I think you are on the track, Joe. If I understand you correctly you are asking for a little balance, not death for the supposed BS/OS threads.

I have been concerned for the overall health of our community for a bit now. My absence from much of the discussion has been for this reason as much as workload, truth be told. I have been troubled, and the following are examples of the things that have been troubling me.

I am probably the person who spawned the "healing threads" when I asked you all to keep 'Spaw in your prayers and thoughts. That evolved over time into a very controversial and damaging debate on the purpose of all this. I found myself wondering time and again how the simple process of asking folks to keep one of our own in their thoughts was a bad thing, a divisive thing. But I must confess that I got a bit uncomfortable when it turned from keeping one of our own in our thoughts to this almost cult status. Not because I have any problem with joining together for good, but because it almost involved the old "purity of thought" bullshit that nearly destroyed true liberal thought in this country. And the thought police on both sides of the argument seemed to cross a number of lines, but especially one. And that was the need to impose their own view on all at all costs. These folks just couldn't live with the existence so they jumped in and tried to destroy what others among us found useful, instead of just ignoring it. Let us never allow these people to stop us from expressing caring between us. It is what makes us a community.

This doesn't just exist in the healing threads, either. Not the same players, but others whom, if they did some self reflection would find they have some things in common with that which they profess to dislike. The North of Ireland threads are the example here. If one were to go back and check the history of these threads, you would find that they have always been, in my view, about trying to find understanding and common ground. At times they got heated, as these types of subjects do. But a thorough reading of them will find valuable insights, and shifting perceptions and opinions. Yet there are those who seek to stop the discussion because it makes them uncomfortable, instead of just not engaging. I love it when I hear folks say they haven't posted because they were not comfortable. To me that says that they have read them, which means they are getting a broad perspective of all sides. The fact they were a bit intimidated by the discussion is fine. Because as they continue to become knowledgeable they will jump into the fray, and become better for it. In our tradition, exposure to all sides helps us to become well versed.......and helps us to fix opinions based on broad information. The end result is that it becomes much more difficult for us to be manipulated into using our bardic skills for something we really don't support.

I, too, feel it is time for us to do some self examination of our motives here. For me it has always been about the music and expanding my knowledge of all that spawns it. It has also been an outlet for me to express that bit of nuttiness that all performers have, so that it doesn't turn inward. I have come to care deeply for this place and a great many of its denizens. I hope we can all take a minute to just breathe a bit, and take an exhaustive look at the last 3 months.

With great affection,

Mick