Thanks to Brent and Shamil. Thanks to Mike (who I still believe would have made a superb President ;) Thanks to Chris Hamre and Steve Goldsmith. And thanks to everyone who joined and supported us through the years.
It's a shame we couldn't continue but part of being a good leader is knowing when to fight and when to surrender. We just could not continue without a minimum level of support in the form of new memberships, renewals, donations, and active participation within the group.
I am confident that new leaders will emerge and continue the cause. Hopefully, a new organization will spring forth from that. I wish any new blood the best of luck and hope that they are able to achieve great success. If NOSSA was nothing more than a seed that gave birth to new leaders, then I consider it a great success!
NOSSA President
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
NOSSA Secretary's Thoughts
I have to say that more so than NOSSA coming to a close, the thing that pains me is the reason behind it needing to do so and that is the indifference toward heightism and the fact that most people think it is a joke.
I would also like to add that while I was still holding my notions about how wrong heightism was inside, NOSSA was out there in the world in the face of overwhelming odds. I saw the documentary of the guys getting ridiculed in the streets. I knew that ridicule well because I still face it today. However, the guys from NOSSA were out there taking that ridicule voluntarily. That is something I will never forget. I had spoken out about how harsh the treatment I received was but was always met with harsh opposition, ridicule, and the blame was always placed on me for taking exception to the discrimination instead of on those perpetrating the discrimination. Therefore, the only tactic I could use was the "ignore it approach." At the time, I didn't know how wrong this was.
So thanks to guys like Matt who were out in the open doing the right thing. Thank you to Mike for extending your offer of friendship and being a warrior for the truth. It is still an extremely hard battle to fight and we are against great odds. Thanks to everyone who made NOSSA a pioneer in the effort with social justice. What I have learned is that the losing battles we fight courageously are far more worthy than the fleeting sense of peace we get by not fighting the same battle in exchange for a few moments of comfort here-and-there.
I really do see the people who speak-out about these issues as my brothers and sisters. So while the family name may be fading, that doesn't mean we can't continue the great family tradition we have cultivated here. It's sad to see this legacy coming to a close before a decade even elapsed, but all of you who got this momentum started, just know that your efforts weren't in vain. Thank you for having the courage, passion, and drive to bring the dialogue to a more equal and fair position. Society has benefited greatly from your efforts.
Peace and good vibes to you all
- NOSSA Secretary
I would also like to add that while I was still holding my notions about how wrong heightism was inside, NOSSA was out there in the world in the face of overwhelming odds. I saw the documentary of the guys getting ridiculed in the streets. I knew that ridicule well because I still face it today. However, the guys from NOSSA were out there taking that ridicule voluntarily. That is something I will never forget. I had spoken out about how harsh the treatment I received was but was always met with harsh opposition, ridicule, and the blame was always placed on me for taking exception to the discrimination instead of on those perpetrating the discrimination. Therefore, the only tactic I could use was the "ignore it approach." At the time, I didn't know how wrong this was.
So thanks to guys like Matt who were out in the open doing the right thing. Thank you to Mike for extending your offer of friendship and being a warrior for the truth. It is still an extremely hard battle to fight and we are against great odds. Thanks to everyone who made NOSSA a pioneer in the effort with social justice. What I have learned is that the losing battles we fight courageously are far more worthy than the fleeting sense of peace we get by not fighting the same battle in exchange for a few moments of comfort here-and-there.
I really do see the people who speak-out about these issues as my brothers and sisters. So while the family name may be fading, that doesn't mean we can't continue the great family tradition we have cultivated here. It's sad to see this legacy coming to a close before a decade even elapsed, but all of you who got this momentum started, just know that your efforts weren't in vain. Thank you for having the courage, passion, and drive to bring the dialogue to a more equal and fair position. Society has benefited greatly from your efforts.
Peace and good vibes to you all
- NOSSA Secretary
Friday, January 18, 2013
Questions
We have been getting flooded with questions about our closing and we would like to answer a few here for you.
The organization will be closing permanently. This will not be temporary. The dissolution process will take some time but we expect it to be completed within a year. The website will continue for a short time but will eventually be shut down.
The reason is because NOSSA did not receive enough support from the short statured community in the form of memberships, donations, volunteers, and active membership participation. We could no longer continue to operate without your support.
We encourage you to continue to speak out against heightism and we hope that new organizations are created here in the U.S. and throughout the world dedicated to the elimination of heightism. But for those groups to be successful they must first get the support that is so vital to any groups continued existence.
The organization will be closing permanently. This will not be temporary. The dissolution process will take some time but we expect it to be completed within a year. The website will continue for a short time but will eventually be shut down.
The reason is because NOSSA did not receive enough support from the short statured community in the form of memberships, donations, volunteers, and active membership participation. We could no longer continue to operate without your support.
We encourage you to continue to speak out against heightism and we hope that new organizations are created here in the U.S. and throughout the world dedicated to the elimination of heightism. But for those groups to be successful they must first get the support that is so vital to any groups continued existence.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
NOSSA Set To Close It's Doors
It is with a very sad heart that we regretfully report that NOSSA - National Organization Of Short Statured Adults, Inc. will be closing it's doors. Over the next year the organization will be closing up shop and will no longer continue to operate. The main reason for this is due to a lack of support from the short statured community. Without support no organization can continue and unfortunately, NOSSA fell victim to this very basic truth. The website will continue for a short time but memberships and donations will not be accepted. The Board of Directors wishes to extend our deepest thanks to those folks who have supported us through the years. We are proud of what we have accomplished and hope that others will now take the proverbial torch and continue the work that was started. Comments and questions may be directed to us through our website. Thank you and please continue the fight!
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