[Andy Baker]

There is more of an issue here than just plain censorship. Many of you are not seeing the forest through the trees. I have seen that most of SilenceNoMore's posts are stirring things up. He/she is challenging the normal paradigms we have and many people are rising up and defending their positions with conviction. Is this a bad thing? No. People need to defend their beliefs and it is good to have someone question what you believe in once in a while.

While sometimes, certain posts by certain people may be deemed inappropriate, their opinions still need to be heard. I actually like the fact that some people (even SilenceNoMore) come in here and have the guts to say what they feel, even if their opinion is in the minority. While I don't agree with what they say, I respect their opinions.

Also... there is another point here that needs to be heard. Many people who start posting on here initially say some silly things. Over time, they learn, mature, and grow up. They gain experience and realize that some of their previous posts were regretted. I'll give you 2 examples: JosephM and Tytus. When each of these two guys started posting, they grated on many people's nerves. If we had rep points back then, they would have red dots out the wazoo. However, we have all seen these two guys grow into fine young men and they are very positive contributors to this community. I look forward to seeing what these two guys have to say. They both have matured into credible young adults. If their comments were banned and not heard at all, they would not be where they are today.

As for the people who "stir the pot", I say let 'em speak. The moderators can handle the job of keeping things appropriate if things get too turbulent. We need differing opinions in here, and it would not be good to ban certain people because they have unpopular views.

Andy B.