"Arn, post: 34371, member: 2487"]Well, there you have two moderator responses to a thread dust up. One a slight nudge and the other a not so subtle push.
We are a community of pilgrims with ostensibly a common goal…to make our journey to Santiago enjoyable, meaningful and above all safe. The Forum is sort of a “safe house”. It’s a place that before, during and after your Camino you can return to and share your insights and discoveries, new hopes and desires. If it harbors divisive actors voicing rancor at ever increasing levels of volume, the casual visitor will depart.
Buen Camino,
Arn[/QUOTE]
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To put the above quote into context: in 2009, the Irish President Mary McAleese walked the Camino from Sarria to Santiago. The replies posted by several Forum members was, to be gracious, less than positive. And, in this case, the "political" personage completed a "real" Camino and received the Compostela.
The level of rancor in the Merkel thread has been less about the person, but more about the "effort" made.
My current position remains valid...it's not the person, or even the effort expended...it's the attendant disruption that a "well publicized" event entails. Both McAlesse and Merkel decided the Camino was the right thing to do...at the time. This is the Camino calling and they answered.