[TheForge] A question

[Andy Vida]

> Will Hightower wrote:
> 
> I wasn't going to say any more but a question has come up in my mind
> and maybe someone can help me out.
> 
> How did Clare get so villianized? 

	I'm not sure she has.  You may be reading more into the
	various posts than is really there.  I'm having a hard
	time keeping this all straight, but it seems to me that
	George acquired the tools and machinery of the Yellin
	shop very much legitimately.  I remember this from what
	must be going on 10 years now and there was never any
	talk of chicanery on his part.  Now there seem to be
	some implications made that he in fact "stole" the items
	in question from Claire under what would seem to have
	been questionable circumstances.  Not saying this is
	the fact, just that this is one of several impressions I
	have gotten out of the various exchanges that have occurred
	here.  Combine that with some of the information posted by
	Gardner and some of the seemingly absent responses from
	people to whom the proverbial finger has been pointed and
	I suppose one might get an impression, one way or the other.

	Personally, and in general I don't believe anyone should give
	a rat's ass about what other people think, especially if one
	is doing their level best to be a good neighbor.  Some people
	cannot be pleased no matter what you do, including standing on
	one's head and spitting nickels.  But when one holds elected
	office, there is a certain accountability that comes with it.
	While I would be inclined to ignore someone making such
	accusations against me, if I was a board member with nothing
	to hide, I would go to great trouble to clear my name,
	which is why I made the statement about "burying" the accuser
	in short order to put the matter to rest once and for all.

	I don't really know Claire.  I've met her a couple of times
	and she seemed nice enough.  I have no clear opinion on her
	role in all this because for me none of it is sufficiently
	clear, not to mention that no longer being a member I really
	don't have an opinion that counts for much.  Just because
	someone behaves in a manner that seems suspicious to one, it
	does not follow that they are necessarily guilty of anything,
	and just because they appear innocent, it does not follow that
	indeed they are.  I guess I'd make a really lousy judge. :)

	If others have vilified her, perhaps they know something I
	do not, or perhaps they have been hasty in judging, but I have
	not seen much here to indicate to me that judgment has been
	cast.  Seems that all parties involved are being looked upon
	with a somewhat careful eye, which is perhaps the
	best thing to do, given that the questions don't seem to be
	going away.  Just a thought.