Folks...
So my Good friend from England, was the individual who got hit in the face with a camera lens by this individual of questionable judgement Mancus and witnessed, as did MANY others, him throw a ladder and apparently punch a guy in the back....I wrote Mancus a very fiery letter (seen at the bottom of this) and got the following response from him (top part):
Mr. Morris
You do not know all of the key facts yet you have formed a firm opinion based on your gross misunderstanding of the complete, accurate facts, which, in my judgment, telegraphs what can aptly be described as stupidity on your part. It would be stupid of me to argue with a person who manifests such stupidity because there is no cure for stupidity--yours.
You have jumped to a pejorative conflucison about me which telegraphs you lack a mature mind. So be it.
You are entitled to your opinions. Opinions are like ass-holes. Everyone has one.
You--and no one else--are entitled to the facts . . . or to twist the facts.
How arrogant, presumputous, and stupid of you to rail against me, assuming you have a good command of the facts.
Facts are stubborn critters.
I am entitled to the facts--the real facts.
The real facts and Duxford's rules support me and, probably, applicable British law.
Given your jumping to conclusion rant agaisnt me you are invited to go to hell, to burn indefinitely, and to self-fornicate.
You triggered that response with your non-diplomatic, uncritical "thinking", pejorative judgment, jumping to conclusions, initial contact with me.
Perhaps when you know the real facts your view and opinions will change.
I do not owe anyone an apology.
You do not know the facts. You have no personal knowledge. You were not there. You are relying on other people's self-serving twisted version of what really happened and why.
If you ever cross my path and start to execute on what you threaten me with below you had better be prepared for serious blow back.
Stay clear of me.
The airshow industry had better adopt and enforce excellent rules to keep rude, inconsiderate, bullies from violating others' enjoyment of air shows, and ban stepladders, etc.
I was the only one that I know of at Duxford who stood up for and demanded enforcement of Duxford's rules. Am I sorry for that? No!
Duxford's officials adopted good rules but refused to enforce them! Worse: Instead of disciplining the rule violators they ejected and banned the one person who demanded that they enforce their own excellent rules. As such, Duxford's officials made a mockery of their rules, shuffled the rules like a card shark shuffles a deck, took the easy way out, and rewarded the rule violators and encouraged them to continue to violate the rules, all of which makes for a bigger problem.
You are now part of a growing number of people who have threatened me with physical violence. You have a mob mentality--lynch mob, take the law into your own hands, mentality. Go to hell.
Given your--and others' reaction--a compelling argument can be made that airshows are becoming an attractive nuisance--for bullies who viloate the rules, with impunity, because they are allowed to do so by officials who refuse to enforce their own rules.
Me being ejected and banned only proves how inept and stupid some of Duxford's officials are and how grossly mismanaged some aspects of that airshow were.
-- Peter Mancus
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Morris" <corsair166b@yahoo.com>
To:
pmancus@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:36:52 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Your conduct in England....
Dear Sir.....
As an aviation photographer myself, having worked airshows for over 18 years based out of Colorado and having traveled as far away as the UK to photograph said airshows and WWII aircraft and make new friends and acquaintances in that country, I was appalled to hear of your conduct recently in England. One of my friends over there, who recently had a run in with you, was kind enough to regale me with your 'ugly American' antics while on the flightline at Duxford, flying ladders and all. I have to tell you, had I been there, I would have made it my personal vendetta to knock some sense into your ugly American head. Luckily, and from what I have heard, you have been banned for the foreseeable future from the Duxford airfield for your incredible behavior. What the hell were you thinking? Do you really think throwing temper tantrums and bopping folks in the face with your camera lens and demanding everyone clear out while you 'work' is the way to win friends and influence people? My god man, where's your sense of decency and fair play....and moreover, where the hell have your manners gone? My outrage at hearing this story (from Numerous sources, I might add, not just my friends over there) lasted for hours after hearing of your conduct. If ever you and I are standing on the same flight line at some stateside airshow and you start this s**t, you better darn well expect an unlubricated monopod up your backside in short order, and that's a straight up promise....I think you owe a HELLUVA lot of folks an apology, and if you wish to convey one to my friend over there whose face you got up in, I can provide you with an address for him or forward it for you, preferably the latter.
You better rethink your priorities, fella.....or the airshow industry will do it for you
Sincerely,
Mark Morris
Flightline Aviation Photography
Greeley, Colorado
Steve is taking his response to the Key publishing forums and I am posting it over here...we need to get this clown OUT of the airshow business.
Mark