I received this response several weeks ago to a question I posed on a Side-by-Side forum.
“trust me bob alot do read but with such a touchy subject alot dont post i read alot and even thought i dont post it on here i do alot i send e-mails and petitons from alot of otheir off road places otheir than here i do alot off the sand ass sites and friends of sandmtn so just because were quiet dont think your not thought of or apreachiated.....thanks xxxx.â€ÂÂ
The author’s appreciation was gratifying and I thanked him for chiming in with his support but the statement that the subject of preserving access to OUR Public Lands is “touchy†has had me chewing on the suggestion ever since.
I continue to ponder the question that keeps kicking around in my head which is, what is “touchy†about Lands Access issues and spending a minute to add your comments or opinions on material that is meant to keep folks informed about same?
What is “touchy� Is it the “politics†that go hand-in-hand with fighting for our rights? Is it angering anti-access groups or our Public Servants? Is there some negative connotation associated with freedom of speech and the expression of same? Would admitting that you provide monetary support to organizations via membership in them cast a negative light on your reputation or you as an individual? Would your neighbor toilet paper your house if they discovered that you actually had an opinion about something other than their beautiful landscaping job?
Perhaps I am just out of touch but I just don’t get it. If you value something and believe in it enough to do all of the things that the respondent listed as his contributions to “the causeâ€ÂÂ, why would you not take a minute to chime in on a subject that strikes a note with you?
I’d like to make a suggestion that those of you who secretly support access but don’t actively participate in dedicated discussions at least show your support by listing your organizational affiliations or basic activism efforts in your signature block so that others in sub-forums you are most active in will know that even though you don’t openly discuss access you support it in some manner.
If we all did this, perhaps it would encourage more folks to get involved in some manner to help preserve our sport.
Just the ramblings of an old gray beard, please don’t TP my house!
“trust me bob alot do read but with such a touchy subject alot dont post i read alot and even thought i dont post it on here i do alot i send e-mails and petitons from alot of otheir off road places otheir than here i do alot off the sand ass sites and friends of sandmtn so just because were quiet dont think your not thought of or apreachiated.....thanks xxxx.â€ÂÂ
The author’s appreciation was gratifying and I thanked him for chiming in with his support but the statement that the subject of preserving access to OUR Public Lands is “touchy†has had me chewing on the suggestion ever since.
I continue to ponder the question that keeps kicking around in my head which is, what is “touchy†about Lands Access issues and spending a minute to add your comments or opinions on material that is meant to keep folks informed about same?
What is “touchy� Is it the “politics†that go hand-in-hand with fighting for our rights? Is it angering anti-access groups or our Public Servants? Is there some negative connotation associated with freedom of speech and the expression of same? Would admitting that you provide monetary support to organizations via membership in them cast a negative light on your reputation or you as an individual? Would your neighbor toilet paper your house if they discovered that you actually had an opinion about something other than their beautiful landscaping job?
Perhaps I am just out of touch but I just don’t get it. If you value something and believe in it enough to do all of the things that the respondent listed as his contributions to “the causeâ€ÂÂ, why would you not take a minute to chime in on a subject that strikes a note with you?
I’d like to make a suggestion that those of you who secretly support access but don’t actively participate in dedicated discussions at least show your support by listing your organizational affiliations or basic activism efforts in your signature block so that others in sub-forums you are most active in will know that even though you don’t openly discuss access you support it in some manner.
If we all did this, perhaps it would encourage more folks to get involved in some manner to help preserve our sport.
Just the ramblings of an old gray beard, please don’t TP my house!