[Quietcars] 2009 Washington Seminar Materials

[Robert Wilson]

Hi Michael,

As a moderator at GreenHybrid, I have a charter to keep posting civil, which means no personal attacks. This new user, a blind advocate, came and joined a discussion of the blind and our hybrid cars. But when the new user posted someone should be banned, I had to research their claim and it was obvious that this new user came with 'attitude' and stepped over the bounds. That attitude against hybrid electric owners was the root of the problem. Coming to my place and calling for someone to be banned is not how we will ever have a civil discussion. But there is a similar example in H.R. 734.

In Section 4,  under "(b) Required Consultation" everyone but hybrid electric owners are included. This omission forces hybrid electric owners to seek standing by petitions and direct action with our representatives. We aren't discussing this or other problems with H.R. 734 in forums like this but have to literally 'petiton Congress.' It is a shame because working together, we might achieve consensus. Instead, H.R. 734 excludes the very ones who ultimately will have to pay for what H.R. 734 mandates, the hybrid electric owners . . . if it becomes law.

So my original suggestion remains. We may not agree on everything about H.R. 734 but the debate can get pretty bitter if we don't treat each other with respect. When that is lost, when it becomes personal to the extent of calling for banning or excluding others from the debate that leads to a reaction and that is often counter productive to the original goal.

Bob Wilson

----------------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2009 09:13:19 -0500
> From: mrtownsend at optonline.net
> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] 2009 Washington Seminar Materials
>
> It might be well if you could share such materials, Bob, as I have no idea
> what you're speaking about, but I do appreciate all you do here on list. If
> this was on this list, it's understandable,
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Robert Wilson
> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 8:41 PM
> To: Quiet Cars
> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] 2009 Washington Seminar Materials
>
>
> Hi,
>
> Your training materials are probably ready to go but I'd like to offer one
> last suggestion. Caution your folks to be as respectful of 'the honorable
> competition' as they wish to be taken seriously. This was brought home this
> evening:
>
> We had a new user sign-up and post in one of our vehicle specific threads.
> He made the usual claims but also had "a chip on his shoulder." Attitude is
> OK but to make a false claim of there having been a personal attack has to
> be treated the same way we deal with those who actually make personal
> attacks. Sad to say, I had to give him an infraction and delete his first
> posting because he made a false claim of a personal attack. Not to worry,
> I'd quoted most of his posting with on topic, facts and data. Only his
> 'invective' and my reply citing his 'invective' were converted to
> '********."
>
>
> We may not agree on every aspect of pedestrian safety but we don't have to
> be disagreeable. Older folks pretty well understand this but folks new to
> the issue and advocacy work may get a little 'carried away.' A word to wise
> is about all we can ever do.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob Wilson
>
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