[NJARC] NJARC] Thank you - and sorry I had to leave right after my presentation

[AMCMATADOR at aol.com]

All,
 
   I feel that I can no longer sit idly back and watch this  continue, 
without comment. This sort of childish bickering, is quite frankly,  something I 
would expect to see from the students in the high school in which I  work. 
We are all adults here, and might I add, from many different age groups  and 
generations. We all have our differences, but what brings us together, is 
an  interest in preserving history. Though our specific concentrations may 
vary,  Radio, is really what has brought us all here. 
    With that said, it is quite sad to see that what was  intended as a 
humorous comment, has been taken out of context , and  made into as somebody 
eloquently put it, a "tempest in a teapot". Insults have  flown, and even the 
integrity of the club, has been called into question. I can  only liken 
this, to a "joke" once played on the radio audience of America, back  in 1939. 
Surely Orson Welles, had no intention of causing national panic, but  panic 
indeed in sued. And thus , a simple joke, stated in all good humor on our  
reflector, has created a whirlwind a tumult and yes a "tempest in a teapot". 
     As a longtime member of the club (approx. 10  years), I can speak for 
the character of most of the parties involved here. This  club, largely is 
made up of good people. No, not good people, GREAT people. As a  younger 
member, I have benefited so very many times, from the knowledge that  abounds 
here. The reflector is a wealth of knowledge and a great resource. It is  
therefore so very important, that all parties involved realize, just how serious 
 a situation, comes to exist, when blatantly false accusations are made, 
against  the club and its members. We must never let the club be torn apart by 
such  triviality. 
     To get back to the problem at hand, this is  perhaps another 
"schoolyard" lesson. "What comes around goes around".  Basically,we are all the butt 
of a joke sometimes. That's life, and its fun. If  a party decides to make a 
joke at my expense, I laugh along with the crowd,  while carefully plotting 
my next retort! We all have our chance. It seems that  some of us have 
forgotten those schoolyard days, and desire a sterile  "politically correct 
club". Surely if we wish to attract new (and possibly  younger) members, turning 
the reflector into a boxing ring , is simply not the  way to do it! 
      And one final thought. Getting back to that  schoolyard. Working in a 
high school, is an experience to say the least. And  frequently, it as much 
a learning experience for school staff, as it is for the  students. One 
fact that I have learned , is that intentional or not, you always  have 
"trouble makers". Though they frequently have the best of intentions, and  mean NO 
harm. Their "different" and frequently passionate views of things,  
invariably cause grief for themselves and those around them. The best thing, you  
can do with such a person, is to help them understand, that although they mean 
 very well, sometimes it is best to "grin and bear it" because we ALL get 
our  chance, to rightly speak our mind, and prove our point. It might be 
well, to sit  back, and think of where trouble usually begins, and to search 
ourselves,and  possibly realize that some of us, are a bit "reactionary" and 
overly sensitive. 
 
    After all, this is just my dollar. 
    (which used to be 2 cents, but we must account for  inflation.)