1. I posted the email sent to my webmaster (which is copied over to myself
automatically) to give the list an electronic document of a reason the MVPA
removed a link from their site. The message I posted, short of my writing,
was a response sent to my webmaster after he made an inquiry about placing a
link on their site to the site, www.astory.com. This is the only
correspondence I have ever received from the MVPA, except for three printed
recruitment brochures sent to our address listed on the site.
2. The email clearly stated that www.astory.com was removed from the MVPA
links list due to comments made by myself, John K. Seidts, here on the
mil-veh list in a SINGLE EMAIL I sent. I posted the message here during the
last go around about the MVPA. I stated that the reasons I had not joined
the MVPA were its absence of open political involvement in issues facing
private military vehicle owners, and the lack of democratic processes in
electing its officers, and its history (dating to the MVCC) of problems with
leadership. My knowledge of these problems is not direct, but stems from my
chapter's choice to become an independent organization during the breakup of
the MVCC in the 1980's. I don't claim to have any more intimate knowledge
of the leadership problems, other than the information contained in the
postings regarding Jim Gilmore's saga. And I welcome any response from MVPA
officers to refute my beliefs, as long as it is posted here in this forum.
As I stated before, I would like to belong to a National Organization such
as the MVPA, but only one which reflects my beliefs in the democratic
process, and one which meets my needs as a private military vehicle owner.
I don't believe that this is too much to ask of a tax exempt organization.
3. I felt my posting was appropriate for the discussion of MVPA politics,
and also as an indicator of the leadership culture of the MVPA, which as I
stated before took an elitist approach to its membership. I have to claim
ignorance here- was Jerry Cleveland an officer of the MVPA? I assumed he
was. If he was not, then my assertion that this email response was an
indicator is wrong, and I should be properly chastised.
4. I am still steamed about the free speech issue. I was raised, schooled,
and trained to listen to all points of view and respond courteously. I was
also trained to make my decisions to act based on my education, experience,
reason, and hopefully a good sense of judgement based on my experience. I
was not trained to exclude or dismiss any points of view. www.astory.com
was, is, and will always be a site in part dedicated to the preservation of
military vehicles. It is not a forum for bashing the MVPA. Removing it
from the links page at www.mvpa.org was done in poor taste, especially
without the courtesy of a notification.
5. When I proferred my question at the end of my email, about a new
organization, it was not intended to inspire anybody to leave the MVPA. But
it was meant to hopefully make members of that organization take notice of
organizational faults, make faults issues to the officers of the
organization, and use the processes of the organization to properly adjust
the MVPA to a better performance level. If unable to do so because of
bylaws, particular officers, or leadership inertia, change it. I am unable
to do so as a non-member.
john@astory.com
http://www.astory.com
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