There is a resident "expert" on all things on BC, I won't name him because I doubt I need to. Yesterday he made a statement, the subject line said "Every US soldier has the option not to go", followed by pointing out that under the army's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, a soldier who said he or she was gay would be discharged from the service. Since most soldiers are not gay, I took that to mean he thought it was alright to lie to get out of military service, and said so.
This morning I find a PM from him accusing me of either misquoting him or deliberately lying to make him look bad. When I went back to get copies of the relevant posts, wadda ya know, they are GONE. Since it appears this person has the priviledges to edit what has been written, there is no way, indeed no point in attempting to establish my credibility. Since all I have here is my word, and that seems to be no longer good, I don't see any point in sticking around.
Good Bye to most,
Sho
Comments
If You Go, He Has Won
I did not follow the exchange but I would respectfully ask you to reconsider leaving BC because of the actions of one person. You know you are right so stand your ground,
Joanne
Don't be sad
These days, signing up to be in the military pretty much guarantees that you will see combat. Of course it is not like the Vietnam days when being male and alive pretty much did that; unless you were one of the priveleged.
Did you not realize the certainty of your going to Iraq when you signed up? I am confused.
I'd also advise you to take such matters to Erin imediately, so the perp can be dealt with.
Gwendolyn
I don't know whether the comment was in a blog or in comments
on a story.
I won't get into the politics of the argument because that is against board policy.
If it is in the comments on a story the author is given control, and may have asked for the thread to be removed.
Erin and the mods will also unpublish threads that violate board policy, it sounds to me like that this discussion very well might have done so.
The rules about politics and religious discussions have been brought up as a recurring theme, too darn often of late. Always because people have gotten heated in discussing these topics.
Everyone say after me, take a deep breath, and repeat what your mother always told you, "Don't discuss politics and religion in public."
Hugs,
Kristy
Speak Your piece
I being a combat Veteran with some behavior problems caused by certain stressors have learned to let it roll off my back. Whomever you are talking about certainly without a moments hesitation removed their opinion.
As a combat vet and a career military person. I was told I coud not refuse my orders unless it was going to be a hazard or life endangerment. Going into combat is what the military is about. To avoid combat one must declare themselves a Conscientious Objector (CO) and validate their claim. Since the military is an all vounteer organization a CO is probably not going to be serving in a combat unit.
Each of us took and oath to protect the Constitution and to obey all orders written and verbal.
I retired before Don't ask don't tell came into place. I'm sure if someone who claims they are gay will have to substantiate their claim.
Even before don't ask don't tell it took some doing to prove a person was gay. I was involved in one of several interrogations investigating other members claim someone had approached him asking for sex.
I've learned most "Know it alls" don't. (know it all) Just like highly educated people aren't (fully educated).
Let it go, stay amongst those of us who are just like you. We need to have solidarity.
Jill Micayla
May you have a wonderful today and a better tomorrow
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
FRAUD!!!!
From your remarks it appears someone is inaccurately describing themselves as the resident "expert" on all things BC.
I don't recall an election, but I'm throwing my hat in the ring for the title -- if such a title is to be awarded. If we did have an election and I somehow lost -- I demand a recount! At least we need to have the Price-Waterhouse people in to do an audit.
Most experts -- aren't. Most have bluster in their limited bag of tricks. Sorry your feelings were hurt, however, when you get on the topic of military service you're walking in a minefield of exposed nerves. Don't be surprised when something blows.
BC is far from a perfect world, but I wonder how many worlds don't have a resident "expert" who loves to spout and huff and blow until people leave.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Take a moment
Sho before you decide to leave. Please take a moment and talk to both the person who Pm'ed you and Erin. This all could be just a big misunderstanding. As for the D.A.D.T. policy that will get a person discharged but not with an Honorable status. The actual discharge is listed as a General discharge under Honorable conditions. So in a sense Yes they do have the choice to go just like we have the choice to ignore a traffic ticket. Just like every other choice there are consequences, we have to live with those consequences.
And no I am not attacking anyone with this post
Jayme Ann
The answers to all of life's questions can be found in the face of a true friend
The answers to all of life's questions can be found in the face of a true friend
I removed that discussion for flames
Only three people have the ability to do so, and the person you are talking about is not one of them. The discussion isn't gone, it's just unpubbed and invisible to anyone without moderator priveleges. I wanted things to calm down and then I would have restored the postings. The whole thing was a huge digression having very little to do with the story it was attached to. That's a violation of rules here, so I yanked it temporarily because it was getting nastily personal as well. I pulled several posts that were harmless but entangled in the thread.
I act to protect BC as a place for stories in cases like this. It happens two or three times a month so it's no secret. Edgy discussions like the one going on yesterday have their places but BC is not the place for them.
You're welcome back when you wish to come back.
- Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Verrrry Interrrestingggg ...
So the responses un-pub'd were considered contentious, but the Briar's original - and very political - post is considered okay? Why? Because it's a leftist position?
Honestly, who would ever think that this was ~political~:
> Duty is to his Family, not to an abstract, imaginary concept like the USA.
And who would ever think that ~this~ would be the least bit contentious:
> gallavanting off to some poor foreign country where everything is different, to play at silly soldiers? And he is proud to do it? Fool of a man! I hope he gets his comeuppance there and doesnt come back!
Feh!
Read what I said earlier
I unpubbed the comments at the point at which people stopped talking about the characters in the story. That's the Rubicon.
Leftist, schmeftist. I keep my own politics out of stuff here, for the most part. Liberals think I'm conservative and conservatives think I'm liberal. If anyone doesn't like my policies on matters like this, well, I can set you up with your own site to run at TGLibrary.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Remeber that exchange
I believe I saw what is being discussed. In fact, I was one of those deleted -- heck, for all I know, I caused that portion of the thread to be deleted, and I say this with pride, it wouldn't be the first time. :)
I'm a big believer in keeping public and private arguments separate. If someone wants to call me a liar in a PM, that's pretty much okay with me. If I respected the person, then it would make me sad, but it gets flushed with the coffee because both of us know what the truth is. It's when my name gets publicly smeared or is brought up sneakily as a "controversy" that I get pissed. I feel your pain, because the comments are gone, and an honorable person would want to clear his or her name -- even to a single individual in private, but as a rule, I'd advise you to do the same.
That being said, I think I saw what the issue is about. I won't say more than I absolutely have to because it's not my business -- the only reason I'm going this far is because I see the outrage of a person who considers his reputation and the truth extremely important. Since the proof either way is gone, it's become a festering sore.
Honestly, I saw the controversy as a simple misunderstanding. As I said, the proof is gone now, so I can't prove it, but I saw a mistake, one that was so easily checked (a few seconds) that it couldn't have been meant deliberately -- nor did it affect the core of the argument, in my opinion. Still, I can see how a debater might get a bit perturbed by it in the heat of an important debate. Normally these things would roll on by, but not in this very specific instance.
In any case, your honor is intact, actually, that goes for both of you. I'll send you a PM with the details.
Many regards,
Aardvark
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Not gone
Just suspended till things cool. The unpubbed comments will be restored in a week or so.
There did seem to be a lot of misunderstanding on that thread, to me. Several remarks probably intended to be taken as humor may have come across as serious inflammatory proddings. Other remarks may have been understood as having applications not intended by the original writer. I doubt not that most of the people reading and writing had good intentions and were in agreement on major parts of the discussion. It just began to get out of hand.
On anything non-political, such things might just die away without further comment. But since the discussion had wandered far away from being about the story and looked likely to explode (which it has), I suspended the discussion. Actually, I tried to move the discussion to its own thread in the forums but that facility hasn't worked since an update to Drupal last year about this time.
It was my judgement call, because I'm the one who has to make those in the interest of preserving BigCloset as a place to post stories.
I will say I'm sorry if there are hurt feelings about the removal, not as an apology for my actions but as empathy for someone who feels they have been done an injury.
Hugs to all,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
They won't let me play, why?
I always get excluded from these discussions, and can't even get nasty comments, or even a spanking or get punished by the use of chains. :( It feels just like when I was a child, and the big kids always excluded little "Gwendolyn". :( It all makes me feel very insecure. Once in a while Erin gently chews me out and then I feel better.
Gwendolyn
Not surprised at the fallout - Sho don't go.
RAMI
The comments did move away from being about the story, regarding Billy/ie's dad being a jerk, to his being in the military and that's why he was a jerk. It got more political after that. I even mentioned in one of my comments, that I was not going to post the remainder of what I had to say because I knew that it might cross the political discussion line. I know that what I wanted to say would have taken the thread of comments further away from the story.
I had hoped by seeing that the rhetoric might have ended. It did not and gotten more heated. I guess Erin either saw it on her own or it was brought to her attention. I think she did the right thing. Comments should be about the story.
Sho, I do not know what was said in the PM or remember exactly what you said. But in remembering a little of what was posted, I do not think you mistated what a previous comment said. You may have pointed out that what they said was wrong.
Hopefully Erin can get the system up and running so that threads like can be transferred elsewhere. She did the right thing to pull the thread before it got even more nasty than it did.
Sho don't go. You make an important contribution to the community. I even think you have questioned one of my posts concerning Anistasia's story.
RAMI
RAMI
RAMI
Please don't go. It was
Please don't go. It was removed because it was political. I remember the discussion, too, and it was getting really off topic. Please stick around!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Don't See, Don't Know
Hey. I didn't see any of the thread you're referring to, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't see it. Please take that into consideration before you leave. I've seen several of your comments on other stories and blogs and they've all been nice. Your reputation is intact as far as I'm concerned. :)
- Terry