"Something of Historic Proportion is Happening"

[Varmit]

Not really.

[Wilma]

And yet, you CHOSE to go serve under one that you didn't trust.  You CHOSE.  The operative word here is CHOSE.  I lived through the time when the young men didn't have a choice.

[Kjell H.]

Well you better be damn glad he and others like him CHOSE to go. Because of that , you still are able to enjoy your freedoms.

Now ......I"M going back to bed and try to go back to sleep..

[Varmit]

you're right wilma, I did Choose. That decision had nothing to do with who was president.  In my opinion the Draft never was and will never be right.  What is your point?

[Wilma]

My point is that many, many young men went to fight for this country, left their wives and small children, not knowing when or if they would see them again.  They didn't have a choice.  Their country needed them in a way that it had not needed them before.  They went because it was the right thing to do.  In a way, they did not have a choice.  If they had chosen not to go, we might not have the country we have today, no matter how bad it might be.  You made the choice because you wanted to.  They made the choice because there was no alternative.  Maybe I don't know what real combat is, but do you know what the threat of invasion is?

[Jo McDonald]

Wilma, instead of constantly finding fault with and criticizing and belittling Billy, as you do....  we all and I do mean ALL Americans owe a huge debt of gratitude to our military who have and still do make it possible for us to live in a free country.
My husband, brother-in-laws, nephews and niece have all helped in that cause, and I am profoundly proud of them.  I should think you would be too.

  Jo

[Wilma]

I am proud of them.  Jo, you lived through the same era I did.  Maybe you didn't get as much news at the time as I did as I had a daily paper available and unlimited access to the newsreels at the movies.  In my opinion, what the young men did then was just as heroic, maybe more so, than what the young men do now.  Either way, it is horrible but necessary.  I would still rather have it happen over there than on my home land.  The only reason I am "picking' on Billy is his attitude that he is someone special because of what he went through.  He isn't the first one, the only one or the last one to do this.  But does that give him the right to constantly find fault with, criticize and belittle his president and country or to pick on other forum members when they don't agree with him?  Lucky him, he came home.  Now I would like to hear him say something good about the school system, our govenment, our county.  I know all about freedom of speech but that applies to all of us, doesn't it?

This used to be a fun and friendly place to be, but now there is very little other than complaints.  Which reminds me, I have a Soap Box Day Today entry to make and I am really frustated about it. 

[Varmit]

My point is that many, many young men went to fight for this country, left their wives and small children, not knowing when or if they would see them again.  They didn't have a choice.  Their country needed them in a way that it had not needed them before.  They went because it was the right thing to do.  In a way, they did not have a choice.  If they had chosen not to go, we might not have the country we have today, no matter how bad it might be.  You made the choice because you wanted to.  They made the choice because there was no alternative.  Maybe I don't know what real combat is, but do you know what the threat of invasion is?

You say that you're proud of them, and yet you belittle the troops for wanting to join, for not waiting until they had to, but for joining out of a sence of honor, duty, loyalty, and commitment.  Oh, yeah, you sound real proud.  Frankly, I don't give a damn why someone chooses to join the military.  The man that is drafted sacrifaces just as much as a volunteer.  You see, thats the thing about bullets, they don't stop to ask why a person is there, they don't make a distinction. 

I am proud of them.  Jo, you lived through the same era I did.  Maybe you didn't get as much news at the time as I did as I had a daily paper available and unlimited access to the newsreels at the movies.  In my opinion, what the young men did then was just as heroic, maybe more so, than what the young men do now.  Either way, it is horrible but necessary.  I would still rather have it happen over there than on my home land.  The only reason I am "picking' on Billy is his attitude that he is someone special because of what he went through.  He isn't the first one, the only one or the last one to do this.  But does that give him the right to constantly find fault with, criticize and belittle his president and country or to pick on other forum members when they don't agree with him?  Lucky him, he came home.  Now I would like to hear him say something good about the school system, our govenment, our county.  I know all about freedom of speech but that applies to all of us, doesn't it?

I NEVER stated that I was the first, last, or only man to serve his county and how dare you accuse me of such.  I have NEVER criticized my country nor have I belittled it.  If Freedom of Speech applies to all of us, then why can I not state my opinion as freely or in a manner I choose?  Or does Freedom of Speech only apply when we are in agreement with you?

[Wilma]

I didn't say that you said that you were the first, the only or the last.  I said that your attitude says that.  I don't know you, Billy, so the only way I have of determining what kind of a person you are is from what you post and the words and tone of your posts do not speak well of you.  And don't ask me how I can tell what tone you are using because I cannot explain it.  It is just there and I am not the only one that takes it that way.  If you want a different image, try tempering your posts.

Maybe Pam could explain how a person can read attitude into a written post.  She seems to be sensitive to things like that, too.

[Kjell H.]

Now wait just a minute.
To be fair, I don't know you Wilma. Never have met you, but by the tone and sound of your posts to me, it doesn't speak well of you either. (and as you so quickly pointed out to Mr. Roe, I am not the only one who takes your posts that way.) It doesn't take much to read Attitude in things that are written. It is easier of course when you know that person, but also easier to make a mistake of THINKING you are reading attitude when you do NOT know that person and have no idea how they speak or the facial and physical mannerisms that they use while talking. You say you don't know Billy, but yet you claim to be able to know that he has attitude.
What, may I ask, do you think people get from you when you post what you do?

I am a neutral party in this. I have not lived here all my life and because of that, I don't have the life history that my wife has when it comes to knowing people and how they act. So I feel I can speak freely here.

What you don't realize; what you all don't realize is that Teresa and I get all the personal emails and all the personal pms from a very lot of people on the general census of  posts on the forums. We are like the "psychiatrists couch for the web" I guess you could say.
If there is a dislike of someone, we hear about it.
If there is distension among people on the forum, we hear about it.
If there is personal problems aside from the website, we hear..no, Teresa..is told and hears about it.
In fact Teresa , because she is a good  and trusted listener is actually the one who gets all the correspondence.
When she says she badly needs a break from her forum duties, the fact of the matter is, she only takes a break from posting. Her behind the scenes maintenance job and personal duty continue on daily.

People write and voice their displeasure (and pleasure ) all the time with what is happening on the forums. I am amazed by the amount of emails she receives from this on a daily basis.
We are bound by our own rules and standards to never disclose or as Teresa likes to put it *blab* to anyone what is told or talked to us about. And we will hold strong to that.

Wilma, you said that Mr. Roe needs to temper his posts.  I will step out here and tell you that you are in the minority on this one.
There are a whole heap of  hard core American Patriots out there reading this forum that if they could ( as one gentleman  from Indiana so plainly put it)  "he would stand up, throw his hat in the air and cheer at the top of his lungs, when Billy Roe posts."
Elk County's mild political attitude does not mirror what most of the Old Timer Americans feel.

We get more dissatisfied feedback from what others on here are posting than what  Billy Roe is posting.
I think I can say this much. The terms; self righteous, constantly an authority, pretending perfection; continues to come up time after time. So I think there has been enough sandbox fights in here for awhile.
What we all have to keep in mind is that we have the members that post and then we have 1000 times that  many people who are reading.

All I am saying is, no one is above changing their tone or their attitude. A few people have openly voiced their approval of the way Diane posts.  Just as many have privately voiced other opinions.The same for Wilma and Pam and even Teresa gets her fair share of 'disapproval ' and ass chewings from the outside at times.  So no one is immune from others judgments. Just because you haven't been publicly singled out and told, doesn't mean that they are not there.

Public forums are hard to monitor because of the great diversity and differences of people. That's why we must all try to remember that because you are not in a room with like minded people, that everyone isn't going to agree.
And with passionate subjects being discussed, the old saying to 'agree to disagree' generally loses air after a few posts.

There are always going to be people we like and dislike.  There is always going to be the challenge of interacting with those people if you want to be in a public conversation where no person is banned from that conversation.

I don't have the right answer. But I do know that I built this site as a free gift to those in Elk County who wanted to get together and discuss and talk. We make no income at all from this site...and we absorb all the maintenance and software costs ourselves. This is what we both agreed and decided on when I built it. That it was to be a no cost or user fee to anyone who wanted to join and use it.  What I didn't realize is how fast and how large that 'Elk County" group became.
That is something that should be held in high pride for our little community.

But for some to assume that because someone isn't posting "the way that they should properly post".. that they should have some sort of  bit and bridle on them, to appease the 'correct few'  is wrong.
Teresa and I both keep a tight eye on all that goes on in all our websites and forums. If things get disrespectful and too far off the path we have decided to send that person a pm. talking to them about it. But lots of times we miss something too. We are far from perfect in this area.

Not to make this as long winded as my wife's posts  but our working hours are 80% of our days and nights. It is never ending when you are dealing with websites, content videos, programming etc. Plus the travel time to locations filming for 3 different sections of TV , plus the hundreds of personal emails and calls that we get , and then there is the personal family and domestic obligations to roll into that.
Sometimes it is like a hard rock and roll song that is on high volume 24 hours a day with no way to get away from it.

Please.. state your viewpoints in any way shape of fashion you want. Everyone has their own way and signature to their posting.  Billy, Pam, Warph, Anmar...and a few others You have a certain way with your words that if you never added your name, we would know who you were.That is good. It is what makes a good writer that people keep coming back to time and time again.

So yes... Something of a historic nature is happening here. I hope we all can carry on and enjoy yourselves on the forum.