"Desire is our only requirement, and rightly so. Addiction does not discriminate. This Tradition is to insure that any addict regardless of drugs used, race, religious beliefs, sex, sexual preference or financial condition is free to practice the N.A. way of life. That only the desire to stop using is needed insures that no caste system will develop making one addict superior to another. All addicted persons are welcome and equal in obtaining the relief they are seeking from their addiction; every addict can recover in this program on an equal basis. This Tradition guarantees our freedom to recover."
I believe that special interest groups violate this tradition by stating that there is another requirement to be a member than the desire to stop using it puts empasis on age, gender, religion, sexual orientation or other factor besides the desire to stop using. The way I see it that is a violation of tradition 3. I am far from being alone on this matter.
What I'd like to know is this, WHAT PURPOSE DOES A SPECIAL INTEREST MEETING SERVE THAT COULDN'T (PROBABLY BETTER) BE SERVED THROUGH SPONSORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIPING?
About the bullitens, if only 24 regions voted on them, and all the other regions abstained, wouldn't those abstensions count as a NO vote? How many regions were around back then anyway? Did all 24 regions that voted, vote yes?