Our Forum Family

[Teresa]

SixDogsMom , This is response to your comment in the Barrack/Sambo thread about not posting anymore because of you being a liberal etc etc...
I don't and have not...nor has anyone that I am aware of voiced any statement that you couldn't speak your mind on here in this forum. By the looks of your postings, you speak what you feel in the way that you feel it and do a wonderful job of it. You are far from being a less than intelligent person. And you might be strongly outspoken, but so am I and Frank and Pam and Tobino and Catwoman and minnie/mom of 2 boys  and Warph and my mama and Wilma and Angie and Waldo and Marcia and  I could go on and on and on with names...but everyone who is on this forum on a daily basis is strong minded in certain areas.. Some of us are high energy talkers on current issues ..others are fact and history givers of other areas. But we all have a place in this family.   
Just because we as a forum family, don't see eye to eye on some matters does not make anyone any in this place better or worse than the next person. We are all Americans and we all have the right to say what we feel. I don't think that any one of us has any reason to cower down and act like we don't belong.

Six Dogs.. you do yank my chin a bit sometimes..as I am sure I yank yours..But I still respect you for having your own beliefs. Can you imagine what it would be like if we all thought exactly the same? The world would be very very structured and there wouldn't be any ripples.. but how in the world would we ever learn anything?
I think that God knows exactly what he is doing when he allows us to continue to evolve in lifetimes chucked full of learning lessons. Without the differences, there would be no learning and without the learning, we can not become spiritually advanced. 

I frankly am very proud of the people on here. And I say that from my heart! I am PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!
We have a great group of people in our little online community. I have talked and prayed and cheered and laughed with people who I never would have gotten to know (even though some of us all live close ) if I hadn't been on this forum.
We all have put forth deep thought out comments  from all sides of issues political, religious, and in general. 
I can tell you that the highest usage of the forum from members and guests are when we have an ongoing debate battle going on.
That tells me that there are lots of people who are reading and learning whether they believe the same way or not, they are reading and learning.
There is so much that I have read in here that I didn't know much about, and I feel now I have alot more information to at least know about something when I see it on the news or I hear others having a conversation. And some of it on posts that I started and THOUGHT I knew about..only to be told I didn't know all that I thought I knew. 

We all have our areas where we have opened up some knowledge for someone else. Whether it is republicans and democrats and Independents hashing out strongly about issues and candidates..or whether it is the oil crisis or government animal  tagging or owning and shooting guns to opinions on racial issues, school problems, and local news items. We cry and reach out to help the same people minutes before who we were arguing politics with.
Do you get where I am going with all of this?

It always hurts me and makes me so sad when I have someone say that they are leaving the forum because they don't like the things being said. Or that they don't feel like they can voice their opinions without someone jumping on them.
We ALL get that! Tell me one person that has posted something on here that someone else hasn't said  " Wait a minute here.. you are wrong and so full of crap. I think this way etc etc.. "  I don't think you can name anyone that hasn't been counter-attacked.. LOL

And yeah we all have thought at one time or another.. " To heck with it". My feelings have been hurt and the majority doesn't understand and believe the way I do I am not posting on this thread anymore. I'm not going to say anything to anybody anymore and that's THAT!"
.
I've been there ...so I understand. Buuuuttt.. I creep back in and find I am in full force once again. So .the ones that feel like that are the warriors..the leaders... and without the talkers, movers and shakers, the forum ceases to be a place that anyone wants to come to. People LIKE debate! They like to have the electricity of issues (no matter the subject) speaking back and forth. THAT is when the activity of the forum starts going off the chart.

I manage, post, and run 3 HUGE forums and we can be very proud of what we have here. So each and everyone of you have a right to be here.. to speak your mind with the understanding that even though we don't and won't agree on everything.. we must remember that we are a special kind of "family"..
And family's don't quit!   

PS~ I'm sorry that I am such a windbag. My kids hated it and still do when I call a family powwow cause they say I run a subject into the ground.. but I just want to try to make you understand and the only way I can do that is type like I talk. 

[pam]

Teresa, You are so right if I could reach in here and give a high five I would lol. Personally I'm just bowin out of politics for a while cause I'm gettin too caught up in it and I catch myself gettin really stressed because of it. I have strong opinions I know, and I have personal beliefs that I ain't even gone into lol ( god save me from THAT one). If I see somthin I just can't contain myself about I'll probly jump back in the deep end  , but I've been catchin myself wantin to blast both barrels and figure that isn't the way I want to go. You do a really good job with this forum and I really respect your thoughts and ideas, thanks.

[Bonnie M.]

Teresa, it's impossible to please all of the people all of the time, but, "little darlin'" you do your best!

[Teresa]

Thanks ladies.
Ok .. you can kiss the ring now..


I know..I know.. I'm impossible..(serious one minute and totally off the wall the next.

No wonder my poor poor mother is totally white headed now.
It's okay Mama.. you tried ..really you did.. 

[sixdogsmom]

If I kiss yours will you kiss mine? 

I do get stressed and just think I can use a break; so have at it right wingers. Say all the cuss words, slurs and drag all the stuff in from all the sewers on the internet. You won't hear anything about it from me for a little while. I am gonna sit out for a bit and let it simmer. I need it I guess you can tell.

[Wilma]

SDM, if you feel you need to, then do so,

BUT PLEASE COME BACK SOON 

[Jo McDonald]

Well--- here I sit - reading, sighing, shaking my head and smiling~~~ one of the reasons I like this forum ( other than the fact that is Kjell and Teresa's ) is the out in the open opinions of everyone that post on here.  It is wonderful that thoughts, ideas and reality is shared by so many.  And just think of all the entertainment that the lookers only get from all of this jostling back and forth.  I do know that it would be a sad sad world if we all thought the same way - would that not be the most boring life we could lead?  I believe we are all blessed to live in a country that allows us to use our voices, maybe sometimes on purpose to agitate and other times to calm, but as we do so, we let the world know we do have a mind of our own and thoughts that are ours and not programmed as robots.
  I worry every day about the ones we have spouting their words of wisdom, or so they think they are, and telling us all that they are going to lead us down the right path - just follow along as sheep and we will show you the way.  Well, frankly, I don't think either of them have a clue which way they are even going.  Just words, half truths and wanna be big shots -- without a workable plan in their empty heads.
  God will see us through this --- as he always has, but we, as his people, have to be able to do some things for ourselves, and having an open mind is good for the soul.  We need to keep sharing our thoughts and our goals, in order to have a better world for those that will  follow us, generations from now. 

[Teresa]

I do get stressed and just think I can use a break; so have at it right wingers. Say all the cuss words, slurs and drag all the stuff in from all the sewers on the internet. You won't hear anything about it from me for a little while. I am gonna sit out for a bit and let it simmer. I need it I guess you can tell.

LOL
If what you are hearing is internet sewer sounds.. cuss words and slurs, maybe you do need a breather. 
I haven't heard any of that.. but then again.. Maybe I've missed something.

well, anyway... come back when you are rested. 

[flo]

[indygal]

I too hope your time away is brief, sixdogsmom. I've been reading the Politics thread for the last few months and have been upset a few times myself. I can't speak for sdm, but what I observe here is occasional debate, which is healthy. However, there are a lot more posts that contain slanderous remarks about two candidates for our nation's presidency, many of them based on rumor. Debate means we are discussing ideas. Debate is not blaming our political parties for all the wrongs in the world and treating the followers of any of the parties as dunces for doing so. Using broad strokes to characterize any person is a dangerous thing; to do so to entire groups of people is blatant prejudice.

While I've not noticed anyone personally attacked for their political beliefs, there are numerous comments made that are thinly veiled. If I say I am a member of the Green Party, and someone posts that anyone who belongs to that party is an idiot (or delusional, or a barnyard animal, or a misogynist or a racist...you get the idea) then that person is calling me those names without saying them to my face. It is no different than saying that all Muslims are terrorists (and there are people who believe this), when the majority of the world knows this is not true. Heaven forbid that all Christians be judged on the basis of the Spanish Inquisition.

Think for just a moment if there were a forum discussion thread titled "Baptists Are Redneck Welfare Cheats." I can't imagine that happening here, but it would certainly ignite some heated discussion, perhaps outrage, and would certainly hurt the feelings of our Baptist friends. Ask yourself: would you be on that thread adding to those slurs? Or would you be coming to the defense of those who practice their freedom of religion at the church of their choice, even if it's not your faith or church? Would there be debate/discussion in which questions are asked about each other's faiths and practices, or would the thread evolve into an exchange of name-calling and finger-pointing?

It's really no different with political views. They are just as deeply held, but unfortunately they are not as courteously respected. There is no such thing as a "pure" liberal and or "pure" conservative (or if there are such folks, they are rare). Each party has something to offer to the voters, and we (or at least I) try to decide which candidate best embraces what we hope for our country. Listen to the candidates, not the pundits. Form your own opinion based on the issues, not the character attacks by the media. These folks are owned by corporations with agendas. What qualities do you seek in a leader? Pay attention to the individual's inner qualities and not what color they are or what accessories they wear. (Remember, the Nazis demanded flag salutes and wore swastikas to announce their allegiance to the party. As a country, we must make damned sure we never get to that point.)

If we wish to remain the United States, we're going to have to find some common ground. Nothing ever gets accomplished between two parties -- of politics, religion, class, countries -- if they treat each other with disrespect (or scorn). That isn't patriotism, it's antagonism. It's no wonder people feel defensive and emotions run high. This political season has been, at least to me, nothing more than straining at gnats and swalllowing camels. Shamefully, it's driving wedges between people who have more in common than we are ready to admit.

I'd venture to say if this political discussion board dealt with issues that affect each and every one of us -- the economy, education, health care, taxes ... stuff that matters -- and why we each see things the way we do, it would be an enlightening place to visit and not one that raises blood pressure.

Just a thought (OK, a really long one! LOL)