I have come to speak today to request that the members of the alliance
reconsider their plans on bringing about the destruction. I do not
believe that the sapience will be better off for it and that it may
actually be harmed by doing so. And here are my reasons why.

First, if you destroy Ashtan you are going to do nothing but martyr
those in RL. They will be able to point and say 'See, we are not the bad
guys here. We were the ones who were trying to protect you and your
homes. It is these others who are evil in wanting to destroy your homes
and way of life.' The truth of a statement like this won't matter. What
matters is that they will be able to use this propaganda to stir up
others.

Secondly, you are condemning a whole town for actions of its leadership.
Yes, they may have followed them, but who among cannot say that they
have made mistakes by believing and following someone. The cult of
personality can be a strong force that leads you to do stupid things.
Most of the people of Ashtan I believe are good people who have just
gone down the wrong path. Taking away their homes and livelyhood seems
harsh to me.

Thirdly, you will be creating a whole town without a place to call home.
While I am sure some of the others will move on to other places, there
will be those who will still see the area of what was ashtan as their
home. They will want it back. They may (and most likely will) become
extreme and still fight to regain as what they see as their own. You
will be creating a class of outlaws with little to lose. They will fight
to recapture their homeland at any cost. While you won't have a war on
your hands, you will see attacks on your homes, shrines, and the forest.
They will do any and all acts they see as futhering their cause without
restraint, for they have nothing to lose.


While I will agree that Ashtan does need a change, there are better ways
to do it. Fine, get rid of the orphanage, but build something in its
place. Get rid of the bad apples that caused these problems, but help
the Ashtanites rebuild a decent government. While it may be easier to
destroy than rebuild, in the long term both Ashtan and the rest of
Sapience will be better off for it. So I plead with you, for the sake of
those good Ashtanites and for the well-being and safety of the rest of
Sapience, reconsider you proposal and do not destroy Ashtan.

Klindor


PS Misty wanted me to add in her arguement that 'You just shouldn't do
it.'

Penned by my hand on the 19th of Chakros, in the year 125 MA.