i turned in a budget to the funding source for the next year. as i had mentioned, i was contacted about the newsletter and the idea of using it as a mechanism to get more people linked into services. i guess that within the last 8 months, more referrals for insurance continuation and adap have been garnered from our little group than most others in town.
so i turned in a budget for publishing the newsletter for a year (6 issues) as well as some financial support for the local hiv educational forums and a fantastic hiv spiritual retreat that happens twice a summer in the mountains.
i feel it a great blessing as does my friend who has been producing the other two sets of events with no support. at least not having to constantly be concerned about where the money will come from could easily be a relief.
i was relaying the newsletter information to a community member who suddenly became concerned about editorial control and has not let go of the issue. i understand his concerns, however we are a social organization, not a political one, and the purpose of the newsletter is not politics. nor do i ever expect to see that while i am editing. i explained that if something major happened and it became necessary to telegraph information, we could always publish something different than the newsletter that might be more effective. but he won't let go of it. he tried bullying me, he tried hinting at threats of stirring up drama with all sorts of organizations, he brought up whistle blowing to bryan levinson, and he tried bringing up the discussion of the quarantining of pwa's in the 80's and stating that now he again sees people's very lives at stake and won't be able to let this go.
of course, there is room for many perspectives on any subject. but the reality is this- i believe it is a good idea for the publication and which will be good for strength in numbers colorado. if we can help link people to care and become more actively involved with each other, we all benefit. it is only for a year, not a lifetime, and the newsletter is only being used as a mechanism and being supported, not purchased.
the gentleman in question offered to pay for the last printing, but i cannot visualize myself becoming indebted to him in any way and refused. i cannot be sure, but i wonder if the question of editorial freedom is what is really at stake, or if control of the only hiv geared publication in colorado might have something more to do with it.
here's an oldie but goodie. god, i used to absolutely love jean carne... sit back in your chair and take her in. after all these years, i still find her voice refreshing.
addendum- omg!!! anonymous came by to correct me about the voice in this song. thank you!
4 comments:
Oy, drama. Good luck, hon.
In my experience, anyone who rants that strongly? Rarely does it have to do with the issues which their soapboxing. It's almost always a personal agenda. Follow your gut. The very fact that you're pondering if their may be other motives ought to be telling ya something, IMHO. Lastly, if someone is threatening to create chaos to supposedly save it? How much sense does that make?
This is so not Phyllis Hyman. It's Jean Carne.
In my experience, the behavior to which you refer is often symptomatic of small fish who like to think they are big fish because they're swimming in a small pond. If they don't feel very important as human beings, they tend to measure themselves by the impact they have or exert. I control, therefore I am.
Sometimes I think the entire world should be organized along 12-step lines. We serve, we do not govern.
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