Subj : Something that needs to be said
To   : Torbjorn Mohn
From : Michael Grant
Date : Wed Sep 12 2001 01:29 pm

Hello Torbjorn.

12 Sep 01 19:20, you wrote to me:

 >> In view of the thousands of innocent lives snuffed out this day; I
 >> feel compelled to say thet these are the most disgusting messages I
 >> have ever seen posted in Fidonet. The fact that they were posted in
 >> FLAME doesn't help; there is **NO** place fo this ugliness in
 >> Fidonet. I know it likely won't happen, because there are procedures
 >> and rules that mus be followed; but IMO, in the name of decency I
 >> feel the people who have posted these messages should **FOREVER** be
 >> banned from ever participating in Fidonet again.

 TM> I agree with you! My first action is to remove this echo completely
 TM> from my region. It has been done as of this very date.

 TM> My deepest sympathy with the American people are herewith expressed.

I disagree with blaming the echo. It serves a purpose, and lets people blow off 
steam. A person should expect however that the people participating in that 
echo would have some sense of what is "going too far". When innocent people 
die, it's no laughing matter.

As a Canadian, I watched with horror the Kursk submarine drama, and everyone I 
knew and heard from in Canada and America were filled with sorrow and sympathy 
for those who lost loved ones in that disaster in Russia.

It greatly saddened me then, to see such a response and such hatred displayed 
from a Russian member of Fidonet. I had hoped our nations peoples had moved far 
beyond that sort of thing. Apparently old prejudices still sadly have a strong 
hold in Russia.

As a truly amateur body; perhaps one of the last true significant entities in 
the world that is still untouched by blatant commercialism, I strongly feel 
that we as members of this network should take the responsibility upon 
ourselves to promote world peace and do everything we can to deny those who 
would use Fidonet to spread hate and violence against innocent people in this 
world.


--- GoldED/386 3.0.1-dam3
 * Origin: MikE'S MaDHousE: WelComE To ThE AsYluM! (1:134/11)

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