of the person who sent the mail suggesting where and why to buy
gas, I did not consider it junk email.  Neither was it fueled by fear or
hate.  I considered it to have come from a concerned person who wanted to
support companies who conduct business in a manner she considers
appropriate and to stop handing over her hard-earned money to companies
whose business practices offend her.

For example, I chose years ago to stop flying Northwest Airlines (losing an
abundance of frequent flier miles) because Northwest flies in their cargo
holds virtually all the wild-caught primates from Africa to the US research
labs.

We the little people often feel powerless, yet we want to do something
constructive.  I can't stop research labs from experimenting on primates.
I can't stop Ugandans from killing each other.  I can't stop terrorists
from bombing us.  And I can't stop Gail Norton and her cronies from
destroying the very land she is paid to protect.  But I really would like
to be able to do something about it, no matter how small.

I do not expect everyone to agree with my views and I respect everyone's
right to speak their mind.  If I don't agree, I've got a delete key.  I
don't want any of you, even the most thin-skinned, to feel offended.  It
has never been my intention to hurt anyone on this list.  But I also hope
that all of us would believe the same of each other.  Still, if others'
opinions have proved too much for you to bear, go ahead and take a breather
and come back when you can.  We will have truly missed you.  We'll welcome
you back.  But be forewarned, we may still have opinions.

Kitty


> [Original Message]
> From: Linda <lja@direcway.com>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Date: 2/18/2003 11:34:53 AM
> Subject: [CHAT] the recent political discussion
>
> Hello gardening friends--
>
> I want to thank those of you who have written to me asking me to stay on
the
> list.  That was kind.  Pam suggested I sleep on my decision, and that I
have
> done.
>
> When we started using this list it was understood that there was no 'off
> topic', and so I was prepared for that.  But nothing in my make-up
prepares
> me to accept junk e-mail that fuels hate in the world.  I came of age
during
> the civil rights era, and have worked my entire life to fight
discrimination
> whenever it touched my family's life or a community I lived in.  I see
that
> while I was sleeping, some have you have discovered, as I did the first
time
> I saw this e-mail, that it is a fraud.  I guess it's good to reject it on
> that basis, but I would feel better about the future of our country if you
> had rejected it because it was obviously premised on fear and hate.  It's
> the same premise that prejudice has always had:  if some Saudis hurt us,
> then all Saudis are bad and deserve to be hurt by us.  Stereotyping to
> engender hate and fear of a whole group, then suggesting action to act it
> out.  Every step we take in the direction takes Al Qaeda closer to
victory.
>
> So that is why I reacted strongly to the junk e-mail.  I agree with some
of
> you who have said it is natural for a group like this one to want to
discuss
> major events and air our feelings.  There is merit in that, but this went
> beyond the limits I can endure without expressing my feelings.
>
> I think I will still leave the list.  I am too busy and too grouchy right
> now to contribute positively.  Perhaps in the spring I'll decide to come
> back.  My best to you all.
>
> Linda in SE Wyoming

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index