Laura,
I have been on holiday for a couple of weeks, so I have only just returned and
read about the shocking way you have been treated by someone (or more?) on
this list. I do not know what was said, but for it to have provoked this
reaction from you it must be bad, and I am truly disgusted that a bunch of
people who I have considered 'friends' should treat each other this way.
My initial reaction was that the culprit(s) should be named, shamed, and
expelled from the list - if anyone should leave the list it should be them,
not you. If they refused to leave, we could all agree to ignore, and refuse
to reply to, any posting they placed. However, on reflection, this may only
lead to more hate floating around the list, and that is not to anyone's
benefit. However, if you still feel strongly about this, and this is what it
would take to get you to re-join the list, then I will support this action.
Since I have seen no more postings from you since the one telling us all you
were leaving, I am assuming that you have not been persuaded to re-join the
list. I simply wish to add my name to the list of those begging you to return
- there were several such letters copied to the list, and I would be very
surprised if there have not been more sent directly to you. We may live
several thousand miles (and an ocean) apart, but I consider you a friend, and
do not want to let that friendship go - neither does Daffy wish to lose touch
with Nigel!
Please, reconsider, and come back to us, who are (at least almost all) your
friends. If you do not wish to share the List with those who caused you to
leave, then I will wholeheartedly support efforts to drive them out, although
I would prefer that this was not necessary, and that the shock and shame of
what they have done will suffice to stop something like this happening again.
If you do not come back, then I, and most other Listers, will be poorer people
without you in our lives.
Richard and Daffy
P.S. In England we have a phrase for ignoring, and refusing to talk to, those
we wish to punish - we "send them to Coventry". I have no idea where this
phrase comes from, and since Coventry is the birthplace of all our lovely
cars, it sounds too pleasant a punishment. Maybe they should be 'sent to
Oxford' - it may be the birthplace of Morris and MG, but it is fast becoming
renowned for traffic schemes that make car travel near impossible, although
the roads are no safer due to the huge numbers of (mostly empty) buses running
around! Joke, joke, please no hate-mail from any Oxford-based listers, if
there are any!
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