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[RC] Decline to participate - k s swigart

Steph said:


So it wouldn't mean much if the USA were to
decline an invitation to participate.


There are two fallacies going on in this statement.

The first is, while it may not make a difference to the UAE whether the
USA and their horses/riders participate in the UAE rides, it WILL make a
difference to the USA horses and riders.  One does not simply go along
with things that one finds reprehensible because one figures that not
playing isn't going to have any effect on the reprehensible behaviour of
the participants.  One refuses to participate in things that one finds
represhensible for the simple fact that one does not wish to be a part
of it, no matter what other people are doing.

There are tons of things that I refuse to do because I think they are
bad things to do (for example, I do not cheat and/or steal) despite the
fact that there are lots of people doing these things and they will
continue doing them whether I do them or not.

I realize that there ARE people who use the excuse "everybody else is
doing it" to excuse their bad behaviour (I know TONS of people who use
it as an excuse to cheat and/or steal), but that doesn't make it okay.
At least not in my book.

One declines to participate because one does not want to be a part of
what is going on, whether one thinks that this will modify the behaviour
of the other participants or not.

The second fallacy is that, while the UAE may not care if the USA
refuses their invitations, I am willing to bet that they may care a
little bit more were STEPH to refuse their invitations...and to publish
why.  They invite her, because they want her endorsement on
Endurance.net

....

And she gives it to them.

It may be that they don't care about her endorsement either (although,
if not, then why do they pay her to be there)...but there is one way to
find out.

Personally, I don't care what the UAE, the FEI, or Steph does with
respect to...well...all of the idiocy that goes on over there.  I don't
have to care.  I have made the conscious decision that it has nothing to
do with me.

kat
Orange County, Calif.
:)



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