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Re: censorship



Dear fellow Who fans,  (this one is long but please read for the sake of the
discussion)

Besides being a Who guy and record industry veteran of 25 years (old - but
not boring), I am also a historian, particularly military history.  I have
been very interested in reading the posts about what should be and what
should not be discussed on these pages.  May I relate a recent experience
that relates to this area of discussion?

I recently belonged to another music group discussion list - mainly as an
avenue of information about the band more than as a fan - who's name I won't
mention but whose initials are QMS (for the band Queen).  Basically, I just
told the list server - a very snotty, contrite college woman - to take her
list and stick it where the sun doesn't shine!  The reasons that led up to
this are basic:

1)  when being e-mailed about some sort of alleged violation of the list she
was extremely snotty and ill-tempered.  She also admitted to being severely
overworked as to the running of the list.  It showed - believe me!  I
suggested that she drop it ASAP.

2)  when responding to a posting I did concerning Mobile Fidelity's line of
Queen releases, and responding to the responses I received that I responded
to as well, she was again snotty and ill-tempered with me.  This time I stood
my ground and challenged her since all I was doing was responding to things
that were said about what I said about the releases and their quality.  

3) There was a recent post regarded Brian May lyrics regarding guns and their
use (here's a great big can of worms for you).  Three people made some fact
like statements regarding gun laws in America - weird since two of them were
from the UK - that were not quite accurate.  I posted a few paragraphs
correcting their posts about gun laws regarding the US Constitution (here's
where my military history study comes in folks) in response to their
innacurate responses.  So what happens?  You guessed it - another snotty post
from her.

This time I blew up - using logic that she couldn't possibly refute - and
probably could barely comprehend - I announced that all I was doing was
responding and that if she was blasting me about it then I hoped she blasted
the others that were doing it too since it dared "stray from the point of the
list".  I reminded her that it was a comment on Brian May lyrics that started
it and when you get to something like guns you are bound to get a lot of
differing points of view - but that these tangents were valid since the
original topic was Brian May and guns.

We e-mailed back and forth twice.  Basically, I called her a fascist
(actually a Nazi - which she stated she resented - oh waaahhh!).  I responded
that "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck..." and  that as a 42
year old, well educated American, I could make up my own mind
thank-you-very-much and didn't need some smarmy college geek to tell me what
to say or how to think.  I also stated that she must have taken Orwell too
much to heart.  I also challenged her to prove to me that all the list
members wanted the list run in the manner it was being run - which she could
not or would not do (the woman is basically a moral coward).

Here's the moral to the story -  As an avid devotee of Thomas Jefferson (who
I wish to God was alive today so SOMEONE would be running for president in
November) and a Libertarian with a small "L" - I abhor anything that smacks,
quacks, smells, sounds and talks like censorship!  This is America kids - we
can do what we want when we want how we want and damn all those who think
otherwise or seek to impose things on me - or us.  This does have AWESOME
responsibility though - you cannot do some of the above without suffering the
consequences of your actions.  I'd love to tell the IRS that they suck (and
believe me - as a businessman, they really do) but I'm not willing to undergo
audits for the rest of my life either!   Also - this means that if you take a
swing at someone then your fist better stop short of connecting or your
trampling on the other guy!  Get the picture here?

If you don't like what's on TV then change the channel; don't like the book,
then put it down; don't like what that guy is saying over there, then walk
away from it.  Don't like what shows up on the Who Digest - then skip over it
and read some other post - I do and the others don't bother me one iota.  As
White Fang, and I, have stated - sometimes the talk hits a tangent that
strays from the original topic - so what?  It was the original topic that
started it (see my Brian May/guns thing above for an example) and we all have
a right to respond - or not to respond - to the subject at hand.  If you need
something to control your little life then go hang out with Newt Gingrich or
Ralph Reed (there's a pair of control freaks for you)..

I can see, however, that if we were to get on the Who list and discuss
geothermal tectonic theory (the earth's plates moving on a sea of magma for
those that don't know - that's why LA is moving north at the rate of one inch
per year!)  for a couple issues, then the point of straying would be well
taken.  I have yet to see anything remotely like that length of straying,
however, in my time receiving this great list.  What I enjoy about it is its
FRESHNESS and HONESTY and OPENESS - something the Queen fascist would not
understand - and the fact that the majority of the people on this list REALLY
CARE about the Who and all that pertains to them - as I do, which is why I
enjoy reading it over all the other music lists I receive.  People - THIS
LIST AIN"T BROKEN - so for God's sake (or anything else you hold dear) -
DON"T FIX IT!!!!!!!!  You don't have to agree with everything either.

In closing - if you want to make me change how I think or feel, then I hope
your musket and bayonet are a lot bigger than mine (I also Civil War
reenact).  Sorry for taking so long and thanks for allowing me my two cents.
 I felt that the subject was VERY important - as did a lot of you thank God!
Sic semper tyrannis (and I REALLY mean it!)
Greg Biggs
CVC Collectables

PS - When is the Who Isle of Wight stuff finally gonna come out?