If anyone ENJOYS discussing the issues of your rights being used as toilet paper you’re on the wrong side of things. I liked what was presented as a guy who wasn’t PC and “bill clinton” about things, drew a line in the sand and said enough is enough.

The country wasn’t founded by people sitting around talking, it was people who gambled everything they had for the chance at something better, for the right to speak and be heard even if others weren’t comfortable with what they heard. They may have expected a little more tact at times, but that doesn’t mean they’d have heaved folks out on their ear.

As one of the minority who voted that it’s no OK to ban folks I see this as just more “go along to get along” and look at where that kind of thing has got us as a country.

If you pay for the bandwidth, you get to make the decisions.

And while Magnus is completely correct that it would seem as though no one really handled that comment thread particularly well, straightarrow is still ultimately responsible for his actions and comments. He chose to take the thread in a direction that was not contributory to anything… and then just keep shoving. I have no patience for people like that, myself…

However, I will also argue as I did in a thread above that straightarrow’s comment could have easily been seen as a threat. In another recent post, he commented that he endorsed the use of violence against those he perceived to “trespass him,” and at least one example he gave seemed like a very low threshold, like a boss and policy he didn’t agree with. So to come in shortly after that and say he now views us as anti-rights and ask to meet up…that’s definitely shady given his previous statements. In fact, when he said that, the other comment about violence immediately popped into my head.

I think for those who seem not to have read many of straightarrow’s comments, you have understand that several people noted either on here or privately if he was in fact an invented character to make gun owners and gun rights supporters look like they were off their rockers and dangerous. When pro-gun people start asking that about someone who claims they support the same issues, it’s a pretty good sign you’re not coming off as even remotely sane.

I’ve luckily never had to ban someone from my blog, but I’ve felt guilty the few times I’ve had to moderate comments. I think that Sebastian made a tough, but intelligent decision in this issue.

There is a great big difference between allowing open discussion and allowing people to threaten others.

There was this common misconception when I was News Director for KeepAndBearArms.com that commenters had a constitutional right to say whatever they damn well pleased, including some unpleasant, disgusting, insulting and downright threatening things. Sure they have the right to say them, but we certainly don’t have the obligation to provide them with a platform to do so. These people just didn’t get it. I was called a tyrant and some other unpleasant things when I would delete blatantly racist commentary from that site and finally had some banned for such speech.

Bottom line - if someone wants to be a jackass, they can build their own blog and bloviate all they want. But this is YOUR blog, and you have the right to get rid of them.

Nicki

No, that was outright insulting, and he had hurled the bomb back at JNS for it, I wouldn’t have taken exception.

Straightarrow has a long history of being mean, insulting and denigrating to those who don’t see things the same way he does.

Your house, your rules–ban him anytime for any reason, or no reason at all. I have no heartburn with that–none.

He got angry because instead of playing the normal game, where we rationally explain how it’s set up, so he can accuse us of being dupes, we got snarky with him.

My apologies, it’s just that I was expecting a bit more professional behavior than mudslinging from this blog.

Although, I don’t see this as “snarky”–”Wow, StraightArrow. You are so incredibly dumb.-JNS”

If people were fed up with straightarrow or not, directly and backhandedly insulting him was not the way to handle the situation.

I’ll be honest, I’m rather tired of dealing with people who shit all over people and think it’s just OK. I have no problem with disagreement. I don’t even have a problem with someone being harsh with me. But straightarrow was getting to the point where I just felt like he wasn’t contributing anything beyond vile and vitriol.

I’m not sure this is a house I want to visit if this is how the people who come here treat each other–even their trouble makers.

I can assure you this is not going to be a common occurrence. I take no pleasure out of doing things like this.

First, I don’t want to seem to be condoning straightarrow’s comments, so bear with me a sec…

I read that thread. straightarrow asked a question–without being a mind reader nobody could know his motive at that point.

The three responses before straightarrow blew his lid were, in order, a sarcastic reply, a direct insult, and a veiled insult of his intelligence.

Sebastian was sarcastic, JNS was just plain insulting, and Bitter talked down to him. I can see why he blew his top, not that I agree with how he handled it–not at all–still, nobody handled it well.

Then every person making a post in that comment chain after straightarrow blew up ( except jetfxr69’s) tossed another insult.

I, me, the person writing this comment, do not think any of the parties involved handled that situation well at all.

There is only one person without blame in that comment chain–and all he did was ask “Ummm, what just happened here?”

Sebastian, this is your house with your rules. However, you invited the public here so it’s up to you to maintain order. You don’t want specific people here, that’s your prerogative–no question about that.

But, banning one person and allowing comments such as “Wow, StraightArrow. You are so incredibly dumb” to stand without comment is not the way to go either.

straightarrow crossed a line that he shouldn’t have crossed–no doubt about it. However, the way everyone responded was also inappropriate.

If people were fed up with straightarrow or not, directly and backhandedly insulting him was not the way to handle the situation.

At the time I’m writing this (comments are not turned off there yet), nobody in that comment chain (except jetfxr69) can hold their head up and say “The way I responded was not wrong.”–nobody.

I’m not sure this is a house I want to visit if this is how the people who come here treat each other–even their trouble makers.

I’d hate to ask a question here because something was outside my experience and be hit with such answers such as Sebastian, JNS, and Bitter gave straightarrow.

I will admit that I don’t accept compromise as the right tactic quite as often as Sebastian does. But at least I’m mature enough to just not look at his blog for a few days if something rubs me wrong.

That was a pretty sad display of temper management. Unfortunately, I agree with SA on some points but those points tend to get lost in the foul language and threats.

Pity.

Its about time.