Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 01:05:35 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Lee; WSFA
Cc: *Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at worldnet.att.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 07:40 PM 9/28/2005, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
>I have unsubscribed Lee Gilliland from this list at her request.
>
>Of course, like all WSFAns, she can still post to it, and can still
>read the messages in the online archives at http://www.wsfa.org/list/
>
>This does not, however, undo the incredibly vicious attacks she made
>against me.  And it's not just her.  One or both of Paul and Gayle
>have also recently attacked me.
>
>WSFA is supposed to be fun.
>
>It isn't fun for me any more.
>
>As I said, at the next meeting I'm going to ask for a vote:  Should I
>stay or go?  Two or three WSFAns have recently attacked me, calling me
>either a liar or power-mad.  Three WSFAns have sent messages of support.
>I have no clue how the rest of you feel.  It matters.
>
>If I hadn't implicitly promised the club to serve a full second term
>as secretary, I'd be out the door already.  Even if I win this vote, I
>will probably leave when my term expires next June, unless something
>changes at WSFA by then.

My apartment is being torn apart yet again by contractors answerable only
to the new owners.  The front line staff, who speak little English, get
fired if anything goes wrong, even when it's their bosses who are at
fault.  So not only do I have to deal with a attitude of things that affect
any tenet in an apartment complex that the new owners want to convert to
condominiums, I have to be very, very careful indeed and use a great deal
of finesse to make sure that they aren't harmed.

One person did get fired before I was aware of this: the gentleman, an
older man who needs the work, was removing the shutters outside of my
living room window while I was working in my office area.  I Unaware of
this I heard strange noises and, thinking that one of the cats was very
sick, went to investigate without doing more than pulling my robe over my
shoulders: I work at home and dress accordingly.

I don't know who was more shocked by my full frontal nudity, him or me.  My
reaction, however, was based upon a previous home having been broken into
in similar circumstances while his was based upon having, however much the
fault lay with his superiors, went against his honor, to take a lady so
unawares and in such a state.

Yesterday I found out that he was fired as a result of simply doing a job
he was ordered to, which placed him outside my window.  Today I learned
that his son is still on the crew and endeavored to pass along . . . I
could only ask that the son be told that had I any possible notion that the
man who had unwittingly looked in my window and scared me so would have his
livelihood, his future and his honor taken away from him I would have done
very differently than I did.

He did his work, to the utmost of his abilities, and because someone was
clueless not only was he fired but had a foundation of his life and honor
taken away from him.

That's the background for what I have to say -- and, for what it's worth,
that there are ongoing troubles that result in my having to do this from a
very slow laptop so am going to be clumsy.

Considered compared to the world our squabbles are simply that:
squabbles.  We should never, ever forget that.  But we are also people,
with our own strengths and weaknesses, and each with our own
honor.  Moreover we are an organization, an organization whose purpose is
both social and to share what we have via our convention.

Folks, we're fucking up, big time.  We have a convention in less than three
weeks and not only do we have a lot of people, from around the bloody
world, who've chosen to attend, we have *three* Worldcon bids.  If you
can't deal  with or don't --understandably -- want to deal with all this
business of honor and suchlike, pay attention to what's most relevant: we
have less than three weeks to get our act together.

Keith, to some degree I understand the fears that Lee is forced to live
with, and I'm sorry for them.  She has many admirable traits and has done a
great deal for WSFA but at the same time you've been the subject of
unwarranted attacks, not only on you but on your honor.

As a mutual officer of WSFA I have no right to ask it but as a person who
respects you perhaps I can: Keith, many of us didn't realize how far thing
had gone.  Rather than calling for a vote could you give people until after
Capclave?   It's a great deal to ask but I hope that you will consider it.

Very tired, certainly far too wordy, probably not very coherent, and having
had to tell the Capclave's connection with the Hilton when he actually
called me that a family matter, that family being WSFA, had come up such
that I didn't have time available to do the work that needs to be done --

Elspeth