Flashbacks:
The RNGC Caddyshackpocalypse
Bollards!
Meanwhile, RA President Robin Smyers has weighed in again on this filthy "web log" about the other uncontroversial decision in the works, the one involving a juicery and attached rec center. Here's what she said in the comments of an earlier post:
As I thanked everyone who attended last night's meeting at Lake Anne Elementary, it is OK for us to disagree. I do appreciate the fact that people are paying attention and weighing in on the issues that we have been working on long before I was elected to the board, and will be after I am gone. My term is up in April 2010 and I look forward to the supporting the next director for Lake Anne and Tall Oaks.We agree with her, and as we've said before, hope some of those who support the rec center find a way to make themselves heard. Just over the weekend, we saw what can happen when people don't pay attention to what goes on in their community, when a heavily funnel cake-and-lemonade intensive event/election became a potentially huge embarrassment after people found out, most likely too late to do anything about it, that an unopposed candidate has, shall we say, a bit of an image problem.
Again, it is OK to disagree. Getting involved and staying involved is a responsibility I hope many in our community will embrace.I will not apologize for letting the process run its due course. All members should be heard and to the previous point, I do hear from hundreds of people, many who are in fear of being ridiculed for supporting some of the ideas others who disagree. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Speaking of which: The results of the Reston Citizens Association election are supposed to be announced tomorrow, so we'll soon find out if Reston is represented by the author of "America the Doodiful" and other, less humorous work. Based on the comments on this "web log," this race has attracted considerable attention from folks whose interests are far removed from DRB violations and earth-toned architecture, so we're not the only ones watching closely.
I worry about the witch-hunt, jump on the bandwagon mentality that seems to flourish these days. How many people went to look for and read PERSONALLY any of the things Meyercord authored? I did and while I don't agree with everything he writes, I do agree with his point that any person should be able to demand responsible research and footnoting from those calling themselves historians. It seems that in the US today there are some issues that are so 'sacred' we can't disagree about them, and must accept the majority opinion about them. It makes us dangerously close to being a nation of slavish devotion to whatever the trend is.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Holocaust, which was a horrific series of events, we're willing to accept the most extreme numbers because the concept itself is so repugnant. We feel that to say, "oh, what is the research that supports that particular number?" exposes us to being attacked as "holocaust deniers" rather than "thoughtful students of history." So we say nothing, and the truth of the matters are never examined in detail. There are other issues that provoke this response. Racism, slavery, gender politics...
Can we just talk about these things, and demand no less of our historians than we do of our physicians and engineers in terms of peer review of research?
Don't get me wrong -- I don't stand in his particular corner. But I do stand in the corner of anyone who wants to get to the truth of matters rather than the 'accepted viewpoint' or 'conventional wisdom.' Perhaps with the passage of time, the emotional visceral response will calm to the point that we can engage in thoughtful discussion on many issues, not just this one.
Maybe I've been reading too many political thrillers, but has anybody else considered that the new REC center hooha is a wild shot to distract us from the new RA center lease? If so, it is working as planned. Who knew that Robin-Cheryl were capable of such a long-range plan?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what idiots like Smyers say when they are have painted themselves into a corner.
ReplyDeleteIf there is no shame, there is no need to ** not ** apologize, so why is she not apologizing?
It's abundantly clear that not only is the rec center not wanted (or needed), but that there are many times more opponents than supporters.
Stop the madness and move on to more productive things:
1. Fixing the eyesore called Lake Anne
2. Firing Matthews and finding a leader with vision and experience that matches Reston's needs
3. Abolishing the RCC and its tax burden as a redundant vestige of a culture starved yesteryear.
4. Closing underused pools and other recreational "amenities" and developing 21-st century, wanted, amenities.
5. Abolishing RELAX as another failed relic of yesteryear.
6. Moving ON and propelling Reston into the future rather than living in the past.
*** Metro is coming and despite the short-sighted failure to bury it in Tyson's Corner, we can make Reston a model of success if we plan for that development now rather than some clearly unwanted or unneeded rec center and RA HQ.
READ OUR BITS:
We again call for Robin's immediate resignation and terminating Matthews' employment. We need a leader who will LISTEN and implement what the vast majority want (or in this case, DON'T WANT!)
!!
Abracadabera do you mean RELAC? The awful a/c system in the Lake Anne area?
ReplyDelete