Rick Masters wrote:I don't post there [HG.org]. I don't respect people who accept that level of censorship.
I generally agree, but I make exceptions for people who post there for a good cause. Red wants to post helpful hints to new pilots. That's a good cause. Frank wants to promote his new trainer. That's a good cause. Michael wants to promote Part 103. That's a good cause. Joe wants to promote USHGRS. That's a good cause.
The problem comes in when any of those people use their own good cause to justify remaining silent while someone else is silenced. They are each saying that their own cause is more important than Joe's cause. They're each saying that what they have to say is more important than what Joe has to say. That's what I find both selfish and disgusting.
But I'll go a step further. There is an aspect of human psychology that craves being in the 'in crowd". That aspect is tremendously powerful because it has historically been critical to our actual survival. That's where the craving is paired with the fear of being excluded. That very selfish craving/fear is manipulated by everyone from advertisers to Mark Forbes to Jack Axaopoulos. That's what we're really seeing, and it's been used to keep "the masses" silently watching the most horrific acts in human history.
You can tell that's what's going on when you ask any of those people to justify their silence in Joe's banning. What you get is either more silence or a bunch of gibberish eventually followed by more silence. That's because there is no justification and they know it.
And then comes the final insult. In order to find some way out of their embarrassment, those same people will manufacture - in their own minds - some justification for their inaction. That's the well known "blame the victim" self deception. I've already heard it from some in this case who've said to me that Joe was asking to get banned. That's the final insult because those people eventually turn against the person who was wronged in the first place. They will turn against them and shun them because they remind them of their own cowardice.
I'm saying this because I believe we have some of the best people in the sport of hang gliding on this forum. If there is any hope of finding people who can resist this manipulation I believe it is here among the U.S. Hawks. I wouldn't bother giving this speech to "Ben Reese"
* or "Doug Marley" because they're not capable of taking the hard objective look at themselves that's needed. But I believe each of you are. I'm asking each of you to do that for yourselves. Ask yourself for your own justification for your silence in Joe's ban. Then call yourself on your own excuses. If you do this sincerely, you'll know what to do.
*February 28, 2022 - I formally retract my criticism of Ben Reese. Subsequent to this posting, I was able to speak directly with Ben. Ben had been given false information from someone he trusted. However, when I presented Ben with evidence, he looked into it and reversed his opinion.
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