Politics - Poll

[ohhrico1969]

I vote yes. I know I have sometimes seen some racist statements there but the admin group does a GREAT job of addressing those and they are few and far between. Other than that I think it is OK if people disagree and if there is someone with sensitive skin they should keep out of the forum. Politics are a large part of our gun culture and unable to be avoided although politics and religion as topics of discussion always has the ability to raise hairs on necks! LOL! But if we consider that forums are a reflection of real life we know that it won't be perfect.

 

[Texas1911]

Politics

Politics have returned.

However, I will say this ... I will not tolerate any bullshit and/or whining.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Fistpump!!!!!

(Click for animation- FAIL on my techsaavyiness)

 

[Domineaux]

Wonderful, thanks!

 

[Clockwork]

Politics have returned.

Excellent!

 

[Dcav]

Who will be the first to be banned lol

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Who will be the first to be banned lol

COME AT ME BRO!!!! Just kidding

 

[lalonguecarabine]

Oh, lordy-lord...

 

[Davetex]

There are enough other forums out there for political discussion, no need to pollute this one when it is suppose to be focused on firearms and shooting in Texas.

The politics section has had its fair share of issues in the past, and you can bet that if it's reopened it will have many more in the future.

And there is no way it can be objectively moderated. Sorry, but any attempt to quell one person's opinion is going to be censorship; no matter how many people it pisses off.

It's one topic that needs to be kept separated from all the rest. If someone wants to start TexasPoliticsTalk.com then feel free to do so, but leave this forum focused on what's important!

Cheers! M2

This!! +100

 

[M. Sage]

Alan / Travis 2020!

[/gratuitous butt kissing]

What? I should at least be VP, since I'm the guy that would scare all the would-be assassins away from Top.

People know they don't want me in charge.

 

[lalonguecarabine]

What? I should at least be VP, since I'm the guy that would scare all the would-be assassins away from Top.

People know they don't want me in charge.

You're the Secretary of War, dammit! Shit - I know what's up...

 

[skinman]

A number of people asked that we reinstate the politics section. I'd like to start a discussion about what you guys want and ideas on how we can manage the section. There's been a few reasons why we removed it in the past:

1) People form vigilante groups and attack anyone outside of their views.
2) People with thin skin lose it when someone disagrees with them.
3) People cannot argue their point respectfully, they often resort to name calling and mockery.

Unfortunately, all of these issues are just a reflection of today's politics magnified by the anonymity of the Internet. I participated in the political discussions here for a short time but I quickly realized that too many of the participants did not want to discuss politics with anyone who disagreed with them. I am an active member of a well known military website and have participated in those discussion forums for over a decade, and, depending on the issue, they can get nasty at times. As a result, I developed a pretty thick skin to personal attacks and petty insults, and realized that there are just some folks who just do not have sufficient debating skills to present and support the points they present and to respectfully dispute counterpoints. I usually avoid discussions with these folks altogether or back out when I see it starting. When the discussion stops being about the issue and all about insults, then it is time to lock it down and issue warnings. There was a lack of active monitoring of the discussions to discourage this kind of behavior which was the crux of the problem here IMHO.

It is not a bad thing to have several folks arguing the same issue and presenting their takes on the points. If I know I am presenting an opinion that is going to get a passionate response from more than one participant, then I had better be ready to take them on or don’t go there. However, when these points are all about personal attacks and insults, then it is cyber bullying and that is the time for the moderators to step in and lock the discussion and issue warnings.

Reasons two and three are synonymous because one invariably leads to the other. We all know what this looks like. These people usually make a point without a good understanding of the issue and therefore no foundation to press their points or make counterpoints, and are too damn lazy to do any research to support their argument. It is easier for them to go off topic with personal insults and attacks so that is what they do.

There is a point in an argument that we just have to know when to agree to disagree and move on. We all get caught up in the heat of a discussion and miss this cue which sometimes leads to a heated exchange. This is not always a bad thing because it can establish boundaries and respect. If you know that if you hit me, I will beat you senseless, then you will think twice about hitting me. However, if this continues in a discussion unchecked, it can ruin the discussion for everyone participating. Moderating this means monitoring the situation, issue warnings to return to the discussion, and locking down the topic and issuing warnings and bans to force compliance.

Lastly on the issue of censorship. Folks, this is a PRIVATE website and therefore a private party. Censorship rules just do NOT apply here anymore than they apply where you work or in your home. Just like in those environments, if you cannot participate in the discussions and follow the rules then you will be asked to leave. It was explained to me like this once: “Welcome to the party…enjoy yourself, behave, but do not be surprised if you are kicked out if you shit in the punchbowl.”

 

[Bulldog of Texas]

I like the way your brain thinks, macshooter, and I can agree with it fully....although, I was recently speaking to my ex wife's new husband about certain matters of politics since I found him to be a really nice guy and I was very surprised when he started ranting the complete opposite of my beliefs almost right down the line. I attempted to keep it civil but since our discussion was on FaceBook there were many others that jumped into the conversation badmouthing him to the extreme. Don't get me wrong, the comments he made did make Carl Marx sound like a beginner but the name calling really got in the way of my attempt to make him really think about the words he chose and why his views were extremely outside the understanding of which our nation was founded upon, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. Sure many laws have been enacted that have done their part to limit or restrict our Rights given under the founders leadership but only clear thinking of issues will guide us into the changes that are truly needed for our citizens, State, and Country to continue to be the best, freest, and with the most liberties of any country on Earth. I am an "Open Carry" advocate in our beloved State of Texas as anyone who believes in the Second Amendment should but I also know that with this Right comes Responsibility and that means that those who wish to carry openly a weapon should be required to have the proper training of the weapons they choose to carry but also the laws that may impact their lives if used improperly or without forethought. It would be impossible for us to speak of our weapons without having some thoughts to the legal impact the political world has on our possessing, carrying them on our person, and the legal firing of them for whatever intent. Simply speaking of the specs of one weapon over another or who is doing what with another design gets boring once it is said and done with. I would hope that those of us who believe in our Second Amendment Rights will become more active in debunking those who wish to take away our rights to use them as they were intended and demand the laws of your State to retract those laws that take away any part of our rights to bear arms and promote laws that make us a freer nation. I voted "Yes" to allowing political discussions but as I and others have stated some guidelines must be in place to reduce the name calling and false truths so many love to spew. Facts can be checked and I hope those who fail to respect others during any discussion, here or elsewhere, will have their comments addressed properly and respectfully although a few "gotcha" comments can really get the juices flowing. So far 96.3 of the comments posted so far has been made with proper respect for others...okay, I just made up the 96.3 just to see if you were really reading what I wrote here. lol