Posted by MHK on November 14, 2001 at 17:57:55:
To all that have expressed your supportive point of view let me start out by expressing my sincere gratitude for your efforts.. As you may imagine I think that Chris’ most recent temper tantrum is beneath comment and speaks to a mentality of censorship, repression and down right yellow journalism. Not since the Mc Carthy era have we seen such un-American behavior. Sadly, Chris has allowed his ego to cloud his judgment and despite any philosophical differences we may share when it comes to diving I cannot any more strongly denounce his attempts at censorship.. If I recall correctly this is the third time he has banned me from the list, but yet hides behind semantics when it comes to the useless GLnSD posts. However, that being said, I don’t believe that idiot should be banned from the board either. If anyone has noticed I never respond to the moron/sock puppet and my feeling is that each poster to this list has the unequivocal right to simply ignore a poster if they continually share the viewpoint that such a poster offer little, if anything.. In my view, I firmly believe that the GLnSD sock puppet is really Chris under a different name, and as such I do NOT even bother opening his BS posts.. I have also offered that to the extent that anyone does not want to read what I say then they, as well, should exercise the requisite restraint and ignore what I have to say.. It’s clear that Chris and I share polar opposing points of view as it relates to diving. I offer a viewpoint that REDUCES the inherent risks in diving, whereas Chris subscribes to a belief that accepting ADDED risks is his desired method.. Chris consistently suggests that I say that my way of diving is the ONLY way of diving and I have repeated on many occasions that my way isn’t the ONLY way of diving but in my view is the most SAFEST and most EFFICIENT way to dive. He'll then also tell you that I distort the thruth, but when I asked him directly to cite ANY post that I have ever made that says my way is the ONLY way, his response was to ban me from the list.. I am always careful to back up whatever point of view I advance with reasons, research and I am always willing to dive with anyone that may require added information. Chris on the other hand simply offers NOTHING when it comes to support for his positions and chooses to misdirect the issues and drag the discussion down into the mud and then turn it into a MHK/DIR –v- Chris/Seahunt et.al. Whereas I would prefer to stay focused on the direct issues. Look at the last threads that Chris and I were involved in before he threw his temper tantrum.. I asked a series of direct diving related questions and he steadfastly refused to address any of them and resorted to his usual misdirection..
A free and open forum means that differing opinions are accepted without question, censorship or subject to selective editing. I stopped reading the GLnSD posts many weeks ago, because I think he is an idiot. However, I fully support his right to continue posting.. What frustrated me was that the idiot could post attacks on me and Chris would leave them up and he would edit me even when my posts had no attacks at all. All I was seeking was a fair shot and a fair interpretation of whatever Chris and Seahunt could contort as a personal attack.. Clearly this list lacks consistency and in order for the list to maintain even the illusion of credibility the editors of this list need to get reorganized and realize that their credibility is in the toilet and stop trying to blame me for all the problems on THEIR list..
I’m an ex- New Yorker and I speak bluntly, directly and to the point. I don’t sugar coat and play the politically correct game and I’m very open about the fact that if you don’t like what I say, or how I say it, then just ignore my posts.. The fact of the matter is that if you want information I’ll give it to you endlessly, if you want a fight I’ll also give that to you and I will NEVER back down from anyone, so I basically leave the choice up to the opposing poster. Whatever you want you’ll get, but FTR record I would prefer to share my diving knowledge.. We have way too many “old timers” on this list that have long ago stopped wanting to learn and want to be a big fish in a small pond so it is in their best interest to keep the pond small.. I would prefer that everyone that wants the information have access to it. We put on Demo’s, we give away free classes, I answer countless private e-mails every day, I put up with Chris’ BS on a daily basis and the reason is because I believe that one fatality a month is NOT acceptable, and I don’t subscribe to ficticuous legal theories that have no basis in fact. I don’t accept boilerplate recommendations from agencies that are founded in the lowest common denominatator that some lawyer can defend later on.. I challenge the agencies to do better, not to worry about market share, and if I come off arrogant, blunt, egotistical or[ insert adjective of choice], then so be it because in my view the status quo in the dive industry sucks and needs a kick in the ass..
So in short Chris, you should be ashamed of yourself for, yet again, banning anyone who shares an opposing point of view.. Seahunt you should stop crying about the *personalities” on this list because you are just as much responsible for the BS as anyone else.. I trust the market place to determine whom they want to read and who they want to ignore and if someone wants to ignore me, then so be it, I really don’t care. You guys have tried to define my message for me and believe that I want to convert the world to DIR, and in reality I only want to help those that want to understand more. Guys such as Chris and Seahunt are so far beyond help that there isn’t much I could do to help except but to point out to others the utter BS that they spew.. If you look at our exchanges objectively you’ll see that I always offer support and diving related information and I never see either of the bozo twins backing up anything they say..
Chris even though you and I will NEVER see eye to eye when it comes to diving, I lost any respect that I had left for you after your most recent banning.. My advice to you is grow up and if you don’t like what I have to say, or how I say it, then don’t open my posts..
Later