SYDNEY CHONot Tempted to Do Right ThingThe following letters are part of a public discussion initiated by Uriel's letter of Dec. 9, 2005 objecting to management abuses at his Toronto squash club (which is part of the Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. empire). See index for list of letters in the discussion.
From: Uriel Wittenberg Here's a type of story we're all familiar with:
The age-old practice of brown-nosing was rewarded yet again Monday with the promotion of ass-kissing toady Howard MacInnis, an assistant district account manager for the consulting firm of Hayes, Murdoch & Fenn, to the position of regional manager. Who at Northridge best fits the Howard MacInnis mold? Who can be counted on to be utterly unprincipled, to toe the party line, to gladly cheer the boss's every whim, to tirelessly defend and uphold whatever nonsense and corruption is being dispensed by whichever powers that be happen to be on top at any given time? I nominate: Sydney Cho. It wasn't a big surprise when Sydney told me, last Tuesday, that Darron was looking for me. We were in the Northridge Club. Yes, I was back — at the request of the Northridge D Team captain. Brian had called earlier that day to ask me to play for the team in the T&D league that night. I'd told Brian there might be difficulties. The club had barred me from admission (shortly after my publication of Northridge / Bally Ethical Breaches). But I'd agreed to play for the team when Brian said he didn't think the Northridge night staff would be so vigilant about screening T&D visitors. However, Darron turned out to be there that night. When Sydney gave me his "heads up" about Darron, I asked him what he'd do if I was kicked out of the club. What would he do? Sydney laughed derisively. "Uh, Uriel, I'm gonna play my match." Sydney. My teammate — a guy I've played on the same team with maybe 20 times or more; gone to dinner with; had many one-on-one squash games with. I even began raising money a few months ago to compensate him for losses when he was our team captain. (I abandoned the effort when I learned he'd misrepresented the losses.) What about team spirit? I asked Sydney. Sticking together? Telling Darron that if I left, we all left? "Uh, Uriel, I'm gonna play my match. Just like the rest of the team." I pointed out that Brian had told me that if I had to leave, he wouldn't be playing. "Trust me," Sydney said, "Brian's playing with us." "I spoke with Brian on the phone just a few hours ago and he said if I'm kicked out, he's leaving with me." This was unimaginable to Sydney. He was absolutely certain: "Believe me — Brian's gonna be playing his match." Once Brian arrived, he argued with Darron that I was there as his guest, he was the captain, and I was playing for the team. Darron told him, "My hands are tied. I have no choice." That's not hard to believe. Darron later told Brian he'd been on the phone with head office in Chicago. (It seems I'm on Bally's radar screen.) So Brian and I left together, without playing our matches. Brian did the right thing. He remarked to me that he doesn't like being bossed around by people he pays money to. I think that's the point here. What's involved is personal dignity. For the club to cut back on opening hours during holidays is one thing. But when they turn away your guest for no valid reason and without explanation (the club's sole beef with me is that I've publicized its ethical lapses), they're overstepping the bounds; they're exceeding their authority over you. That's an infringement on your personal business. Sydney's total submission to authority, as he watched a teammate get ejected, demonstrates a void where there should be some measure of personal dignity, some sense of personal values, some element of sincerity in personal relations. Darron's alternative to kicking me out was probably to lose his job the next morning. Sydney, on the other hand, had practically nothing to lose by doing the right thing. He just wasn't even tempted.
From: Allen Uriel, i realize this may sound absurd to you, but you'd make an awful Ghandi :) As a question to you - you highlighed the evil empire and said you are taking the high road out.. a role model for us all. And yet, you still aim to associate with the evil you hold in great contempt? (invite or not). I find this behavioural incongrunace something that eats away at the credibility of your nobel character, which you use to act as judge and punisher upon others. Yay freedom of speech :) On the other hand, I am disappointed you are not at the club - that is in fact quite true. But unfortunately you isolated yourself and now seek to isolate yourself and others, what would another role model and leader like Ghandi say? :) Botom line: I measure results, and I don't see any with your approaches and maybe Syndey just sees things differently.
From: Uriel Wittenberg Hi Allen, I don't believe I've confused myself with Gandhi. For one thing, I never voluntarily swore off sexual intercourse. If I'd really cast myself as the Great Noble One, then you might ask how I could defile myself by re-entering Northridge. But I'm not quite the extremist you're suggesting. I was spending time at Northridge nearly every day. That's like a home away from home. But that home was ruled by people making wrong decisions that negatively affected me and others. The bosses talked about how they loved customers, but refused to explain their decisions. I was supposed to shut up and keep taking their "love" — while paying them money for the privilege every month. So I quit. Sure, I said OK when Brian called the other day. There's no contradiction there. That's hardly "aiming to associate with evil" or "behavioural incongruence." I think you're working a bit too hard there to find fault. Sorta reminds me of Rudhra devising his strange theory about how rackets crack so he could tell everybody their broken rackets were my fault. You say you measure results. I got about as much as I expected: I can no longer be pushed around in my personal life by the Bally bosses. Maybe if I'd delivered moving speeches about peaceful resistance, you'd all have left with me. But I never thought I was a match for Gandhi. P.S. I miss you guys too.
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