Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 01:55:16 -0400
From: Ted White <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: I will NOT calm down (was Re: Extremely  offensive...)
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

Elspeth Kovar wrote:

>  At 02:35 PM 9/29/2005, Walter Miles wrote:
>
> > It is NO help to her to pretend that this attack is reasonable
> > disagreement or difference in point of view, that we don't feel
> > embarrassed for her, that we don't feel uneasy about what she'll do
> > next, or that things are essentially normal. It's not good for
> > WSFA either: pretty soon Keith won't be the only one who feels
> > unwelcome.
>
>  Two people, husband and wife, have long since stopped attending WSFA
>  meetings or being involved in anything WSFA does including Capclaves
>  because they cannot stand to be around Lee Gilliland. I haven't
>  checked to see how long they've been members but they joined far
>  before I did, and it is our great loss. I don't know how many others
>  there are; these told me when I asked for their assistance in
>  promoting Capclave among their contacts.
>
>  I have said privately and now say publicly that unless Lee is told
>  that her accusations, threats, whispering campaigns and all the rest
>  must stop I cannot and will not attend any further meetings at her
>  home. Moreover, I will publicly announce that I am no longer
>  attending meetings there and why such that it will be placed in the
>  minutes.
>
>  If the general rule that no negative comments about someone can be
>  published in the Journal -- and there has only been one time since I
>  joined WSFA that such comments have been published -- I am willing to
>  phrase what is published as
>
>  "Given various matters I can no longer attend the First Friday
>  meetings. I am very sorry, as this will decrease my effectiveness as
>  a WSFAn, as Facilities Liaison, and as Capclave 2005 chair. It will
>  also take away one of the pleasures in my life, and there are people
>  who attend only that meeting whom I will not have a chance to see.
>  However, I have no choice in this matter."
>
>  I am sorry for this, as Alexis has been hosting WSFA meetings since,
>  I think, before I was born and I care for him greatly. But Lee's
>  behavior cannot and should not be condoned.
>
>  Announcing why I am no longer attending those meetings will probably
>  result in more of the phone calls I've gotten now and then over the
>  past couple of years, being woken out of a sound sleep to be yelled
>  at, often incoherently. But at least they will finally stop, I will
>  no longer have to put up with her going off at me in public for
>  whatever crime she's decided I've committed, having to always be
>  braced for them because one can never know what she's going to get
>  into her head and when, and a major cause of stress in my life will
>  be gone.
>
[...]
>
>  This behavior absolutely must stop. If it results in our having to
>  find another meeting place in Virginia I'm sorry to say that that
>  would be less detrimental to the club than the ever-increasing
>  problems that Lee has caused.

I feel sorry for Alexis.  He is being placed in an untenable position.

--Ted White