Bring Back the Bomber!!! - An Open Letter to Tom Drapeau

(By a strange quirk of propeller fate Bronx Bomber is the Featured Member on the Front Page of propeller as I write these words – exactly where he deserves to be!)

Dear Tom,

I don't know precisely what led to BronxBomber's banning - there's no visible evidence - but I do know that his loss would be a serious blow to propeller. What I heard was that it was a provocation from dropkickalib that became the trigger for an unacceptable comment by BB; I suspect that this might have occurred in the "Cheney Is a 'Maniacal' Hypocrite " thread, in the course of which dropkickalib, in his/her customary mode, also addressed crespi as crappie, sabretoooth as sabredouche - while his/her name seems to be deliberately calculated to make people see red. Let’s just call it unacceptable provocation.

You will hear from others about this - there is a heads-up about it doing the rounds - but this is my own personal plea, though after attempting unsuccessfully dozen times to send this to you as a propeller PM, I’ve now decided to post it as an open letter to you on my partner's blog and thence to publish it as a propeller story – and keep my fingers crossed that it won’t be trashed or provoke my own banishment..

Like many others, I profoundly desire to see BB reinstated. I consider his quirky tales essential leavening for the propeller feast and it has seemed sometimes that he has virtually lived for propeller during the whole time that I've been there – apart from occasional medical absences. If he made a misjudgement yesterday it is far outweighed by the many kind words he has written to many individuals during this time, while dealing with his own health-difficulties and other challenges.

I suspect that it would cause him serious emotional anguish to be excluded – nor does he have the option to sneak back in without being recognised. He's one of a kind, inimitable and entirely himself. I tried to meet with him in person, the last time that I was in NYC but, alas, he declined. (I did meet a couple of other members, however, which was a real treat.)

However, in regard to the policy.. The internet by its nature is a highly volatile, edgy medium and the messages on blogs, like e-mail messages, can very easily be misread/misunderstood; far more so than a phone call, in which you can hear the expression that goes with the words, or even a carefully considered letter. The nicest and best-intentioned people in the world risk getting carried away, based on a misreading of the tone behind the words, which can invoke undue or illogical passion. At the same time it is exactly the edginess that involves people and keeps them hooked - and frequently inspires them. It seems that one can't exist without the other, like yin & yang..

Here on propeller we can find absolute brilliance and inspiration on one hand, while the flipside is the lack of veracity, the petty BS and the name-calling that demean the individuals posting it and, naturally, makes the site less wholesome and palatable for all of us [unless, of course we are its exceptionally subtle perpetrators :) ].

I certainly don't claim to be untainted by the muck-zone myself and a couple of times have gone to bed worrying that a particularly barbed comment of mine was below-the-belt or might be deemed beyond the pale and deserving of perpetual banishment - and NO I am NOT going to list any of those here for further consideration..

I simply hope and suggest that BB may be granted a reprieve - based on popular demand and of a weighing of the positive vs. the negative of his overall propeller presence..

I would also like to suggest, in terms of policy, that no single comment that does not actually threaten another member or contain palpable obscenity should in itself be considered grounds for expulsion.

What would be entirely fair and overall beneficial to propeller would be a 3-strikes policy – with 2 warnings. If we are all obliged to continually look over our shoulder and perpetually rein ourselves in propeller will be the loser because it will become boring! I suggest that this will improve standards far more than draconian banishment of much appreciated individuals.

Finally, perhaps some other previous cases of banning could also be reviewed – I would make a plea for Mountainman and for AceofSpades; despite the fact that the latter once threatened me with “exposure” we later became friends – and isn’t THAT a model of how propeller should work?

I would not like to be the Captain of this ship – whether its perceived as a rusty old tub about to founder on the rocks or as a luxury Cruise Liner, all ship-shape and Bristol fashion. Kudos goes to you Tom for keeping us afloat; I believe that you have deservedly gained the respect of the community. I also believe that in this eventuality the reprieve of BB will do nothing but enhance that respect.

My Best Regards to you and to all my other fellow-propellerites, with my personal pledge to attempt to better absorb the rough with the smooth, as a gift to myself – not because of fear of banishment!

Gama