Banned!!!!

[Ghost]

I got myself banned at a retriever chat site for talking about political views. I expressed views about PETA, Health Care reform, President Obama, etc. This in all got me banned by the moderators. They called me a TROLL. What ever the heck that is. Here at racks and spurs, you can talk about anything you feel like talking about just as long as it is respectful and the debate is healthy. Here we support the basic God given freedoms. I guess they do not do that over there at the Retriever forum site. I have never seen anything like what is going on over there. The mentality of some of the people that are over there are down right scary.

They even went as far to ban Sinatra81 because he chimed in on some of my threads and said they were funny or agreed with my original post. He never even made a negative post. They banned him for his opinions alone.

I realize that any forum that requires a registration is private and the owner can set the rules how ever they see fit. But to censor or ban a member based off of a different view, that is not a good idea in my opinion. But, that is just my opinion.

Thank the good Lord we have a owner and pro staff that have an excellent code of ethics and values. I truly have a greater respect for our owner/pro staff.

[Ghost]

I think I owe a big thank you to all the Pro Staff for the values and ethics that they stand by in running this site. I personally have taken for granted the freedoms that we have here. By that I mean, our freedom to speak our minds on any subject that we want to without fear of being singled out by the staff.

I would like to say thank you. Never again will I take for granted those freedoms.

[Olddog]

This is the best forum I have been in. I have left 4 that some of the moderators made it look like I was an idiot, but if so why did they come to me for advice on some of the lakes around here and PLACE in those tourneys.

[pike]

Ghost sorry to here that about you and sinatra!! They even changed your handle to Imatroll2!!
Let me see a PETA thread on that site!!PIke

[THE GOB-FATHER]

Brian, I'm very sorry to hear of such instances in which a person cannot express their mind. Although I have not seen the thread in question on said site, I can say through personal interaction with you as well as having had witnessed your participation on this site that you are one person whom although is opinionated is also very open to responsible and healthy debate. DEBATE being the key word here. There (as I've said many times before) is a VERY BIG difference between a debate and an argument. Debates can be very healthy and informative and contribute to the bettermeant of those to which partake in such conversations as well as those who witness them. That being said, you are absolutely justified in being offended in being stricken from your ability to speak out. Each forum and it's administration is run differently. I cannot speak on the actions of others to which I've not encountered personal experiences with, but as a brother of the Racks & Spurs community... I, as I know others do, believe in you and your heartfelt statements and/or convictions.

The problem is, is that all too often, we all have an opinion. And if ours doesn't coincide with an "oposing view" we have a tendancy to take offense. This is where it goes wrong... and that is MY opinion.

I've learned over the years to accept that not everyone will always think like me, speak like me and certainly not act like me. That's just being human and being an individual! We pride ourselves amoung the Pro Staff that we are a democratic committee to whereas we collectively pursue an avenue within this community to provide the most unbiased, well ballanced outdoor forum on the net. We may fall short from time to time in our efforts as we all have other avenues in which we partake in on a day to day basis, but we certainly put in all efforts to ensure that we provide an environment in which you and all other great members of this forum can enjoy such great freedoms of speech, opinions, and ability to civily discuss matters of the heart. The day that dies, is the day this family dies... and I don't see that happening any time soon!

We're glad that you have a place here on the net to express your thoughts and I'm sure I speak on behalf of the entire Racks & Spurs community when I say that we will always continue to hold a high standard of ethics and values right along with you in fighting the good fight.

God bless,

Jason

[LongSpur39]

What are they a friggin country club!! It is funny you mention other site's. There are a few out there that remind of Debbie Downer! ;D If you step outside the box or agree with someone else who does. Well you suck too! The thing is I know where I stand and i'm basically a low key dude. If somethin smells like it .It probably is. But some of these folks ,who are suppose to be on our side as sportsmen.They are no different than antis too me. Infact i wouldn't doubt if some are indeed antis! And some moderators i have seen on them have no mind of their own anyhow. I can appreciate debatable issues.And can appreciate some one elses opinions.There is no sense in getting into a heated debate with someone. They have their views and you have to respect that. May not be my view but oh well. I respect someone elses stance they should respect mine. That is why I'm here in my spare time. Good folks with all different views. And there have been only a couple who were out of line.You go to some of these sites,the bashing and negativity is flat out disgusting and consumes them. They get home and run to the computer to see what crap they stirred up.I get home i come on here to relax and read about other folks with a common interest. I can learn something different or something i have experienced. i have seen some forums that every thread is a debatable issue. I get enough of that crap at my job or in every day life.And we have also seen these indivisuals who stir up things to be basically A holes,come from these other negative places.And lay their crap in here. And it's funny you usual can sniff them out. It's a good place to come and enjoy hunting stories from places I have never been.

[hugo1989]

I have been banned from one that I used to frequent a lot because I had a view that differed from a moderator. This individual would pick the opposite side of anything that I said and then would harass me with a series of posts. I sent the individual multiple pm's expressing that I did not enjoy being ridiculed on every post that held my name. After no success with that route, I asked him in a public post that everyone could see. I gained a lot of supporting comments and eventually was banned by the moderator. I emailed the admins to ask why I was banned and the response was "in the future, we would recommend to not get in pissing contests with the moderators." I am glad to see that it looks like freedom of expression is valued on here.