> I was deeply offended by a note posted to this listserve which said,
>
> " if I became terminally ill, I would
> personally go out and shoot as many hunters as I could muster up"
>
> As a peace-loving, life-long birdwatcher and wildlife biologist who
> has hunted and fished in the past, I am offended. All members of this
> listserve do not share all the same perspectives, nor should they. As
> a participant, I have been learning about recording nature, but I will
> probably resign as a result.
Hi Philip,
You have to do what you have to do ~ but may I suggest giving your hurt
time to settle before resigning -- it doesn't seem to me that it would
help you in any way to take your voice from the dialog; or that as a
protest vote this would provoke more than regret at your decision. One
opinion, whoever's it may be, is not the consensus of the group-mind of
course.
I know many of us here (as everywhere) hold fiercely held and fiercely
contradictory opinions and beliefs -- but one of mine is that a regularly
renewed sense of discomfort usually means I'm in the right place --
somewhere where I'm constantly challenged alternately to consider and
reconsider (and articulate) my own views; or in many cases, to evolve
strategies to finding common cause with people I share only some beliefs
with -- even when our personalities clash directly. Or when that's not
possible -- to grow ever wiser as to which battles to fight and when.
In other words, we don't go to the bar (or cafe or meeting...) despite the
shouting matches -- we go *because* of them (in part).
Hoping you'll stay,
aaron
http://www.quietamerican.org
| quod omne animal post |
| cogitum est triste... |
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