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On 15 Nov 99 at 13:21, Dennis Greene wrote: > Sad to say the list has become a dour, forbidding place. The pigs have > hijacked the humour that used to lighten things up a little - the TOPICS > have fragmented things so that de facto minilists now abound, and they have > given us a brand new thing to hit each other over the head with; not to > mention that when introduced they were intended as a courtesy and are now > starting to be spoken of as a requirement by some voices - and this latest > religious kerfuffle/debate/dispute/argument (you pays your money and you > takes yer pick) is a classic of its kind with some religious people being > insensitive to the beliefs of others and some non religious people > responding to them with religious fervour. Oh what fun - makes you glad to > be alive, have Parkinson's, own a computer and be a member of the > Parkinson's Information Exchange. > > Some two years ago I wrote an article entitled "A Terrible Beauty" - some of > you may even remember it. In it I spoke of my pride at being a member of a > community of quiet heroes; I spoke of the courage which was the dominant > (if unheralded) characteristic of so many with PD. I based that statement on > what I saw in my local community and the wonderful, understated courage I > saw demonstrated daily on this list. Thankfully I still have the example of > my local community to show me the PWP haven't changed, because this list has > changed beyond recognition. Today quiet, understated courage is far from > its dominant characteristic - it seems instead to have become whining, > whinging, and self obsessed. This is not a comment on individuals on the > list - they surely are, like my local community, still as they were - but it > is a comment on the list mood which is a product of how we chose to manifest > ourselves. I would like to ask that we all ask ourselves before posting to > the list "is what I am about to send going to help either me or someone > else on the list" and if isn't don't send the damn thing. > > This list has been a positive place in the past - it can be so again in the > future - all it takes is for each one of us to decide to make it so and then > actually taking personal responsibility for the outcome. > > > Dennis Dennis, I remember a "Terrible Beauty" and the "List" as it existed and the people who made it the way it was..... We've gotten untracked, derailed, etc. before and somehow the good things seem to rise above the bickering and the mire.... I still monitor this List most every day an' I'm well schooled in who to delete and I certainly keep an eye out for my "faves"..... I never miss a Dennis Greene post, I open his stuff first along with a coupla others... Thank you Dennis for your reminder to the List to think about what we're doin' when we post.... (I'm agreeing publicly with your post and supporting you and all the others that think along these lines) Thankfully I still have the example of Dennis Greene... murray [log in to unmask]