This is the first time I have felt enough desire to post here and open
my mouth to either prove I am an idiot, or to prove I am someone whose
words are on mark and helpful. In response to Evilo's posts and the
posts responding to them, I offer my voice as well.

First, I will address the deafening silence of the city channel. While
we do not need to be obnoxiously chatty, we could all make a little more
effort to greet our city mates. The curt answers on the city channel or
lack of answers do not encourage interaction within the city walls.

The constant phased or hidden position of those who are able to do this,
makes our city cold and seemingly without citizens or leadership to
interact with.

The constant feeling that you could be watched by those who are phased
or hidden makes it difficult to feel free in intimate or personal
discussions or actions within the city walls, further alienating our
citizens from interacting with one another freely and feeling at home.
It also discourages outsiders from spending much time here as well.

It is not so much a matter of "The Syssin won't let me" as it is, "I
don't want anyone spying on my personal discussions and actions within
the walls of my own home town." It does handcuff the citizens and bind
their lips knowing that there are people phased and watching. Its
stifling. It really is. Fun as it is, and personally potent it may make
the Syssin who does this feel, perhaps we could use our powers of
concealment more sparingly within our city walls to lessen the feeling
of discomfort and suspicion we levy upon our citymates with them.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have been warned to 'shush' as I
speak because the person I was talking to feared that there would be
repercussions for what I have said. They feared that we were being spied
on and any word in opposition to our leaders or their actions would be
met with charges of treason. I do not believe our leaders to be
irrational nor afraid of views that oppose their own. I believe in
freedom of speech and I believe the leadership of Spinesreach does as
well. I'm not talking about the sharing of private guild and city
matters.

In defense of these sentiments, our leaders seem to either be inactive
or are sometimes difficult to approach and very quick to answer
contentions with reproach. There seems to be an intolerance and
negativity about those who have alternative points of view to express.

Out of respect for those Dhasans who have been absent from their duties,
no one has wanted to oust them by contesting. A sure way to alleviate
this problem is to inact a law that states that a Dhasan must be removed
from position after a set time of inactivity in the city and the
position left void until someone is willing to step into it.

Out of respect for our Ard Dhasani and Guildmaster of the Syssin, we
must applaud Mahakala for the time and effort he had bled into this
city. If we look at the problems at hand and realize that there are
points of deep contention here, that we need to be creative in finding
solutions to our own growth, then I'm sure Mahakala will gladly hand
over some of the responsibility and allow us as citizens to "seize our
destinies" in a spirit of free will and creativity within the boundaries
of the laws.

With great hope for a wonderful future I lay my thoughts before you,
citizens if Spinesreach, in believing we can lift this city to new
heights of knowledge and respect.

Belisana

Penned by my hand on the 9th of Ios, in the year 171 MA.