Would that some of you could walk in the shoes of those who have lost loved ones on 9/11
Yes I'm sorry for your loss. Now quit using it as a shield against sanity.
Let's tone down the America / War topics and get back on track
by Simon 59 Replies latest forum announcements
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gitasatsangha
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blacksheep
Don't know everyone's politics here. But I'm very reluctant to support a move to ban discussion on the war. What's the point? This is a community, and although JW's ARE the topic, it hardly makes sense to try to ban disucussions about what is probably at the forefront of most people's thoughts/feelings at this time.
I cannot say I agree with all the POV's put forth on the war. But I enjoy reading divergent views. It makes me think.
Please don' t ban discussions on this issue. I've seen another attempt to do so on another bd I attend. And that bd happens to be highly controlling, and supports a pretty much single viewpoint. As long as the dicussion doesn't get disprespectful, I just cannot support stifling of the ewar discussions.
Thanks for letting me air my fviews,
Blacksheep
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Simon
Wrong. I totally agree with Farkel. (Would that some of you could walk in the shoes of those who have lost loved ones on 9/11... then you might just understand how threaten some of us feel about letting those who sponsor terrorists get a 'pass' from the international community.. by the way, after 9/11 I don't give a sh*t what the world thinks of us...)
There are many who lost relatives in Sep 11 who are annoyed that their loved ones deaths were being used to justify the war in Iraq when they didn't believe it should.
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Gopher
: There are many who lost relatives in Sep 11 who are annoyed that their loved ones deaths were being used to justify the war in Iraq when they didn't believe it should.
True. I saw some of these speak out on the TV news here in America, and it is easy to see they were very forthright in their views that violence only begets more violence.
Others say that negotiating with the terrorists wasn't working, and that we could only expect more 9/11-style events if we sat back and did nothing.
Even among the victims' relatives there is a diversity of viewpoints.
Both sides need to be understood, they both make valid points. When it comes down to decision time, the powers-that-be hopefully have weighed both sides.
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Angharad
I don't expect to have an outright ban and big news
I'm not intending to censor anything and havn't so far contrary to some people's claims
I am certainly not happy about having to say "please limit posts on this topic" but it is not me who is constantly complaining about them. I am suggesting this to bend-over-backwards in order to accomodate certain sensitivities. It would be preferable if people could discuss the topics and not cause or take offence so quickly.
Also, I have not outright banned them, merely requested that people limit them and think before they post: is this really needed? Am I really interested in people's opinions or am I just wanting to throw something in someone's face
Simon's comments just from this thread alone :
He has never said he has banned discussing the war.
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Abaddon
I can see why you might be heartily bored with war threads, and see them as detracting from the dolphin of this board (dolphin, like a purpose except cleverer... ).
However, I think there are two things you are neglecting to consider regarding the 'logic' of boards like this.
The first is the herding cats thing. You can try it. Not much point, but you can try it.
The second is the juggling jelly thing. You might have the best intentions trying, but you're gonna end up making a mess no matter how good you are.
In a way, just letting the threads slowly become less frequent and die of natural causes is better. Even if you ask people nicely to "move along", you'll probably create more traffic on topics you don't see as the topic of the board than there may have been without intervention.
A final and important factor is, if xJW's can't start talking about stuff that concerns people in general HERE, as a part of their recovery from apolitical cult indiced apathy, where can they? SUrely the presence of lively threads on non-cult issues is one of the best signs that this board is not for victims licking their wounds but for people who have remade their life and are getting on with it?
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Gopher
:Surely the presence of lively threads on non-cult issues is one of the best signs that this board is not for victims licking their wounds but for people who have remade their life and are getting on with it?
This is one of the best, most succinct arguments that could be made for allowing pointed debate on these topics.
In practice, though, some of the intolerant, name-calling posts we've seen during some of the past 3 weeks on this topic suggest strong traces of the JW "all or nothing" mentality may have carried over. Some have practiced a form of "marking" with the personal attacks on those whose opinions differ from their own.
War is a sensitive topic. It can be difficult to separate emotions from facts. I just hope people try hard or harder to stick to the debate and not attack fellow debaters.
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Angharad
Your exactly right Abaddon!
We would be happy to let things continue and fizzle out of their own accord. But the problem we have is that as things were, we had some people on the one hand complaining that they were getting offended and wanting certain things stopped, but they would still want to carry on posting what ever they want , but not seem to want any one to answer or disagree with them. (hardly fair) After all the purpose of a discussion board is to debate and discuss, not just state anything you want as fact and not let anyone disagree or have an opposing viewpoint.
So this was suggested and now we have the old freedom of speech and censorship crys.
Basically we are in a no win situation, whatver we do it will be the wrong thing / and viewed as unfair to someone.
Simon has never tryed to dictate what topics and posts people make, all he has asked is that being are civil and dont set out to insult others.
As I said before earlier in this thread I personally cannot understand or grasp why people cannot separate the person from the issue being discussed, why does disagreeing over an issue mean that suddenly that person is no longer a friend etc.
I will say it again these topics have not been banned
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obiwan
Preach on brotha! I hear ya.
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