Reply #14: First,

[salin]

thank you for your work, and your continued work to raise awareness. It speaks well that you have an awareness and a concern about some of the controversies - and do not want to get mired in those. Regardless of motives (I chose not to go to that point), integrity of those leading others is very important. Why? Because to move forward fully - the issues HAVE to become part of the public psyche... which involves two major factors...

a) Some REAL press coverage which returns to the issue enough time that listeners/readers/viewers begin to react to new stories with a sense of recognition (oh ya... I remember that is ian issue that really makes me unnerved... what is new on that front???), AND

b) enough grass roots activism to both 1) mount challenges where it is needed (eg leg power) and b) continue to raise public awareness on an intentional and sustained level.

Lack of integrity at the top can easily prevent those two factors from fully emerging. It can make the press continue to be dismissive - and thus withhold coverage; and it can turn activism into acute cynicism and thus silent/immobilize those who could help move things forward.

Again, thanks for your work - and your honesty here.

Advice - keep your skepticism healthy as you participate in different forums and activities ... Follow that inner ear... and steer new activists towards efforts that are likely to have some effect (per local issues and immediacy issues, and towards organizations that are not embroiled in controversies per inter movement conflict), and speak out if you sense that folks are being exploited (eg turns more into fundraising than activism). I am not suggesting that the latter is happening - but have witnessed some shameless levels of the latter type of activity here in these forums over several years - so it isn't out of the realm of possibility.