From: "Madeleine Yeh" <myeh at wap.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: FW: Lee Strong
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 19:36:20 -0400
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

    Lee;
     Why didn't you object to John Ashcroft cookies at the
time I brought them to the WSFA meeting? Do you truly feel
that people who have different political opinions object
to you personally?
   I don't remember speaking to you about politics earlier
this year.
    Madeleine

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 16:09:48 -0400
  "Strong, Lee" <strongl at sddc.army.mil> wrote:
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>> From: Strong, Lee
>> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 4:42 PM
>> To: 'wsfa0410b at keithlynch.net'
>> Cc: Strong, Lee
>> Subject: Lee Strong
>>
>>     On 12 October 2004, Keith Lynch noted that Lee Strong
>>had not
>> participated in a WSFA activity since April 2004.  I
>>delayed responding
>> because I wanted to see if anyone else had a comment,
>>and to take some
>> time to compose my reply.
>>     The bottom line is that I no longer feel welcome in
>>WSFA.
>>     There are several reasons for this.  Leaving aside a
>>number of
>> contributing factors that WSFA and WSFAns have no
>>control over, there are
>> two major reasons for feeling unwelcome.
>>     First, I am not a fan.  I come to a **science fiction
>>association**
>> for the purpose of enjoying **science fiction**.  As a
>>practical matter,
>> fandom's chief activities are gossiping about oneself
>>and other fans,
>> drinking beer, and engaging in cheap sex.  I enjoy a
>>certain amount of
>> gossip, but not an exclusive diet of it.  I seldom drink
>>alcohol, and I
>> seek sex that's priceless rather than cheap.  So,  the
>>emotional rewards
>> of fandom are considerably less for me than for others.
>>     Second, and more importantly, WSFA is a very hostile
>>environment for
>> a Republican.  On 16 April 2004, the club applauded
>>Madeleine Yeh's
>> symbolic decapitation of Attorney General John Ashcroft
>>specifically and
>> Republicans generally.  Subsequently, Madeleine offered
>>a symbolic
>> decapitation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield
>>and invoked
>> malevolent occult forces against George W. Bush.  Eric
>>Jablow was the only
>> person who objected.  Subsequently, Barry Newton offered
>>for sale bumper
>> stickers repeating the myth that George Bush lost the
>>2000 Presidential
>> Election and Steve Smith repeated the myth that George
>>Bush is mentally
>> ill.  These things are in the official club records.
>> These statements and
>> actions, together with many similar statements and
>>actions sustained by
>> WSFAns and other members of the fannish community over
>>many years, create
>> an obviously hostile environment for people who vote
>>Republican or who
>> favor effective and constitutional legal and military
>>action against
>> terrorists.
>>     Accordingly, I have not participated in WSFA activities
>>since April
>> 2004.
>