Well, politics and religion are not going to be banned, so let's get that out of the way up front. We are, in most cases, mature, well-rounded adults and should be able to maneuver around the occasional obstacle to our sensibilities without losing our minds. I am sorry to see BWV 1080 leave, but people come and go here all the time, and for less understandable reasons than being fed up with the political situation being thrown up at them.
That said, let me take a moment to remind you all, especially those (the majority by now) who weren't here back in the days when prohibition was attempted. There wasn't a thread on the board which hadn't devolved into a morass of political muck (against GW Bush (Dickhead Cheney, actually) in those days). When these discussions were banned, the result was stultifying on all conversation, as though an intellectual blanket had been thrown over the members. So it was decided to allow political and religious discussion in The Diner. And while those threads have been largely unmoderated, they have managed for 15 years to give an outlet to people. I think this policy has proven its worth.
It is true, however, that there are some people who simply can't leave it alone and want to continue discussions outside of the prescribed area. I have deleted more than a few posts which were out of bounds, although they have been a small blot on the larger scheme of things. Instead of pointing fingers and carrying on about it
ad infinitum, take a minute to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are guilty. The moderators here are as hands-off as you could ask, but that comes with a price. If you don't want to be policed, then police yourself. I'm not at all happy that a member felt compelled to leave, it may or not have been justified, but the fact that he felt it was makes it
de facto true.
Thanks,
Gurn
