Off to Exile

[Sigel James Civ 10 ABW/LGCW <James.Sigel@usafa.af.mil>]

Paul and the rest of the list...
 
What a strange trip.  Okay, uncle - uncle!  I give, you win.  Relentless in
your pursuit of justice, even if it's somewhat misguided but I must say, I
admire such zeal.  Zeal - Zealots?  Hmm, just a passing thought.  To the
task at hand...
 
After being a member of this list since 1997, it is my sad duty to
officially resign from The Who Digest.  For the most part, it was a nice
ride.  Thanks to Paul for providing what used to be a very fine list, and I
wish him the best so it can return to it's former glory.  You are and have
been very fair and open minded Paul, so many thanks for allowing me to
participate.
 
There are those here who think my leaving will indeed help return it to its
former glory, so to show that I'm not such a bad guy after all, I give you
your wish.  Perhaps there's a Pink Floyd list or something that I can
infiltrate and infect next.
 
In any case, it has become apparent that some folks here support views that
suit them and condemn others', all the while fiercely claiming that they
care about everyone's opinions and demand that respect is shown when
posting.  These are the same folks who are as vicious as those they condemn
and post far more horrible things than I've ever said or would dare to say.
I'm not going to name any names, they know who they are and that water is
under the bridge now.  If there's one thing I don't have time for it's lies
and hypocrisy.  Nor do I have time for fools.  There are plenty of members
who feel the same way about me, so I will step down to end this nonsense.
Especially now that the water has passed, and there's no other option left.
That is why it's time to say goodbye.  All I ever wanted in the first place
was to talk Who.
 
I'm sure there will be posts from those very same people who savagely came
to Jeff's defense, criticizing me for leaving after I "offended" Jeff so
terribly for doing the same thing.  And it's their right to, I suppose.
What's really ironic though, is the fact that they will do the very same
thing they condemned me for doing.  But life's too short to waste on
hypocrites, so I bow out.  To them I say, if you still want to back browse
digests to skim for the negative things I've said, find it in your power to
pick up some of the positives I've said as well instead of those that serve
your interests.  Like the many times I was a voice for respectful exchanges
between members.  Or, see if you can find the post where I said, "Maybe Jeff
is the smartest one of us all for quitting."  After all is said and done, I
think Jeff was indeed smart for quitting and I'm following suit.  I know,
breaks a lot hearts here.  Please cry after this is over because I hate
emotional goodbyes.
 
I also know there are those who know what I'm talking about and agree, and
it's to those members that I say goodbye to.  It's also those same members
that I have exchanged views with, laughed with, celebrated The Who with that
know me from my years here.  I've gotten to know you all from my time here,
even if I've never seen your faces, so it can only be that you know me as
well.  You can say "he's a little weird", but you know enough to understand
that I am not the Incubus.  At least I hope so.
 
What I can't understand is why, after all these years, after posting in the
same writing style that I've always posted in, all of a sudden I've become
the equivalent of a rapist in some people's eyes.  Another question for the
ages.  I'm still the same person I was when I joined, with the same views,
with the same approach, in the same straightforward manner.  For four+
years, I was not only accepted but complimented for the way I presented my
ideas.  Now, it's all changed.  Well, that's life and there's nothing more
to say about that.  Why carry bad blood?  Too much baggage.  It's best just
to leave you to your thing.
 
Oddly enough, has anyone noticed that this list changed drastically after
that major international incident?  As objectively as I can, I can't help
but notice the evidence mounting that people on this list all of sudden
changed right after September 11th.  Maybe we all did.  Or I should say,
maybe YOU all did.  I'm still the same guy who makes odd-ball comments from
time to time, with controversial views.  It was entertainment to you before
9/11 but now it's much more heinous.  Maybe it's just coincidence too, but a
correlation is there.  Does that explain anything?  I guess not.  Something
to consider maybe, but nothing important I guess.  
 
I know too that everyone on this list hasn't turned into an enemy but I do
know that some people are still confused and have probably read things I've
said with a "huh???".  Let me explain.
 
Most recently, my style of writing was called "sarcastic BS" by one of the
more colorful members here.  I believe that was the quote.  Pretty good huh?
I write that way because (as that colorful one of you read in my offline
reply to you) I believe that the world is in such terrible shape because
people forgot to listen to the Message in discussions and all they
concentrate on is HOW the Message is delivered.  Words are simply words - we
put special emphasis on words instead of what is really being said.  For
example, a newspaper columnist was fired a few years ago because he used the
word "nigger" in a column that was PRO-black/minority, pro black issues, and
critical of prejudice.  He used that word to satirize bigots in the column,
but still the Message was lost, the word overshadowed the Message, and the
poor sap lost his job over it.
 
I can't help it - I thrive on that.  And I don't apologize for it.  With me,
you get what you see; no lies, hidden truths, or bullshit.  I love to push
buttons because only the ignorant take offense, and by doing that, they have
just revealed themselves as ignorant.  It's a good system and it really
works.  It worked here too, but it backfired because now I've lost a forum
that I really enjoyed.  Again, that's life.  For those of you who may have
wondered why I said outrageous things from time to time, it was simply
pushing buttons.  Hopefully to get people (open minded people - no way
everyone will get it) thinking.  And I've been pretty successful in that.
There are plenty of bright people here who may have figured that out
already.
 
I don't have to explain myself to anyone except my wife, family, friends and
God, even though I tried unsuccessfully to explain my intentions.  Those
close to me know me for who I am and they also know that I am not the kind
of person that's been incorrectly represented by my newly acquired enemies.
Quite the opposite.  All I can say is, if you're down and out and need
immediate help, pray that the stranger approaching you is like me.  And you
will be helped on your feet and cared for.
 
But be especially careful of those who yell it out for the world to hear
that they are "kind" and "compassionate" in society but don't perform when
it counts; they will be the ones to turn their backs on you.  Trust me, they
will.  When I stand before the Great Spirit, testimony from those who know
me against testimony from people like that, will secure my standing as a
fine human being while I lived.  Paradise awaits me in the afterlife,
because in judgment, the type of life I lived will quiet the detractors.
That is what is important to me, not what a few close minded hypocrites
think.  As Brando once said on film - "You have a right to kill me, but you
have no right to judge me."
 
I attempted to defend myself to this list in order to return to the kind of
relationship I once had with it, but I was stupid enough to let myself get
sucked into arguments with fools.  That makes me a fool too, but at least I
admit it.  And I lost, but I tried.  Too many people don't even try.  If the
more vocal of my rivals even tried to meet 1/4 the way, I wouldn't be
resigning and this mess never would have gotten so far out of hand.  Well,
you can't expect everyone to listen to both sides of an argument all the
time.  It's pretty rare at best.  
 
One more thing and I'm out of the way.  After I'm forgotten and the list
goes on, those very same people who took me to task will perhaps realize
that I wasn't guilty of anything closely resembling the evil they claim I
was guilty of.  But it isn't about what's right and what's wrong with them;
it's about having their way, so maybe it's unrealistic to hope that they
might someday understand.  One day, they will be judged too, and I'll be
looking out at them from the inside.  But I won't taunt or rub it in because
that's not my style, contrary to what they are saying.  I do sympathize;
poor fools.
 
There are those of you - I hope, who know that already.  Even though it got
confusing here and there, I know a few of you know me to be a pretty decent
person.  To you, I say - watch out what you say.  If some people don't like
what you say here, regardless of their "respect of all opinions", they will
drive you out of too if you stand up to them.  Look for the more harsh of
the critics resulting from this message, or the most bitter remarks, and you
will know who to look out for.
 
Aw fuck it.  Goodbyes to everyone, not just the ones who are fair and open
minded.  I wish you all well.  I had a pretty good time up until the last
several months, so to me it was well worth it.  I got boots, concert info,
gossip, hard news, articles and so on.  How very cool this forum really is,
or should I say, could be and hopefully will be again.  I'm sincerely going
to miss it.
 
No hard feelings - there never were any on my end and there aren't any now
(disbelief, but no hard feelings), but I'm smart enough to know that I
pushed enough buttons on some people that hard feelings abound anyway.  For
your hard feelings, I am sorry.  Despite wails to the contrary, hurting
feelings never was my plan or intent.  And I never socked anyone who didn't
have it coming.  For what it's worth, I'm just a very blunt person and some
people take it the wrong way.  But apologize for saying things in a
straightforward way without bullshit?  Never.  But, that's life...
 
We now return you to your regularly scheduled program...Peace to all.
 
Jim