elchase

It’s wise to shut down this forum. It did nothing except
1) Give a loud voice to a tiny gang and give the false impression that they represent the good people of the Lakes Region when they are really the antithesis of what the Lakes Region is all about.
2) Make the more typical Winnipesaukee boater look like the exception.
3) Turn this site into another GFBL forum like Offshoreonly, Scream&Fly, Winnilakers, etc and chase away the more passive members who are really typical of the region.
4) Attract riff-raff to the site from outside the region.
5) Turn this into a nasty, mean-spirited, and hate-filled place and give our region a black eye.

I sat back for years and watched this forum and said to myself “Those aren’t the people I see around the lake...in town...at the marina...at the coffee shop. Who are they and where did they come from? Why do they congregate on this forum and give the impression that they represent the typical Winnipesaukee boater? Why is this site letting this happen?”. So I finally this year had to chime in. The personal attacks began immediately. Done to me was the same thing I had seen done to so many before who tried to inject reason into the debate. I almost quit like all those before had, but even that was not enough and they kept insulting after I had left. So I decided to stand up for my friends and my lake. And when I attacked back, I was called the “troll” or “instigator”. When it’s 8 on 1, how can the 1 be the “bully”?

This site needs to stay above garbage like this. This is not what NH or the Lakes Region is. We are good and selfless people who respect each other, and do not do things that offend or hurt others. We are quiet and passive people who don’t want enemies. When we become aware that others are being impacted by something we were doing...we stop doing it....we don’t attack them for being offended. The high speed enthusiasts have numerous forums where they can talk amongst themselves and plot their opposition to this and other laws in other states. They should congregate there and leave the good reputation of this region alone. The scofflaws have no such forums, and don’t deserve one...especially not this one. They should just go away. The Lakes Region and Winnipesaukee.com should not be their sanctuary.

The Speed limit was the best thing we ever did on this lake. The citizens rose up and took their lake back, and are ecstatic with the results. The people that the law was aimed to coral are up in arms...proving the law is doing what we hoped. We had not a single speed-related death or accident on Winnipesaukee last year and only one single boat was caught speeding. Almost nothing was spent to achieve this amazing result, because as we all knew, most NHers are law-abiding and slowed down simply because the law said they should. After thousands upon thousands attended hearings, wrote letters and otherwise testified about the mayhem and fear that pervaded the lake in prior years, one simple law brought sanity and civility back. And while this one law will certainly not prevent all accidents and violations, as a part of a comprehensive strategy and a package of boating safety laws, it has surely made the lake a better and safer place.

PS. My referring to Hazelnut yesterday as a “she” again was an honest slip in the heat of a hastily written reply and I apologize most sincerely.