[Northern] Apathy Rant

[Fitzmorgan@cs.com]

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       I read something earlier tonight and it bugged me, and the more it
thought about it the more it bugged me.  This is not directed at Etienett in
particular but just me ranting on the subject of apathy in general.


In a message dated 5/12/01 9:57:24 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
etienett at yahoo.com writes:
>
>      Another point. . . While home during Beltane, I
> asked about the Principality Pole.  I was told, so
> these are not exact #'s, that out of approximately
> 300+ paid members in the north, only about 1/3 of them
> bothered to respond.  Don't we have to have over half
> to consider anything seriously?


       I'll let Sir Burke address the issue of what kind of a response we
would need on an "Official" poll to determine if we were to become a
principality.  I'd just be guessing, though I would think that we would want
a larger response.

       I personally am not discouraged by the number of people who responded.
 On almost any one subject the majority response will be apathy and
indifference.  It's the people who do care and make the effort to get things
done that really matter.  The people who don't care or can't be bothered
really don't matter when it comes to getting things done.  Every effort was
made to give everyone the chance to express their opinion on this issue.  If
someone won't make the effort to express their opinion than their opinion
won't be counted and doesn't matter.
       If we stopped every activity to which most people are indifferent then
we wouldn't have anything left.  For example, What percentage of the
registered fighters in this kingdom entered the last Crown Tournament?
Almost certainly less than 10%.  Should we then conclude that there is not
enough support in this kingdom for Crown Tournament and cancel it?  Of Course
not.
       I reject the idea that the number of people who are indifferent to
something is a reason not to do something.  The people who won't get involved
or won't express their opinion don't matter.  Those of us who get involved,
do the work and fight for what we believe in, make the world what it is.  The
rest will just have to live with the world that we make for them.  And I'm
not just talking about the SCA.

Robert fitzmorgan