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Arapiles campfires last night 24-Feb-2011 At 1:40:21 PM egosan

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On 24/02/2011 Tommo wrote:
>Oh dear.
>
>Wendy, I assume you were there? Perhaps you were even part of the pleasant
>fire circle of '09? I hope not, because your posts on Chocky suggest you
>are a nice climber person, and any participants in the disrespect that
>group showed the climbing community, and simply other humans, are questionable
>people. Anyhow, this is not about you, and we certainly have no reason
>to pick a bone with each other. Peace.
>
>Everyone in the campground that night were affected. I'm sure the Wendys'
>slept soundly, others were mildly annoyed, some were boiling with rage
>(me) and some, after several polite requests, came in swinging a hammer
>(lets not debate the kinesiology or intentions of the hammer swing). The
>moral of the story is that humans can be really pathetic. When individual(s)
>impact the experience of a large number of people in a detrimental way,
>no one tends to do anything about it (the same scum-bags pissing everyone
>off at the Nati film night, in the lead up to the scuffle, was a bewildering
>example). If everyone banded together to request a change or outcome,
>perhaps things wouldn't explode as often. If faced with a pleasant request
>by a dozen of your peers (eg. to put an illegal fire out) then the shame
>will always be more effective than other means. I reckon the next illegal
>fire or social issue at Araps could be effectively dealt with in this way.
>The story above is not an debate about the merits of violence. Oh no.
> But I will never let those a**holes appear as they were the victims, as
>long as the story is told, through the ages, around the (hopefully legal)
>firelight in the pines. Or internet forums.

Perhaps, the folks singing "You're an Asshole" were beyond the pale, perhaps they were just having a good time. That doesn't bother me a tick. I know some of those "assholes" and I am happy to share a rope with any of them. They live life well. They are kind and generous. Assholes, maybe, but my kind of asshole.

Your righteousness, Tommo, the flat judgement you make for the sake of one nights sleep, is the thing that concerns me. You bring to mind a Mencken quote:

>Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

Come back to the Pines, drink some beer and sing some dirty songs. You soul will be better for it. f--- 'em if they can't take joke.