****Note: The Plain Text Big Book was approved at the April 2024 General Service Convention and is now set for publication in fall of 2024.  Though it is now past the time to influence the outcome of this decision, it’s never too late to revisit this issues and to ask pertinent questions. Please continue to sign the petition should you have any concerns at all about the Plain Text Big Book. Thank you for your commitment to sobriety and for being the hand of AA. 
*********************

 To all who are concerned,

With this petition, we are not attempting to be controversial in any way whatsoever. We are however, humbly of the opinion that the greater majority of the fellowship would not be in agreement of the publishing of a Plain Text Big Book if they knew about it. This petition is designed to be widely circulated and to give as many members as possible the chance to voice their opinion. 

In the middle, and under the cover of a world wide crisis, the idea of a Plain Text Big Book was approved at a conference of delegates without first attaining the consent of the individual Alcoholic members or groups they were supposedly representing. 

A large portion of our members were not even aware that the decision had passed, nor were they aware that an anonymous company was hired for upwards of $150,000 of our basket collections, to write a second version (dubiously being called a ’translation’) of the Big Book.

The current “You snooze, you loose” attitude of GSO does not work in this case. Our society is based on altruistic principles, as well as our 12 Concepts and 12 Traditions. Delegates must serve the members. Each member is equally important, and equally responsible for the message of recovery. When members are unaware of a GS decision as important as this one is, that’s on the GS committee, not the members.

As we understand, the reason for a plain text Big Book was based on a literacy study.  We remark that not enough information has been provided about this alleged study: Who conducted it? Over what period of time? Over what demographic? How was literacy actually calibrated? What does ‘literate’ in this study even mean? How do those who fall ‘below the line’ distribute? Are the majority just barely less literate than the Big Book? Evenly distributed? Or far below the literacy level of the Big Book? Has anyone tested the Plain Text version? How will the efficacy of the new book be tested? These and many more questions have just not been answered.

Regarding the literacy issue, we are willing to hear alternative solutions to the alleged problem of the literacy level of the Big Book. For example there has been the idea among our fellows to print a glossary in the back of the book, or as a separate pamphlet, defining certain terms of Bill W.’s era.

Another argument we are hearing is that the Plain Text version is an attempt to make the Big book more accessible. We, who have been through it know that every word, comma, and space, as written in the original Big Book has contributed to the fact that we are sober, and even alive today.   Wouldn’t producing a WATERED DOWN VERSION actually be EXCLUDING certain sufferers from receiving the same gift of sobriety that we have been so freely given?

Then there are more questions:

What are the possible consequences of publishing a second version of the Big Book?  How will groups negotiate which copy they will buy, or which copy they will provide for free to the newcomer? How will Big Book studies be conducted? Will they indicate which version they will be using? Will two versions of the book create division in our community? Will people judge others, depending on which book they use?  What about sponsorship? Will we need two announcements? Those who sponsor the Big Book, vs those who sponsor the Plain Text version? Would not having two versions of the Big Book threaten our tradition of UNITY? And what about the concept of a COMMON SOLUTION?  Again, have any of these been accounted for? Or tested?

Until it is proven that the positive will outweigh the negative consequences of such a book, we are resolutely opposed to the production of a second Big Book, or any plain text version thereof.
Until these questions and others are answered and proven, we are not in support of BIG BOOK LIGHT. 

We believe our Big Book was Divinely inspired, has helped millions of alcoholics retain sobriety, should NEVER EVER be tampered with, and should remain the singular basic text of our program. 
With all due respect: PLEASE HALT the publication of the Plain Text Big Book.

The current Plain Text draft has now been approved at the 74th Annual Conference, (held April 14-20, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York), the TARGET PUBLISH DATE IS FALL 2024. Which begs the question: “Why the rush?” Many agenda items of much less gravity than this have taken much more time to be published. So what exactly is the hurry on this?

It is vital that this petition reach as many members as possible, as soon as possible, and ideally before publication. By signing this petition, (First name and last initial are sufficient) you are declaring that you are a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Please, post, pass on, and pitch about this survey.

As quoted from the ORIGINAL Big Book p. xi: “Because this book has become the basic text for our Society and has helped such large numbers of alcoholic men and women to recovery, there exists strong sentiment against any radical changes being made in it.” Wouldn’t producing an identical copy, calling it a translation, and adding radical changes be the same as making changes? Wouldn’t this now give us more than one basic text?

NOTE: I picked this platform as it is the more facile of these types of platforms. NO MONEY IS NEEDED FOR THIS PETITION. If the website asks for money please click “skip”.  For our purposes FIRST NAME AND LAST INITIAL ARE SUFFICIENT. 
Yours, in sobriety,  

BB Traditionalist