Keeping the Peace since June 5, 2001

After much revising, reinventing, and a whole lot of rethinking, I have finally come up with an introduction suitable for this page. However, that is not to say that this copy won't need revisions and changes. That, I leave up to you. The first two copies were received with some praise and some flames. I got comments on it, both polite and harsh. That was a problem. The intention of this site is to appeal to all philes for regaining and keeping the peace in the fandom. If only one side was happy, it wasn't going to work. Obviously there is no way I am going to make everyone happy, but I need to strive for a passing grade, I think. And 50% just wouldn't do. 

 Fortunately, something one person said on one of my mailing lists truly inspired me for the rewrite it. I muddled over it for a few days, and I'm just now putting something up. That said, I would like to repeat her quote here. To remain completely anonymous and to uphold the equality, her name will not be revealed. She know who she is. ;o)

"Enjoy the show for what it is, what it was, what it has come to
be.  Remember the good, forget the bad, and keep on trucking...no matter if
you're a viewer, an ex-viewer or a newbie.  Just be."

That is the message of this page. I just presented it a little differently. I was blunt, sarcastic, and harsh. I intended to be. But my eyes have been opened to the fact that there are a lot of open wounds out there, and the sarcasm was just salt pouring into them. So, rather than open the eyes, I concluded that I should appeal to the heart. Now for a true introduction:

The object of this site, if you hadn't already noticed, is to keep the peace among philes. There is absolutely no reason for the disrespect, name-calling, rejection, and hurting of feelings. No one should be hurt for what they think. This used to be a fun, friendly group of fans. Aside from the occasional blow out, there was peace. Since the beginning of the sixth season, the fandom has slowly and surely become divided. That doesn't matter. What matters is the lack of tolerance and respect from both sides. 

To keep from sounding hypocritical, I should add that I am guilty of many of these things. Probably more so than many. I was a name-caller, and arguer, an inciter of riots. But after the finale I got to think about the way things used to be. I was never like that. I was always opinionated but never downright mean. I had joined the online community to get away from the horrors of the real world. Especially the apathy, the pessimism, and the pure, unresolved hate. Philedom appealed to me because everyone was so friendly to each other; noromo, shipper, slasher, skipper, newbie, or otherwise. I got to wondering why we couldn't go back to that. Frankly, I don't see why we can't, if we want to, and we try. 

I've been told it's useless. We can never go back. It'll always be this way, and that I should just get used to it. But I can't do that, so help me. I can't just sit around and let my favorite thing fall to pieces. If I did that, I would lose this universe I have come to know and love. Then where would I be?

I've been told it's a suicide mission. Some people feed off the conflict like parasites. That I shouldn't walk the fine border between love and hate at the risk of being lynched. I can't do that either. All of the great tasks that have ever been done in the world were not done by people sitting around on their hands. It was done by people who cared about it and believed in their cause.

This is what I propose: that we as a fandom unite again. If everyone supports this cause just a little bit, and maybe thinks twice before adding to that forum argument, we may be able to see those times we loved again. 

Keep The Peace.

TXF means something different to each one of us. To help preserve what we loved, do love, and still love about the show, the fans, and the fandom, I will be posting monthly essays from people on what the show means to them. Maybe then we will begin to remember . . . 

If you would like to post your essay, please email it to me.

UPDATE: August 4, 2001. I'm finally back on track here after a brief hiatus to RL. I looked in my forms folder and found that the phile community is uniting! I have the beginning of the list of supporters ready to go. Click here to see it! Use the link below to fill out the form.

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY: Please fill out this form. Use this link or the link above to see what others have said already.    IF YOU WANT TO HELP: Please take one of these buttons or banners, or make your own*. Tack it onto your website, email signature, whatever. Please link back here. If you link, please email me your site address (and banner if you have one). I will be making a list of those sites as well.          *If you make your own, please send it to me! I would love to put it up!