Alright then, can we re-focus our collective attentions onto the CLEARLY stated nature, scope, and intent of CR List....
I will be the very first to admit that I have my own STRONGLY held opinions on the subjects of politics, religion, and the like - and I would be more than happy to share / discuss / debate same with absolutely anyone. But I am not inclined to do so in an unsolicited manner, and most especially not in a forum as this where such discussion has absolutely NO place. And quite frankly, I would much prefer that others follow suit if only for the sake of compliance with the those rules of the CR List which we all agreed to abide as part of our conditional "membership". Politics, like religion, are areas of personal belief which when discussed (...disgust?) all too often incite the type of heated exchanges that are typically refreshingly absent from this forum (...and that is a primary reason why I do not participate whatsoever in other somewhat similar venues where politicizing and/or proselytizing have become, well, Paramount ... if you will excuse the cycling pun).
To take the matter a bit further, I would also like to point out that I would personally much prefer NOT knowing whether any of our respective members has a particular political stripe or affiliation, whether it happens to be right, left, center, or upside down because IT HAS NO BEARING ON MATTERS RELATING TO VINTAGE CYCLING OR THE CONTEXT OF RELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED HEREIN!!! Moreover, blissful ignorance of such facts allows me to better deal with said individuals from a position of mutual respect rather than inviting unnecessary disdain or even outright hostility. In fact, I am of the firmly held opinion that one of the most unfortunate developments in our modern society is the current predilection toward divisiveness borne of a tendency to focus on differences between or among individuals rather than concentrating first and foremost upon that which we all have in common, whether it be as human beings, or Americans, or even simple cyclists.
So, the next time someone out there on the CR List feels compelled to express their own political ideology to the group as a whole, I strongly urge you to stop, carefully reconsider your options, and then seize upon the opportunity to STFU!!!
With all due respect,
Robert Broderick
Sioux Falls, SD USA