@Quercus:
Sorry Debra…you are wrong here...completely wrong.
Okay so in your opinion, since I am completely wrong, you think:
P1: She had no need to say who she was because, I guess, everyone on earth and especially who has owned or wanted to own a basenji (ie anyone, not just breeders) should know who she was and her backgrounds based on the name JoT?
I just clicked on your profile, and yeah it says where you are from. I am sorry, but why presume others KNOW who you are, that no other person from DRC might use "JoT" than the great Dr Thompson. Why not just say who you are? Frankly I wouldn't have suspected that the person making that post was the same one whose work I have so admired.
P2. Just coming from DCR is proof of expertise, she had no reason to explain to anyone the work/experiences in addition to just living there.
Your indication that living in the DCR is proof of Manu's (or your) ultimate knowledge of Basenjis before… now you give me a reason to laugh. With a population of over 4 million, do you think that living there makes all those 4 million experts? Really? And even if in a group of 5 "experts," do you think you would get agreement? Really?
P3: Because of her connection to the Lukuru project, she is the guardian and ultimate decision maker for the BREED and her and only her opinion deserves respect; and said experiences gives her the right to attack anyone and make disparaging comments and assign them some underhanded motives for daring have opposing opinions.
Stating what you DID while there, yeah that has validity. But even your involvement in the Lukuru project doesn't make you RIGHT or the ultimate expert on what is right for the breed. People get to have opinions that differ from yours even if you single handedly found, brought every single dog here and funded it down to the penny (which you didn't). It is one thing to acknowledge contribution, however considerable, and another to assume those contributions mean you get to shut down and treat others with disrespect for different views. Nor does involvement in any number of projects, or considered an expert doesn't mean they are always right, doesn't mean they are really knowledgeable, doesn't mean they aren't driving their own "agenda" or "propaganda."
P3: Okay so no one who is an expert is ever wrong; and Linda stated things as facts not her opinion.
Many ideas have been deemed wrong or stupid by vast majority of "experts," then proven that the majority was utterly WRONG and the stupid idea right. She didn't state facts, she stated her OPINION, to which she has as much right as you do.
P4: This entire discussion would have been so much less valuable had she introduced herself, given her opinions and been informative instead of slinging insults and what she did.
_Had you simply stated who you were, your experiences and hers, discussed your VIEWS, great. But to indicate that just being FROM the Congo makes you experts and saying someone who disagrees with someone FROM there is INSULTING is ridiculous.
The attack on Linda was unprofessional, uncalled for. You may have many valid views, sadly the attack blurred any valuable info._
Since this was my OPINION (although it appears you don't agree people have a right to one since I am TOTALLY wrong… I'll leave it.
Btw, I thought her pretending to not be sure who you were was either diplomatic and giving you a nudge to introduce yourself or perhaps a jab at your ego since I am sure she knows most here who are not breeders didn't have a clue and your presumption EVERYONE DID was poke worthy.