Where did all the good people go?

[JCoffey]

The so called îrulesî and ìregulationsî that non governing, bodies set up hold no legal value, they are not backed by law. As such, they are in reality suggestions that are made to the community.

Those who would set themselves up as leaders, do so without any legal backing. They have not been elected by the community as a whole and they do not have legal authority.

This does not mean that the suggestions they make are necessarily bad. But every individual has the legal and ethical right to decide for themselves whether or not to agree with those suggestions.

It is much easier to achieve agreement from those made to feel like a member of the community, than those who are made to feel like they are outside of the community. This is especially true when that agreement benefits the community at the detriment of the individual.

It may be beneficial for the community as a whole if the suggestions are followed and in those cases it is in the best interests of the community to foster agreement.

We should keep in mind that we are asking for compliance as a favor. We must be willing to accept that when someone does not deem it in their own bests interests to comply, we have absolutely no recourse on which to coerce compliance that does not place our own interests in peril.

So we are suggesting a set of guidelines for making such public suggestions. We are not making these with any expectation, but only with the hope that reasonable minds prevail.

ï Always be kind and courteous.
ï Never berate or treat others with disdain.
ï Never make demands.
ï Certainly never make threats.
ï Always approach others as if you are about to ask them to do you a really big personal favor because that is exactly what you are doing.
ï Always be truthful.
ï Never lie or make false representations.
ï Never present yourself as if you have power over others. (Respect is much more important in this type of situation than power or authority, and as it turns out this is the best way to get that respect).
ï Always explain why you are asking for the favor. Explain the reasoning for the suggestion you are making. (In fact in some cases it might be beneficial to give this explanation before making the suggestion.)
ï When appropriate explain the history behind the formulation of the suggestion.
ï Always be consistent. (There is nothing more likely to achieve disagreement than inconsistency.)
ï If you do not like the response, let it go. Many people may not comply with your suggestion when confronted for the first time, but will later find agreement. Trying to coerce compliance can very well solidify permanent non compliance.

Guidelines for the suggestions themselves:

ï Suggestions should be simple.
ï If the suggestion can not be easily explained, find an alternative that can be easily explained.
ï If there are any exceptions to the suggestion, find an alternative that does not have exceptions.
ï If multiple suggestions disagree with each other, find a set of suggestions that do not.
ï If any set of suggestions are in their entirety confusing, find a set of suggestions that are not.

Kite Free!

Sandi & Jan

[grumpy]

The only good people left I guess are the ones that have been called by the name of Village Idiot, Timmy, Oklahoma, and have been drug up and over the levee and through the weeds at 3rd. Good people are lucky to be alive!

[Greg]

Only the good die young....
L.M.G.