[Bob Kuczewski]

OK Scott, let me give you a little bit of my own philosophy ...

You can't judge people by the best things they do.
You have to judge them by the worst things they do.

Any mob boss can hold a lavish wedding for the neighbor's daughter. Gee what a wonderful, generous guy. Never mind that he broke 17 legs last week and sent three guys to the bottom of the lake in "cement overshoes".

Bad people can do good things all the time to look wonderful.
But good people will have a very hard time doing even one really horrible thing.

Think about it and you'll know it's true.

When Davis and Jack use their power to cut just one person off from the hang gliding community they do more evil than they can make up for with a thousand "good deeds".

Like I said, think about it, and you'll know it's true.

[JoeF]

Yes.
But then what about the following flows?
1. Change
2. Renewal
3. Forgiveness
4. New leaf. New day. Starting over.
5. Amends
6. Healing
7. Opening closed doors
8. Trying again
9. New games
10. History
11. Next plan
12. Learning
17. Altered habits
18. Risking again
19. Trust
20. Mercy
21. Accepting
22. Open to non-perfection
23. Open to imperfect contrition for bridging
24. Respectful refreshed communicating
25. Love

May Davis fear not and risk more refreshingly? May Davis come to be thankful for challenges and new focused HG life? Might he come to honor fair argument?

[Bob Kuczewski]

Joe, your gentle thoughts bring this song to mind...

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue

Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night

You took your life, as lovers often do
But I could've told you Vincent
This world was never meant for
One as beautiful as you

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frame-less heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget

Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they're not listening still
Perhaps they never will

[wingspan33]

Bob,

I can go along with and understand what you are saying. There have been more than a few times in my life when I've taken your (below stated) position.

Also, since I made my last post I've had a conversation with a friend. Details of what Davis Straub posted in the relevant topic were discussed. There seems to have been no real "support" contained in Straub's responding posts. So, no new leaf has been turned. For that reason I withdraw any advice promoting the recognition of (not really existing) positive acts on your behalf by D Straub.

PS - Starry Starry Night is one of my favorite songs. I've heard that Vincent van Gogh would lick his brushes while paining in order to adjust their shape. Unfortunately, the paint in those days had lead in it. Not good to be inadvertently ingesting that stuff.

OK Scott, let me give you a little bit of my own philosophy ...

You can't judge people by the best things they do.
You have to judge them by the worst things they do.

Any mob boss can hold a lavish wedding for the neighbor's daughter. Gee what a wonderful, generous guy. Never mind that he broke 17 legs last week and sent three guys to the bottom of the lake in "cement overshoes".

Bad people can do good things all the time to look wonderful.
But good people will have a very hard time doing even one really horrible thing.

Think about it and you'll know it's true.

When Davis and Jack use their power to cut just one person off from the hang gliding community they do more evil than they can make up for with a thousand "good deeds".

Like I said, think about it, and you'll know it's true.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Details of what Davis Straub posted in the relevant topic were discussed. There seems to have been no real "support" contained in Straub's responding posts. So, no new leaf has been turned. For that reason I withdraw any advice promoting the recognition of (not really existing) positive acts on your behalf by D Straub.

Davis likes to take positions that generate viewership for his web site. If he were really interested in doing what's right, he would start by contacting you and I (and the others he's banned). He hasn't taken that obvious step so any "positions" he takes concerning "justice" are clearly hollow.

I don't know very much about Vincent Van Gogh, but the song is tremendous. Whether it actually fits with life of the real Vincent Van Gogh (or not) doesn't detract from its message.

[Bob Kuczewski]

This summer the U.S. Hawks will be 9 years old. Over that time we've collected a lot of great ideas and great people.

I came looking for this topic because I saw Bille Floyd calling for Ben Reese to be banned from the Oz Forum. It reminded me of Scott being attacked by the same Bille Floyd. But what I found was far greater than what I was seeking.

If you read this entire topic, you'll see a good group of pilots thinking through how to make a better hang gliding association and a better forum for public discussions. I think we've done pretty well.

For example, there were some early discussion about our own Board (which we now have), and there were some discussions about dispute handling (which we demonstrated earlier this year). Those ideas were just sketches back then, but now they"re part of what we've built here at the U.S. Hawks. We built it together.

This was also a topic where Rick had reported on his own bannings from Oz and PG Forum for speaking up about the PDMC. I had forgotten those reports and I was happy to find them in the now 9-year long history of the U.S. Hawks.

So looking back at where we started and what we've struggled to accomplish, I have to say that I am very proud to be among the men (and women) who've come together here. While I do wish we had a bigger megaphone to reach more pilots on issues like fairness and recreational use statutes, I have to say that it's more important to me to be among the good people of this association than to reach a million people who wouldn't appreciate what we're doing anyway.

So with those thoughts in mind, thanks to everyone who's been part of this miraculous journey.