I find it ironic that you are able to see so clearly how the UPD's remarks hypothetically cost bike shops money, but in refusing to be apologetic for your own remarks, you fail to see how your "strident" advocacy runs a very high actual risk of costing the GCC membership.
Who are these individuals that have asked for "strident" advocacy? If they used this word surely they demonstrate even less political astuteness in their thinking than your letter did in levying ambiguous threats at all who are not "cyclists."
You cannot be made to change your views. But the club can be made to change its board.
Judging by the responses to your LTE thus far, it would appear that you are greatly out of touch with the wishes of your constituency. If I'm wrong about that, so be it. Carry on with "strident advocacy."
However, I think the vast majority of us would prefer to focus on the club's good and charitable works, riding our bikes, gently encouraging others to do so by good example, and civilly asking the community to share in the many benefits of improved bicycle infrastructure that such public works provide for not just cyclists, but for everyone.
Sincerely,
Rob
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2013 5:24 PM
To: gccmail
Cc: Pete Miner; Rob Robins
Subject: Re: GCCMail: In Today's Gainesville Sun
James Thompson
While most of us follow the traffic laws, using hand signals, etc. there is those handful of cyclists who wear no helmuts, ride on the wrong side of the rode, etc. These few do not represent the majority of the cycling community, unfortunately these are the ones motorists see and remember. I have found the majority of motorists to be very courteous to cyclists, but there is also those that don’t follow the laws and elude GPD, e.g. watching the SUV driver in my neighborhood running through the stop sign because he’s on his cell and not paying attention to me having the right-away (people with cell’s stuck to their ear while driving is another pet peeve of mine).
Mike Carter
Office Assistant
College of Education/Business Office
P. O. Box 117041, Norman Hall Room 150
Phone: 352-273-4122
Fax: 352-392-7159
Email: mcarter@coe.ufl.edu
From: gccmail-manager@simplelists.com [mailto:gccmail-manager@simplelists.com] On Behalf Of Pete Miner
Cc: GCCMail; jtexconsult@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2013 8:55 AM
To: Rob Robins
Subject: Re: GCCMail: In Today's Gainesville Sun
No doubt! You just can't tell an entire city, "No more Mr. Nice Guy."
And by the way, always.....be nice.
On Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 8:48 AM, Rob Robins <rhrobins@flmnh.ufl.edu> wrote:
As a Gainesville Cycling Club member-in-good-standing, I would like to know if the GCC board approved today’s letter to the editor of The Gainesville Sun, wherein Advocacy Director of the GCC, James Thompson, writing as advocacy director of the GCC, made the following assertion:
“Cyclists are done playing nice in this community, where we have tolerated untruths and emotional appeals from the car-only crowd.”
Purposefully antagonizing so-called “emotional” motorists with innuendo and implied threats is to serve what end?? I feel very strongly that this is a wholly inappropriate stance for the GCC to be taking.
Did the board approve this message? Assuming no – certain actions on the part of the board should follow. In my humble opinion, the first should be beseeching The Sun to run a statement authored by the full board, including Mr. Thompson, that condemns the above and makes clear our position on promoting cycling and improvements to bicycle infrastructure.
The second should be reminding Mr. Thompson, as I hope this letter does, that when he tags his LTE’s “Advocacy Director of the Gainesville Cycling Club” he speaks for all of us and should therefore actually speak with our representatives on the board prior to making new pronouncements.
Sincerely,
Rob RobinsGainesville, FL
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