[twinklesweep]

Originally Posted by gomoho

I understand there are rules, but personally find talking about stretching lanais and who offers the best lawn service as rather boring. Respectful, intellectual give and take keeps us on our toes, makes us use our brains, and opens us to other ideas be it race, religion, sexual orientation or any other current event.

Please don't suggest I start my own website to discuss these things because I don't have the where-with-all to accomplish something like that and I appreciate sharing thoughts with my Village neighbors. I don't understand why the few who are offended don't exercise their right not to engage so the rest of us can engage. Just a thought of one humble Villager. I suppose this may be over the top???

Might I suggest to you the very thing you suggest to others? If you are not interested in the daily, and yes often routine, issues that Villagers deal with (your examples being stretching lanais and lawn services), then you to can choose not to read those threads. Or if you are completely "bored" by TOTV without a political forum, then you are certainly free to drop out rather than continue to be "bored"! There were many people that I saw who were very active and contributed very positively to TOTV who are no longer on the forum--and this was their right too.

And if you personally are not in a position to create a Villages political discussion website, you might wish to get together with a group of like-minded neighbors, and maybe as as a group you can accomplish what you individually feel you are not able to. I am sure it would be a welcome addition to websites for and about Villagers, and there is certainly nothing "over the top" about it.

Originally Posted by billethkid

not being able to discuss those things that affect our every day lives, or inform others of the pluses and minuses of local, state and federal issues is no less a need as where to get one's hair cut or lawn mowed.

Even when political was an "opt" in option, there were those who would opt in and then turn around and complain to the administration about their view/interpretation of what was being said or how. Add to that the very, very few who did not respect the rules of civility and the political forum was closed.

Fortunately there are other forums with current events policies to allow political participation.

I am still an advocate of a political forum here on TOTV with an opt in and a disclaimer to "enter at one's own risk". I recognize this is easier said than done.

I never could understand why those who dislike the subject so very much, never took the easy option....don't go in and read what you do not like.

Anyway it is what it is.....to each his own (to a point that is!).

btk

I do not disagree with this at all. I too thought the "opt in" political forum was a great idea. However, TOTV is a private organization, and if its owners have taken this position--"Please note that political comments or references are not allowed on TOTV and can result in user account restrictions"--they are certainly within their rights. And when there was the "opt in" political forum and some who opted in complained about what was being said--and I must assume (this is very important!) that the complaints had to do with content and not personal insults and attacks--then that would have to be left as the problem of the complainers! However, there is no point in pursuing this, since there is no political forum....

I would suggest you and others in favor of a political forum to re-read my OP. My objection--and my gratitude to the owners of TOTV--stems not from a fair discussion of significant topics, even those that have nothing to do with TV (or perhaps do only remotely as they would do to anywhere in the country) but rather from at best the violation of the "no politics" rule of the owners of TOTV--and at worst from the personal, abusive, insulting attacks on those with differing views that certainly existed in the threads that I commend the Admin/Moderator for removing!