When, in the course of a successful organization’s history, it becomes apparent to those inside and out that the organization has lost its course, become misguided, elitist, and no longer serves the purpose it was designed for, inevitably certain individuals will rise up and demand change. Change comes in many forms, but there is one that is the most effective and the most passionate. It is this that is the mission of The People’s Bigfoot and it is this which must be executed regarding the BFRO… this is REVOLUTION!
Though it is within the perfect right of any group of people to organize and run that organization as they see fit, it is the position of The People’s Bigfoot that a certain organization operates under unhealthy philosophies. These philosophies are harmful to the organization, to the community the organization serves, and to the goal they are pursuing. This organization is the BFRO.
Much to our shame, elitism is rampant in the scientific profession. History is filled with “boys club” research groups, keeping their work secret for fear of having to share, of getting scooped, or worse of others wanting to be in the club.
There are many great mysteries of the universe. Though it is the position of The People’s Bigfoot that Sasquatch is a flesh & blood being, “The North American Great Ape” if you will, the mystery of Bigfoot holds a special place in the spirit of a person. The quest to making the unknown knowable often unites people from vastly different circles.
Just as those intent on knowing the purpose of God might form a religion and those aiming to give people every opportunity for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” might build a government, some seeking to “scientifically probe the Bigfoot/Sasquatch mystery” might form a research organization,
The People’s Bigfoot believes that even the best of these organizations are fallible without checks and balances. These organizations often fall prey to elitism, the members “believing that they deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority.” Like God or self-government, Bigfoot does not belong to any one group. Bigfoot belongs to the people. The best of these organizations realize that people want to participate and how participation is healthy to an organization. They remain open and, at the very least, offer a path interested parties can take in order to obtain some form of membership.
Instead, the BFRO propagates a mystique of aloofness. We know some of the research that is being done by the BFRO, but we have no sense of its organizational structure. We never see the people who make it work, their personality and sense of purpose. Because of this dearth of information, it opens the BFRO to attacks, such as those posed by The People’s Bigfoot. More importantly, it leaves the Bigfoot community in the dark and frustrates good-willed people. The impression given is one of a core, secretive group. A BFROminati.
Is this true? If not, why is such an aloof mystique propagated?
The BFRO remains “discretely” and purposefully distant from its most loyal patrons. The BFRO offers NO path to membership, but rather teases people with the hope that they will obtain some unspecified standing in the organization if they participate in $800 “expeditions.” The BFRO has no watchdog, no party, keeping them honest or accountable… until now.
We do not seek to create a new Bigfoot organization. But like Martin Luther, we seek to reform the BFRO and turn it from its waywardness.
We must challenge the BFRO philosophies. These are our demands:
**Rather than remaining aloof and faceless, provide a list of members detailing their respective responsibilities. **Open BFRO to earned membership. Allow the common, interested Bigfoot hobbyist a clear path to membership. Of course, we are not discouraging a screening process, in fact we recognize it as a necessary step. But membership should not be predicated on personal connections, scholarly input, or financial donations. **Give all members, once they have attained such status, access to the latest available media. This includes all photographic, audio, and video materials that are not expressly limited by the request of the owner. This might include a downloadable Quicktime file of the Paterson footage, the Freeman footage, and the Memorial Day footage. We also want to see the sketch project. Provide an honor system that will keep members accountable, assuring they will not distribute this media indiscriminately, try to make money off of it, or hinder scientific research. This is called ‘respect’ and it works very well. **Provide these new members a forum for general discussion. We know this already exists. Make these forums accessible in “Read Only” status to non-members for their edification. **And for crying out loud lower the price of the stupid expeditions so everyone can get a chance to go. Attendees are already taking time off work, providing their own transpo, food, and housing. Cut them some slack already. For $800 you’d better be hosting a nice dinner with Bigfoot as the friggin’ keynote speaker. **At the very least provide upfront a DETAILED breakdown of where the costs are going instead of defending the price with arguments like “this is pretty cheap for a wildlife expedition.” That’s true, except your “wildlife” probably won’t show up, and we’re not in friggin’ AFRICA. **Lastly, The People’s Bigfoot’s immediate induction into the inner circle of the BFRO.
This revolution is not encouraging the destruction of BFRO, nor its overtaking by a hostile party. We are not asserting that we could run BFRO better. This is a revolution of philosophy. This revolution is fighting for a new day in the Bigfoot community. But like any revolution, people must do the job. The People’s Bigfoot is not one person. We are many. We are anyone who agrees with the above treatise, in whole or in part.
We are inside the BFRO and we are outside looking in. Our mission is two-fold and it requires two types of people: If you are inside the BFRO and you see the benefit of The People’s Bigfoot’s vision, then we need you. We need you to fight from your favored position, using your sway to bring change. If you are outside the BFRO then your job is simple: Pressure. Pressure from the outside to bring about internal change. If enough people care, change will happen... Revolution will happen.
Join the Revolution: Take these SIGs and use them in your posts to show your support. Use them freely comrade. They do not belong to one person. They belong to the people. They belong to you.
