since9
Campaign Veteran
imported post
I'm a member of several online forums which focus on various aspects of science and higher education, including physics, astronomy, chemistry, etc.
On one such forum, I grew fed up with it's increasing descent into the cesspool of political correctness. As some of you may have judged by my posts here, I am by no means a radical! In fact, I'm a down to Earth, common-sense person, all around. I like to hear the opinions of others, but I prefer they come with substantiating evidence, legal citation, and other references. Judging from the stellar examples I've seen from many here, I think this is a common theme on this forum.
Earlier today, I changed my signature on the science forum to indicate my support for the lawful carry of firearms. I even toned it down - way down!
And this is on a forum where we have repeatedly discussed various firearms issues in open forum without incident on many previous occasions.
Well, along comes a mod, whose country I won't mention. He erases my signature, rails against it while claiming I created all sorts of forum inflammation, and threatens me with a banning.
I've been on that forum for five years and 12,000 posts!
A "banning?" For simply including firearms carry in my signature, a right provided me by my own country's constitution?
Is he utterly mad?
Or is he merely a product of the anti-gun culture of his country?
I would argue the latter.
Having either moderated or admined forums since 1986 (24 years) I would also argue his position as a moderator on a board wide open to worldwide membership should be terminated until such time as he is able to come to grips with the fact that his country's gun control mindset doesn't necessarily (and most often won't) apply to the members of several hundred countries who frequent that message forum.
Whether or not that message forum will ever unscrew themselves from the hole they've dug (which began years ago, believe me), remains to be seen. Personally, I don't think they're capable of doing so any longer. I think they'll just continue to wither, while trying their best to convince themselves that they remain an ongoing concern.
However, I find this to be true of many social groups who tend to close themselves off from other sources of input, both pro-gun and anti-gun.
It is the very nature of the open debate process by which men hear opposing arguments, and, taking the best while forgetting the rest, grow. It's how we, as a society, improve ourselves - the exchange of old ideas, the flow of new ones.
It's the very essence of online message forums!
Sadly, some forums forget this, and begin squashing anything which contradicts the status quo.
I, for one, am glad to see that OpenCarry.org continues to tolerate dissenting opinion. I may not agree with it, based on either experience or education, and you may not agree with it, based on these or your own reasons, but it remains a healthy thing to do. Indeed, the amendment which most of us old dear is but one after another which affords us the ability to discuss these and other issues in the first place.
I don't know what will happen to that forum. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I've thoroughly enjoyed these forums, the comments of its members, and look forward to spending more time here!
I'm a member of several online forums which focus on various aspects of science and higher education, including physics, astronomy, chemistry, etc.
On one such forum, I grew fed up with it's increasing descent into the cesspool of political correctness. As some of you may have judged by my posts here, I am by no means a radical! In fact, I'm a down to Earth, common-sense person, all around. I like to hear the opinions of others, but I prefer they come with substantiating evidence, legal citation, and other references. Judging from the stellar examples I've seen from many here, I think this is a common theme on this forum.
Earlier today, I changed my signature on the science forum to indicate my support for the lawful carry of firearms. I even toned it down - way down!
And this is on a forum where we have repeatedly discussed various firearms issues in open forum without incident on many previous occasions.
Well, along comes a mod, whose country I won't mention. He erases my signature, rails against it while claiming I created all sorts of forum inflammation, and threatens me with a banning.
I've been on that forum for five years and 12,000 posts!
A "banning?" For simply including firearms carry in my signature, a right provided me by my own country's constitution?
Is he utterly mad?
Or is he merely a product of the anti-gun culture of his country?
I would argue the latter.
Having either moderated or admined forums since 1986 (24 years) I would also argue his position as a moderator on a board wide open to worldwide membership should be terminated until such time as he is able to come to grips with the fact that his country's gun control mindset doesn't necessarily (and most often won't) apply to the members of several hundred countries who frequent that message forum.
Whether or not that message forum will ever unscrew themselves from the hole they've dug (which began years ago, believe me), remains to be seen. Personally, I don't think they're capable of doing so any longer. I think they'll just continue to wither, while trying their best to convince themselves that they remain an ongoing concern.
However, I find this to be true of many social groups who tend to close themselves off from other sources of input, both pro-gun and anti-gun.
It is the very nature of the open debate process by which men hear opposing arguments, and, taking the best while forgetting the rest, grow. It's how we, as a society, improve ourselves - the exchange of old ideas, the flow of new ones.
It's the very essence of online message forums!
Sadly, some forums forget this, and begin squashing anything which contradicts the status quo.
I, for one, am glad to see that OpenCarry.org continues to tolerate dissenting opinion. I may not agree with it, based on either experience or education, and you may not agree with it, based on these or your own reasons, but it remains a healthy thing to do. Indeed, the amendment which most of us old dear is but one after another which affords us the ability to discuss these and other issues in the first place.
I don't know what will happen to that forum. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I've thoroughly enjoyed these forums, the comments of its members, and look forward to spending more time here!