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Home > Forum > River Valley Dirt Riders Forum > Jot Your Thought > Sweet Spot II
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Sweet Spot II
Started January 25, 2008 @ 8:10pm by wfopete
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wfopete
Administrator
Posts: 333 |
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| Sweet Spot II | January 25, 2008 @ 8:10pm | If you have not noticed the recent Sweet Spot thread is removed from the website. Here is why:
I was talking with a person about the Sweet Spot issue today and during the conversation we decided to go on line and look at the thread about the gate and closer discussion. Now this person had never seen our website before. Their first reaction after reading the thread caught me by surprise, but really it should not have. It wasn’t contempt for the gate issue, anyone at the city or Corps of Engineers. Their first reaction was a question of: “Who else can see this thread?” I stopped for a minute then said, “Anyone who want to go to the website”. Right away I knew what they were getting at. RVDRS.com is a public website for all the public to view if they so choose to. That means mom, dad and junior and all the places that support us. It also means city, state and federal agencies and all the rest of the world. Think about some of the things that were being said on that thread, including some of the things I said. Is that the image we want viewers to have of us? Probably not, and that is the point I want to make here. If we wish to portray ourselves as any kind of responsible off road club one of the most important places to do that is our website. We may think what we post is in fun, but remember, others are watching including people that would love to use a negative comment or our “dirty laundry” to include profanity, against us. We already have enough problems elevating our image, so let’s keep that in mind when posting. If something must be said that involves heavy negativity or flaming of someone/something use a personal message or separate email to get the job done.
Pete Petrick
PREZ, RVDRs
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| January 25, 2008 @ 10:13pm | | Pete is there any possible way for us to work out a deal where we have access to the back side where our trails are? We have proven many time that we can keep our trails clean and maintained. I wonder if the city would be interested in giving us a chance? I am sure we can impress them with what we can do with land that is otherwise useless. |
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| January 25, 2008 @ 10:17pm | | I quess I should have read SS access first. |
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| January 28, 2008 @ 4:30pm | I get your message, Pete. On the other hand, in my opinion political correctness has gone way too far.
Here's two examples of the extremes:
On KTM talk, you cannot speak to the facts of ATVs ruining single track without the moderator telling you to shut up. He doens'nt sensor, but he does not want to discuss the facts. I beleive that we should discuss the issues that involve us in plain terms as long as we speak in facts, not conjecture. If you can back it up, say it. If we can't speak freely to discuss the facts, how can we ever solve problems? I don't see it as "airing our dirty laundry", I see it as an essential means to take care of buisness. Single track will be no more unless we get off our butts and stop it from being destroyed. Just make sure you can back up your words with facts. No need for profanity, though.
On advrider, absolutely anything goes! You can say anything to anyone. Profanity is fine. Surprisingly, since there are basically no rules, people generally refrain from personal attacks since they figure that if they start the fight, they will be in for a war. Because of the lack of censorship, advrider generally has a "self-policing" aspect to it.
I understand we are a family website. No need for profanity, doggone it! But I also think it's important for us to be able to speak freely about any issue, as long as we do so in reasonably polite terms. Which we already do anyway.
I also think it's a waste of time to overdo it on trying to keep from offending everyone. If someone wants to, they can always take SOMETHING you say and twist it out of context by using only part of your statement against you, or mis-quoting.
Free speech is both one of the best and worst aspects of a free society. I guess what I'm trying to say is as long as we try to strike a balance between fact based discussion and self control in how we say it, we should'nt be too concerned with what we say. You can't please everyone all the time. |
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Last Edit: January 28, 2008 @ 4:31pm by jgas | |
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| January 28, 2008 @ 11:02pm | I can see the points that both Pete and jgas make. I understand and feel both views.
However, in dealing with the sensitive issues we as the RVRDs are trying to pursue I have to sway towards Pete's approach on the RVDRS web page.
Pete has mentored and led the RVDRS to a level we have not been before and I can not refute his advise on how to conduct business on this web page.
devro
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| January 29, 2008 @ 3:24pm | I hear you both. I agree. My point is that we need to be able to speak the truth without censorship. You can discuss the facts without purposely beating people up. If the truth hurts you real bad, you need to think about why.
You can't solve any problem by running away from it. No group can solve a problem without discussion. The issues that face OHV riders should be discussed openly on their sites. Someone better start facing up to the real problems that face us, or we are dooming ourselves to failure.
We are causing quite a few problems for ourselves with our actions. And we aren't facing up to our responsibilities as OHVers.
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| January 31, 2008 @ 8:48pm | No doubt about it, Pete is our fearless leader and we would be lost without him. He's kinda old, wise, fatherly, calm, thinks ahead so as to lead his flock down the path of righteousness.
Moses! Pete is the Moses of the dirt bike world.
Just kidding, I don't mean this in a sacriligous way.
If we need to shut up about any issue, and Pete says so, I'll shut up. I figured someone should start taking over where Gorman left off. Someone needs to scream and shout about the issues that face us, and Gorman is too busy farming and playing these days. I miss Gorman's rants about off road issues. Gorman don't spell so good, but he's rarely if ever wrong in what he says. Everything Gorman told me would happen in the future has come true.
Maybe Gorman's a prophet? Hmmmm. Pete is Moses, Gorman would be?
McVay says John the Baptist. |
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Last Edit: February 1, 2008 @ 1:05am by cmcvay67 | |
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| January 31, 2008 @ 10:18pm | It aint givin' up jeffro, it's taking a different approach.
devro |
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| February 1, 2008 @ 2:35pm | I understand, Jimbo. I won't give up. I just beleive that sometimes you have to kick people in the head with the facts to make them really think. For at least 5 years, I spoke to people about all of the lost single track, and the reasons why it was lost. I tried diplomacy and discussion. Didn't work.
When me and many others on several world wide web sites started listing the facts with proof, and using what some would consider perhaps too "straightforward", or perhaps "too strong" language, people listened.
For some reason as Gorman has said for years, it's nearly impossible to get OHVers to work together or agree on anything. What I know for a fact does not work is running and hiding from the facts. The SS issue is different. We are not losing that area to single track encroachment. That area is being possibly lost to development. Whole different problem. Now, finally, there is progress on creating an "OHV Family". As it should be. But we have a very long way to go, and not much time to get there. We better hurry. The sky really is falling on our heads.
The reason I have been speaking out in strong words is simply because it works. At this point, we have absolutely nothing to lose.
The single track in Arkansas has dwindled from somewhere near 1000 miles to less than 100, and we have to hide the little bit that's left. We have a constant battle to save the little that's left. Someone has to speak up if we are ever to make progress on the issue.
Think about it. Less than 100 miles. Where did it go? Ask yourself that question. We have to figure out how to save it. Discussing the facts is the only way I know to get started. |
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Last Edit: February 1, 2008 @ 2:38pm by jgas | |
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| single track | March 28, 2008 @ 10:04pm | | How about we get a grant and buy our own land and put single track on it? |
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| April 12, 2008 @ 9:16am | | Or just lease it like a hunt lease!!! |
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| April 22, 2008 @ 9:36pm | We have been talking about this for years. The first thing is finding a suitable place. I know of a hunting lease near LR that might be interested, but we could'nt ride during deer season which is prime riding time.
The Memphis dirt bike club and another club got together and found a lease from a timber company that is fantastic. They have exclusive rights to ride at West Point Tn, they have Enduros, etc. It is only $200.00 per person per year, some of the best riding around. It's all gated and patroled, very little Quad damage to the S-T. There is one Quad area which is technically on their lease, but they let the Quad riders kind of use that area as long as they don't damage the S-T. Seems to work well. The problem is finding a large enough place, close enough to central Ar, and getting exclusive lease rights. I've brought this up on several websites in Ar. and everyone says: "Great idea, go it", but no one seems to be willing to commit money until they see the area and someone else does the work to find it and make it.
One place that we might be able to lease is land that the Byrd family owns near their camp place. The area that we race on across the creek doesn't get used, and they told me they have another 60 acres that has no use at all. They also have the whole mountainside across the river, but we'd have to build a bridge, probably not feasable financially for us. But if we could lease the area they own and some adjoining land, maybe? Would that be too far for the R-ville club folk to drive? Maybe we could co-lease it with Razorback Riders? We also should look at the area around Casa, Ola, and Plainview. There are vast areas in there that are Timber Company, not Forest Service. Worth a look. |
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