I will begin by asking ADMIN to allow my post to stay here as I am responding to a post aimed at me personally, AND I know that you (ADMIN) are aware or at least at the time discussed with me this particular situation. This is not an airing of any gripes publicly about you, the board or anything, but to straighten this out once and for all. Thanks to ADMIN for allowing me to post this and for your patience and cooperation in the past.

My original screen name was BUCCO. It is still a viable screen name and to dispute the pms, I have never ever been thrown off this board.

I was an original member of TOTV and also the political forum. I was on the political forum when it was populated by folks who, while animated, discussed politics in a reasonable manner and based their posts on facts which were exchanged so as to explain the viewpoint presented.

I had and have strong political views which I try, not always successful, to back up with links and real information as to how I arrived at them.

Back in May there was a thread and it was actually about SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER as I recall that became political. Fact is, I had complained about it becoming political instead of responding. After a bit it was still allowed, and I did respond more than once..twice as I recall. Anyway, it was then taken down by ADMIN as political and rightfully so. A poster, who now is asking about my name change and making it seem as if I am attempting to "escape my past" could not allow the conversation to end and sent me a few PERSONAL pms talking about ME...personally (NOT threatening) I was concerned as NEVER in all the years on the POLITICAL board had anyone done that to me before. In any case I wrote to ADMIN and send him/her copies of those PMs not knowing exactly what I should do. He said he would take care of if for me, but then after thinking I just decided if my political opinions made someone that angry, maybe I might just change my name. NOT in a sneaky way at all, but at that time simply to keep from getting any more of the pms. Thus I took RAGS123 as a screen name.

This same poster called me out a few weeks ago, again in public on here about the name and I responded not hiding to him. He then sent me a pm again and also posted in the public are of my profile. I then deleted them all and thought is was over. UNTIL TODAY.

I am not ashamed of my political views. I did not change my name for any reason except at that time I just wanted no more unwanted PMs.

This kind of posting, what is being posted about me is EXACTLY what caused the demise of the political forum. Some posters would band together BECAUSE THEY DISAGREED WITH YOUR POSITION and simply overwhelm the moderators with complaints, etc. NEVER did they offer a reasonable articulated rebuttal with any credible facts.

In the hopes that the ADMIN is allowing this, I will say they did the right thing in dismantling that forum. What is ironic is those who killed it did it for all the wrong reasons.

In any case, if anyone feels I am being sneaky, I am not. I have admitted this to anyone who has asked.

I hope the poster is happy that he was able to call me out publicly for what he considered to be the reason. I explained this reason to HIM publicly and to the ADMIN, who agreed with me at the time.

I have not mentioned the name of this poster but surely hope all can figure it out.

To disagree is one thing. To actually show such meanness is just scary to me. Without the proper administration ability to allow free discussion without any of this stuff occuring there should NOT be a political forum because there are those who think of this kind of thing as "discussion" when it is clearly not. I certainly hope should a new area ever come to be it has the proper discipline in place to insure that you must adhere to the rules as I boards have.

Thanks to admin again for allowing this post since an "accusation" has been made against me and it not true.

When a thread is named Political Posts just stand back.

When John McCain discusses POW camps and torture I believe the man understands these subjects better then I do? It's personal. I want to know what he feels and thinks. I can't thank him enough for sharing his experiences.

I want to be in a discussion about diversity with people that are not all like me, white, straight, older, Catholic..............................

Is that clearer?

Sooooo, older, white Christians living in a "straight community" (not sure what that is) are unable to have discussions about diversity? Just to clarify, I need to be a young, gay atheist to have an credible opinion regarding diversity?
Sorry, but that will be an awfully exclusive group.....[/QUOTE]

When John McCain discusses POW camps and torture I believe the man understands these subjects better then I do. It's personal. I want to know what he feels and thinks. I can't thank him enough for sharing his experiences.

I want to be in a discussion about diversity with people that are not all like me, white, straight, older, Catholic..............................

Is that clearer?

If THE WORD politics is in the post stand back?!?!?

I just do not understand why some continue to promote that politics the subject or now even the word are the equivilant of some sort of boogeyman aura as if to be feared.

If the same folks had a fear of going down a dark alley for what ever reason....we would all most likely suppose those folks would not go down a dark alley. Now why doesn't that same logic follow regarding a political discussion. If one does not like politics then, like the dark alley....just simply do not go there.

As stated many, many times....such a simple and GUARANTEED solution....100% effective!:pray:

The fact of the matter is it's a TOTV rule, not a case of whether or not you should ignore something on here that is political in nature if you don't want to discuss politics. Why don't you implore Admin to reinstate the political opt-in/opt-out forum if you feel so strongly that political posts should be allowed?

I didn't care for the classified ads gumming up the New Posts/Today's Posts windows of the forum, and I didn't want the political posts gumming them up either. So the opt-out function worked for me.

Unless and until TOTV changes its rules, you can go to a different forum to discuss politics.

Now THAT is clear and logical! Thank you, CFrance!

I am not advocating or pushing for politics to be discussed when there is a rule not to do so.

I fully understand the rules and my posts recently have been aimed at those who keep harping about the evils of politics, the word politics, threads with political overtones, et al.

And when from time to time when it seems like the admin is allowing for discussions of current events I am against those who continuosly insist on dragging the thread in a political direction knowing full well the end result.

The inference in the above post about my intents regarding political posts in incorrct.

Who cares? Since 80+% of Villagers share the same middle ages thoughts there is very little to be debated on this forum.

Thanks for calling me a middle ager. I like doing math. And my son, Tommy says it's good for my brain. Look's like I'll be cashing in my chips when I'm 124.

You know, I always wanted a Corvette convertible.

My comment is that I feel the managers of the TOTV sometimes over react and remove what they deemed was a political statement.. I recently posted a comment that was actually directed as a complaint of the Daily Sun. It seemed that nearly every day there was a political cartoon (sometimes more than one) published . You might be able to guess the person to which the Daily Sun was lampooning. It wasn't the the person or party that upset me, but the fact that readers were being subjected to huge political cartoons on a daily basis.

Rubicon's thoughts above are right on point, and intelligent.

How about a ban on the posts that complain about a newly established poltical thread? And a de facto ban on those who would complain about them to the Administration.

Don't open it if you don't like political threads. Don't have to go into the kitchen if it's too hot, you know.

Basic civility rules could still govern all posters.

I had a post pulled because I said "maybe we could try to do what the president suggested and look for the common ground."

My statement was not exactly radical.

I'm not sure what the word political means according to TOTV.

I looked it up and it seems like it's somewhat ambiguous in many circles.

Isn't that a second childhood thing? That would be around 80.

Sorry. I misinterpreted your post.