TimG, on Mar 28 2008, 06:48 PM, said:
But, upon reading the many posts in the multiple threads, I'm more inclined to support the ban. The reasons against have mostly been along the lines of putting personal convenience above the integrity of the event. As someone else has mentioned, many of those speaking against the ban sound like spoiled brats. As such, they don't garner much sympathy.
I don't think that its at all strange to discover individuals place a high value on personal convenience... (Moreover, I don't think anyone came across as particularly bratty)
For better or worse, most folks use some kind of cost benefit analysis when they decide whether or not to obey a law:
The Law says that I can't drive above 65 miles an hour, but I do because I often want to minimize the time I spend in a car
The rules say that everyone must carry a complete convention card documenting their agreements, but hardly anyone does
I'm a realist. I know that if folks needs to decide between
1. Obeying some stupid new rule
2. Maintaining the convenience of having a cell phone in their pocket for after the game
Choice 2 is going to win out a hell of the lot of the time.
Don't get me wrong, its certainly possible to mobilize broad popular support for some very inconvenient laws. However, the folks being inconvenienced need to believe that the problem is real and the solution is necessary.
I don't think that the ACBL has done any of the necessary leg work... They simply handed some random new regulation, with the obvious expectation that the high esteem that the membership at large holds for the BoD will cause them all to fall right in line...
Yeah, right