Rachel - Means, End, and so forth

[Guest guest]

Whew! I apparently just received 5 digests all at once and it's taken me

over an hour to read them.

 

I second the idea brought up recently about leadership and the need to unite

in tolerance and discussion rather than agitate and disturb.

 

I have mentioned in the past that I'm in agreement generally speaking

regarding raising our school standards and our professional image. I think

important points were raised.

 

There is one essential contradiction I see in that side of the discussion-

much time was spent discussing how one should dress, act, speak, etc. in

order to be taken seriously by the WM profession and legislators who have

control over our field - Rachel seemed to be proposing reforming the

profession, advancing it.. however.. I assume she is not trying to do this

alone. posting in order to " agitate " as she put it, to action...

 

The tone of the posts, although " agitating " , also turn the very people one

is trying to convince, off. How will we create a united front and make

changes to the profession if instead of persuading and inspiring we are

hammering and insulting? There are highly connected, educated and respected

professionals on this forum. Is it not better to form alliances, learn from

one another, and create a coalition of likeminded thinkers drawn together by

a common cause and mutual respect rather than a likely smaller grouping held

together by mutual frustration and an agitated tolerance?

 

I think the ideas have been shot in the foot by presenting them in the

manner she has.

 

I try to read only the essence of the posts and filter out the negativity. I

try to see the noble perspective through the somewhat abrasive fog - and I

do the same for everyone else on this forum. It is a common internet

protocol to cut and paste parts of another's post in order to respond to it

(so the readers don't have to go searching for the references) - and Robert

was highlighting tone, which doesn't sound any different if quoted with the

entire text than it did as individual sentences, so i don't really see the

outrage here.

 

I hope we can redirect this conversation towards finding meaningful ways we

can work and act together in order to see our profession and *community*

thrive.

 

And I sincerely hope that Robert and the others who have been offended will

return, knowing that for every loud voice there are thousands of silent ones

that are not represented.

 

So on the positive note, any thoughts on how to move forward? I would say

that a simultaneous program of raising standards, recruiting at local

universities and forming an effective, positive coalition in order to create

positive press and impacting our local politicians would be a good start.

I'm all for following the Tao, but I firmly believe in " pray to god (so to

speak) but row for the shore " .

 

As a practitioner in Boulder, Colorado - where I've heard the largest single

population of practitioners resides, besides Santa Cruz (don't know the

accuracy of those statistics but there's definitely a whole lot of

practitioners here), it seems a fertile ground for forming a coalition that

can actually make steps to move our profession forward. There are at least

three acu schools in the area, and about as positive a climate for

complimentary/integrative medicine as you're likely to find in the US. Any

other practitioners from Boulder out there? Is there already a coalition?

 

Perhaps I will make contacts with the local practitioners around here and

see what is being done and what more could happen.

 

BTW- as far as vet medicine and acupuncture in the US - I've checked in

California and Colorado and in both places we are required to work directly

under a vet in order to legally practice on animals.

 

Best,

Nadia