Just how frightened are you all?
by John L. Trench III, DPM

Since the moderators of this forum wisely decided to require that all people posting messages to it do so under their real names and e-mail addresses, activity on this forum has ground to a virtual halt.

Are you all really that afraid?

Are you all really that ashamed of your opinions?

Are you all really so lacking in courage that you won't stand up like men or women and take public ownership of the things you say and the things you claim to believe?

With this forum you have the opportunity to exchange information and ideas, to air your legitimate grievances, to identify problems and "brainstorm" solutions with other students, residents, and practicing doctors. Why in God's Name would you let that slip away, just because you have to do something adult like let your name be known?

Are you all truly as cowardly as this? Can it be that you are only willing to post messages if you can do so while skulking behind a pseudonym and not have to take responsibility for what you say?

The only thing these changes to the forum should have ended were the outrageous lies and delusional tirades carried out by a few poor souls--most of you who hid in the shadows of anonymity had no reason to do so, as your posts were reasonable and offered information of usefulness and merit.

Come on, everybody! Show a little spine! NOBODY can legitimately attack you or take action against you for speaking your mind, expressing your sincere beliefs, identifying problems, and offering solutions.

If you are afraid that by allowing your name to be associated with the things you say, you put yourself in danger of becoming the next Brian Gale, consider this:

Until you STOP hiding and START standing up for yourself, your beliefs, your needs, and your colleagues, EVERY ONE OF YOU will ALWAYS be in danger of becoming the next Brian Gale! Worse yet, you will have NO HOPE of being able to fight off the sort of persecution that Dr. Gale has had to endure, because FEW will EVER take the risk of speaking out in support of you. You can't protect yourself by hiding--you can only become secure yourself by speaking out and acting on behalf of others in need in this profession!

Being a real man or a real woman is NOT compatible with hiding, skulking, or spewing anonymous tirades. Being a real man or a real woman means taking chances, accepting risks, even putting yourself in harm's way at times, for no other reason than because it's the right thing to do.

It's the right thing to do for Dr. Gale -- you need to be posting messages on his behalf here, on Podiatry Online, and on PM News as well as contacting him and/or Dr. Willner to ask what else you can do to "get your hands dirty" and help him.

It's the right thing to do for this forum--you need to be posting messages here regularly to identify and carefully examine problems, propose and discuss solutions, exchange ideas, learn practice management from successful practitioners--Dr. Frankel and Dr. Dranon come readily to mind--and network with one another. It will enhance your personal chances for survival and success, the chances of your classmates, residency peers, and colleagues, as well as acting to enhance the future prospects of our chosen profession as a whole.

It's the right thing to do for you--it's one of the few ways available to you to learn the truth about what's waiting for you out here, and how to prepare for it NOW so that it can't take you by surprise and sink you before you're even launched! The negative stuff that has been posted on this forum should not beat down your spirit or drive you into your shell--it should make you mad over the crap that is being foisted off onto you by an elitist few for their own gain, and prompt you to take action to depose those elitists and establish a truly level playing field for all in this profession: established practitioners, residents, students, and those to come in the future.

If you're not an adult--if you're not a real man or a real woman--then you don't belong in this or any learned profession. Let's see what you people are made of! Show some backbone! Get on this board, get talking, get working!

Come on, people--No guts, no glory!

John L. Trench III, DPM
jltrench@gte.net