help for the world's rarest . . .

[Martha V. Lutz & Charles T. Lutz]

human characteristic:  'common' courtesy.


I was saddened to see the following included in a 'thank-you' message:

"My very special thanks are also due to Paul Cherubini whose constant shameful
,irrational and ill-informed attacks on conservation and conservationists
have brought me the many friends"


That was entirely unnecessary.  It served no purpose except possibly to
cause pain; it lowers my evaluation of the writer, and renders that
person's other communications less valid since it is possible that they may
be similarly tainted with a desire to cause pain without doing any good.

I am sorry to see that mature, adult (mostly?) scientific-minded
individuals cannot agree to disagree, and cannot construct 'parting shots'
out of documented evidence rather than emotion-laden opinion.

Our family has an unwritten rule that if you are doing something that
causes pain but can do no good (either because it is futile or because it
is mean-spirited) you should NOT do it.  Comments such as the above fit the
description.

I don't always agree with Paul.  There are many people with whom I
disagree.  But I try to stand in the sunshine in a place where I cast the
least shadow on others, and try very hard to NOT CAUSE PAIN where it can do
no good and is therefore not necessary.


An example of necessary pain?  The physical therapy I am undergoing to
break down scar tissue caused by an autoimmune disease that has begun to
eat me alive this year--necessary pain.  It hurts, but is the best way to
avoid physical disability (the disease has about a 20% rate of permanent
disability).  Some comments are analogous:  they can trim away scar tissue
from a situation, even if they are painful to hear.


The above . . . was not.


Please, please, can we make courtesy just a bit more common, and not an
endangered species on the Leps List?


Thanks so much for your kind attention and consideration!


In Stride,
Martha Rosett Lutz

(still stumbling along, even though much slower this year . . . )