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Discussions where politics are mentioned

S

Skans

Active member
I've noticed that a number of threads have been locked because of "partisan politics". While I don't mean to break any of the rules in this regard, I've checked the rules and believe that I and others have been fully compliant.

The only rule that I found even discussing politics says:

"If you take issue with a Member's position, by all means speak your mind. If you have a problem with a Member's religion, creed, national origin, sex, politics, associations or personal hygiene, take it to email. "

I have not, nor have I seen anyone else make any personal attack against a member based on their political affiliation. I have criticized the existing administration, generally, and Democrat politicians, generally, due to my preception of their anti-gun and anti-2nd Amendment agenda. I have never made any remark about any member's politics or political affiliations. I'd like to know what rule I've been violating by bringing politics into certain discussions when relevant to the topic of firearms? What exactly are you trying to accomplish? May I suggest that if all political discussion are strictly off limits, you state this in your rules.
 
P

pax

New member
The only place on the board where discussions of public policy are permitted is within the Law & Civil Rights sub-forum. The rest of the board is reserved for discussions of firearms, not politics or cars or puppy dogs or anything else.

Here's a link to the rules of the L&CR forum, where public policy discussions are both allowed and encouraged: http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313714

Those rules are stickified at the top of the L&CR forum page, and I don't think they're ambiguous. They also give a pretty clear explanation of why partisan political discussion isn't allowed on TFL.

pax
 
S

Skans

Active member
Ok, I see that the rules in the Law & Civil Rights Forum are pretty clear to me. I honestly did not know that taking "pot-shots" at the Administration and politicians in other forums, when relevant, was off limits.

When I post in any forum, I first read the general rules that are posted. Your rule on political discussions is understandable, but not stated in the Forum Rules link. I don't usually post in the Law and Civil Rights forum. You might want to consider stating the rules regarding politics in detail there. Just a suggestion.
 
A

Al Norris

Moderator Emeritus
Skans, just so you know, there are specific rules for specific forums posted in some of the forums at TFL. It's always a "sticky" thread/post. It's always near the top of that particular area. For example:

In the Tactics and Training forum, there is this thread.

In the General Handguns forum, there is this.

There are such rules in Handloading and Reloading, in the General Discussion Forum, in L&CR and in every one of the forums in the Gunshow area.

These were all implemented at one point or another to further define rule #5 of the General Rules of Conduct for the area(s) that needed them:

As we can never convey a philosophy through a few rules, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to edit or delete posts and/or to revoke Membership. No Second Chances; No Argument; No Trial; No Way. At best you will receive one warning.

Fact of the matter is, that many members fail to read even the general rules, let alone the stickies in the individual forums.
 
H

hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
Skans, I am but a lowly regular member... but the way I see it is if a certain regulatory issue were to arise in regards to the "administration", the powers that be will allow discussion of the issue. Guessing that the administration may in the future enact such regulations is what is not allowed...
Just my dos centavos...
Brent
 
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