From: Glen Closson (glen_closson@earthlink.net)
Date: Tue Feb 14 2006 - 09:03:19 PST
We invaded Normandy?
-----Original Message-----
>From: Jack Lee <milveh@dslextreme.com>
>Sent: Feb 14, 2006 8:57 AM
>To: Military Vehicles Mailing List <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>Subject: Re: [MV] Soothing angst part Deux
>
>You wanna talk public awareness? In the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia,
>ignominious home of Ubonics, where we have a 4th rate, third world education
>system in K-12, kids often guessed my Ferret was probably from WWI and they
>had no clear distinction between WWI and WWII. Fewer kids still, knew who
>bombed Pearl Harbor. And the Normandy invasion...blank looks followed by,
>huh? Or that's where the US invaded the country of Normandy. We are not
>talking 5 year olds either, I'm talking junior high and high school. A 6th
>grade kid in India probably knows more than our average high school
>graduate!
>
>Jack
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <timothy.smith1@att.net>
>To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 8:10 AM
>Subject: [MV] Soothing angst part Deux
>
>
>> Well, I am aware that we history-minded types regularly assume that folks
>> still
>> recognize our vehicles for what they actually are, when in fact many folks
>> now
>> approach (by way of an example) a WWII US half-track and not only are they
>> unable to identify it, they don't even know who's side it fought for! I
>> know
>> this sounds strange but it's true. Just spend a little time displaying
>> your MV
>> on the fringes, (unlike museums and living history events where the
>> already
>> history-minded tend to congregate) and you will hear young fathers proudly
>> telling their young sons that what they're looking at is a (insert any
>> incredibly stupid thing here). So, for the benefit of the uneducated or
>> misinformed we curators of privately owned historical MVs have to start
>> doing a
>> better job when presenting our vehicles to the public. Otherwise, some
>> numbskull is likely to lump us in with some of the kooky militia nut-jobs
>> we
>> read about in the news. And perception is reality, brother.
>>
>> The MVPA owes this kind of thing to the membership. We all know how to
>> display
>> our vehicles, but we often times just don't make the extra effort. I'm as
>> guilty as the next guy but I also know that quality in displays doesn't
>> necessarily equate to quantity. Displays can be economical or extreme but
>> MV's
>> MUST be viewed in context. If one goes to a museum, one already has an
>> appreciation for history. But our privately owned vehicles are rarely
>> displayed
>> in that arena, making it all the more important for us to offer and show
>> the
>> historical perspective of our vehicles. The public is paranoid right now;
>> frightened of absolutely EVERYTHING! Display your armored vehicle without
>> a
>> historical context, they are as likely to come away from looking at a
>> privately
>> owned half-track thinking, WOW, there's a lot of heavily armed and armored
>> kooks
>> out there and we have to disarm and disarmor them for our own
>> safety!...regardless of how well you explain yourself. And I think we all
>> know
>> how kooky we can look at times. This is where being dressed in MVPA
>> clothing is
>> the tie-breaker. It gives us, as individuals, credibility.
>>
>> Yeh, MVPA should agree upon and offer up some simple display guidelines.
>> For
>> example, I have a guideline for our parade expeditions. It involves
>> vehicle-mounted weapons. And it goes something like this. Display your
>> vehicle
>> mounted weapon (covered or uncovered) in a stowed position (i.e. limbered)
>> facing directly forward or rearward but in no case shall it be pointed
>> toward
>> the crowds along the route. Further, we do not handle these weapons in
>> any way.
>> Do not touch or lean on the weapons.
>>
>> Weapons shall not be loaded or have the appearance of being loaded.
>> Visitors to the vehicles shall not be permitted to manipulate or handle
>> weapons. Unfortunately this rule also includes veterans, who we
>> acknowledge have earned the right to handle weapons but who do not have
>> the right to injure the public perception of our hobby. Arrangements can
>> always be made for this to happen privately.
>>
>> I only organize my group's participation in the parade. I have no
>> authority over other group members because each owner is the captain of
>> his own ship. I do hold sway over the group by explaining the 'whys' of
>> these guidlines. They're a sensible lot.
>>
>> But the variety of guidlines we agree upon may change depending upon what
>> we are doing. Certainly if it is a private display (say, for a Veteran's
>> organization) we relax things a bit but for public stuff we are always on
>> our guard against misperception.
>>
>> TJ
>>
>>
>> -------------- Original message ----------------------
>> From: "Darrell Ramsell" <daram@comcast.net>
>>> TJ
>>>
>>> These are some very nice ideas. I wonder if the MVPA would consider
>>> adding a
>>> section to their website on "How to display your vehicle, Do's and
>>> Don'ts".
>>> I think this would be very helpful.
>>>
>>> Darrell
>>
>>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Tue Jul 18 2006 - 21:40:56 PDT