@Joe Bryant - I no longer post any longer, this being my first other than holiday wishes and an explanation to my i-baseball crew as to why I disappeared, but perhaps you should know why... sorry for the length. It pains me not to be a part of this community as an active member, and this has weighed heavily on my mind, even in my absence:
We are dealing with very sensitive issues, with a lot of nuance - but also issues that have huge ramifications. I no longer feel that I can be honest in my comments, even if I do not do so to inflame, and take precautions to be as "gentle" as possible. Many who seem to call others as overly PC and too sensitive are the very same people that, when confronted with harsh truths, cry foul, call out to the moderators, and look for "fairness"
To be fair does not mean 50/50 pro/con comments on an issue. To use extreme examples, because they are indeed illustrative, I would neither expect you to force us to say that the fourth quarter of the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl was "even" nor that coverage or discussion of that game could be conducted FAIRLY without stating the truth - Atlanta choked. It was one of the greatest folds of all time. Another extreme example would be we wouldn't ask for people to suggest that dictators (pick your lot... Hitler, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein) need to be treated in any way 50/50. No, we would expect FAIRNESS to mean calling it out as it is... these are despots that do terrible things to people, rooted in racism, fascism, what have you.
To this board, the REALITY is that in the opinion of many (most, by just about any objective measure I've seen), the people in this country recognize that our President has major issues. He is a threat to our democracy. He has a history of being a racist, himself. There are decades of proven frauds, daily lies, cheating in business, cheating his partners, cheating on his wives.
I understand that discussing issues like race and racism are a fine line, but we are not able to even be honest about the realities at hand. It's the old adage, and goes right along with the MAGA Hat/clothing thread that I see (have not jumped in there to even look, mind you) that no, wearing such a hat does NOT make someone racist nor does it mean they ARE racist. But that brand is a clear support of President Trump, and what he stands for. How can we FAIRLY discuss these issues without saying wearing a hat, proudly at that, does not show that someone at the very least is ok supporting someone, and a movement, that is indeed steeped in a lot of racism?
Now, I use this example for a reason. Because the "slippery slope" IS a danger. Because 80% of my family on my mothers side was exterminated - like vermin - with a movement that started not THAT unlike some things we see today. Does that mean Trump supporters are Nazis? Or even all racist? Of course not. But goodness, if we can't call out the very dangers - fairly and based in truth and reason - then what point is discourse? I feel that such an approach whitewashes the harsh and scary realities, and if anything, enables and emboldens those who do have bad intentions. It becomes a safe space where we have to move somewhat toward the false premise of a 50/50 discussion, when the realities is, in my opionion at least, far different than that. I understand that makes it tough to moderate, and that Trump supporters feel "ganged up" on - but maybe they feel that way because whether or not they SHARE the views of the person and movement they support (how can it not at least be a reflection upon them, I ask, and how can we not at least discuss that notion) - but if Trump is doing things, bad things (lies, policies that are intended to do harm to certain groups and that are designed to divide, racist comments and policies and having someone like Stephen Miller, who is 100% a racist with bad intentions), and doing them daily, are we expected to treat it like he is doing as much good as harm? A FAIR conversation is going to SEEM slanted as "anti-trump suppoerters" when indeed, it is someone's choice to support Trump, his movement, his words and deeds... and I just wish they would have the courage to accept the realities of what that means. Again, not that they are racist nor that we are calling them as such (though, to be HONEST and FAIR, many are... that is a reality, and one that seems to get people TO's even when stated objectively, to unfairly add "balance" to the discussion as if the moderators don't want to seem unfair, when in truth, trying to be more fair by false balance and accepting false equivalencies - if not tacitly promoting it - makes this board less fair, less objective, and less meaningful).
Sadly, we have to be so careful not to "offend" here, that we can't even have a legitimate discussion on these sensitive issues. I got a timeout by stating I felt some Trump supporters do indeed share his racism and are ok, and potentially even support, his other egregious, immoral actions, and said I felt (and feel) that others DON'T share that, but are ok supporting him anyway. And as such, I called out their moral character. For what it's worth, that doesn't mean my moral character is above reproach. We are all sinners with our weaknesses. But what I learned from losing 80% of my family before I was born, having no aunts and uncles, having a grandfather who I was not supposed to no was not my real grandfather (because he was murdered by a movement, a movement of people, led by a racist, terrible person, and supported by a range of people not much unlike our current overall population. That is not to say the US population is more racist than others, it's to see we are all human, all the same - and both Germans and Americans among the more well educated/successful/wealthy/culturally rich as compared to the world as a whole), is that we HAVE to call out these harsh realities. When we see racism creep into the common consciousness, we CAN'T allow it to be whitewashed. We can't allow false equivalency to prevail. We MUST call the facts out, harsh and unsettling - and offending to some - as they may be. Lest we open the door even just a bit more, to allow that movement to grow.
Now, my time out indeed caused me to reflect. I recognized that much as I love this community, I respect that you have set a new set of rules whereby my conduct is not acceptable, even when I try to not make it personal, try to couch my language and be overly gentle. So instead of rail against the machine, I quietly moved on. This is your home, I'm a guest, and I don't feel welcome, or at least not welcome in a way where I can be honest about important issues. But I can't engage in a dialogue where the rules are set so that I must always walk on eggshells. Where saying "if you wear a MAGA hat, you are at the least implicitly SUPPORTING a man and movement that is steeped in hate, fear, racism, xenophobia and nationalism/white nationlism" can get me banned, as if that's not a flat our reality.
And if that reality offends someone, it scares me that the person stating what seems to be pretty objectively clear is at fault, while the offended party is not expected to reflect upon why and how they support such a man and movement... and either be comfortable supporting that and state it, or maybe become more aware, more uncomfortable, and able to change their mode of thought because if we are at root moral (on balance), something inside us can be awakened to say ... "you know what, you are right. Maybe wearing such a hat and showing support of this is not something I should stand for... and accept that responsibility and grow as a person. "
Unfortunately, the rules are so tight that we can't be fully honest. Not even if we try to sugar coat the harsh reality a little. If we are in any way blunt with these harsh truths, we fear getting a T.O. The result is to dampen the conversation, to dull the harsh reality, and to prevent someone like me from doing what I feel is necessary - by using truth, facts, reason and objective reality - to point out aspects of someone's belief system that SHOULD be challenged. If I can't challenge someone and suggest that they are at the least supporting a racist and racist deeds that have terribly damaging consequences, what good is the ability to engage in the first place?
So, respecting that you have a set of guidelines now that prevent me from doing exactly what I feel a population of good and well intended people should do - call out those who support racism, for example, to bring awareness to those people who do believe and to others in an effort to change perception and have them reflect and grow, or at least be called out for what they support, then what use is engaging, at all?
I wish you all the best. I believe almost everyone on this board is a good person. I KNOW we all have faults. But how can I become aware of my own faults, those that I'm most sensitive about, if others are not allowed to "offend" me by pointing out the harsh realities at hand?
Again, best wishes to you, to the mods, to ALL posters. May we find a way to be honest, to challenge each other fairly and more importantly, be forced to challenge ourselves, to become better people, and a better nation.
![[scooter]](/data/avatars/m/22/22287.jpg?1659477690){kind=avatar}
Nice to see you. Hope you are well.
