Then how is it you've failed to post similar insinuations regarding the “Tea Party Racists” thread? You've obviously been aware the thread existed, you now cite it as "a great example" of threads "simply created to illicit responses from those who disagree politically" a "troll thread", in fact you even posted to that very thread but despite what you want everyone to believe now, you made absolutely no effort to include in your post any "troll' references, no troll pictures regarding that original poster?

The truth is and my response to your post in that thread hopefully illuminates what was that you simply and reflexively jumped on the opportunity to disparage the posting of a thread for which despite your avocation you had virtually nothing of substance to offer. Now the claim is “wasn't intended to be a personal attack on BillyBob by any means” and was “simply MY opinion on the thread CONTENT”, despite the post containing not a single syllable as to any “CONTENT”. It’s not about whether you like or dislike anyone it’s whether people can muster the character and conviction to treat others as they would want others to treat them. This is not a religious ideal or platitude, because when an individual finds themselves in circumstance where there are no rules, no enforcement, not pressure to act a certain way, what does remain is their internal understanding of self which might be all they have to draw upon when deciding how to act.

The truth is I couldn't care less who you are or what you think, but I would never and I mean never stoop so low as to use what "Troll and Rant" have become too many on this forum simply a means to limit yours or anyone else's speech. Of late there has been both an increase of the use of this tactic and almost a concerted effort by one faction to pile-on in doing so. The ultimate goal in these cases is to delegitimize the speech and speaker and almost more insidiously to excuse/encourage the disparate application of infraction discretion which unfortunately has increasingly become the norm.

The fundamental truth is that ultimately everyone is deprived when that happens. I’ve only been here 8 or nine years and have never once ever contacted an OD moderator or complained that someone’s posting is delegitmit or should be removed. I have always argued that moderation should be a last resort, should be impartially administered and transparent as possible; as result I have made and lost allies and enemies in both of the ideological camps, as well as moderators past and present.

As has been stated many times no one should fear the expressed opinions of another, no one forces anyone to consider them and certainly no one forces anyone to agree or disagree with them.

My self-commitment/principal is to never delete or substantively alter my posts, it hopefully encourages me to be more thoughtful and consistent about what I do post knowing that it will be there always for others to agree or disagree with and hold me to account for; it’s like life where there are no take-backs, no un-ringing of a bell once rung.