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As you can tell, Bearing Drift is a pretty eclectic group of contributors. We cover the political spectrum, we’re not “bought” by any party or clique, and we very clearly do not toe the establishment line no matter who wears the title — we play cheerleader as well as the cynic, moderate and conservative and libertarian and Tea Partier alike, and rarely tolerate the squelching of opinion.
From time to time, we’ve had to apply the ban stick to certain folks who abuse the public square.
That’s not something we like to do… it’s not something we particularly enjoy doing. Heck, it’s against virtually every sense of decorum we privately hold. Until, that is, one or two people feel that our soapbox is their soapbox.
It’s elections season and we’re 6 days out. Tempers are high, emotions are high. Keep it civil… but for the love of God don’t hijack the comments section, and if your name is “Juicy Farts” then don’t expect your opinion to be taken very seriously by the editors here (or anywhere else).
Short version? Some folks just got banned for ghosting IPs and treating the comments section as group therapy. If your pseudonym got banned, chances are you got banned. Feel free to explain it to others as you will. That’s not what we’re here for.
Obviously, if you are one of those creatures without a life who must absolutely comment with everything you disagree with online, you can always find a way to comment here at Bearing Drift. There are cell phones and anon IPs and all sorts of sneaky ways to post here if Bearing Drift occupies that much of your mind rent-free. Your alternatives? Start your own blog, join the Jeffersoniad Blog Alliance, and engage intelligently in the Virginia blogosphere… but if your opinions are so irascible as to not have much credibility on our lowly comments section, then don’t expect to have much going for you in the big scary world, either.
If, on the other hand, you are one of the more sane individuals who can treat most opinions as valid, engage others who may differ with you on one or two points as an opportunity to learn from your fellow man, and appreciates the free exchange of ideas in a free marketplace among free minds and a free society — then this public square we have here at Bearing Drift is yours… and op-eds are always graciously accepted if you really want to expose your ideas and thoughts to the light of day.
Public squares are very difficult to cultivate and maintain. They work because we all participate in it to make it better, not to take advantage of it. Keep that in mind when the trolls come to play… they’re stealing from you more than they are stealing from us when they squelch the free exchange of ideas — especially the ones with which we most vociferously disagree.
Onward!