Enough!!!!!!!!!!
A thread commemorating the dead on 9-11 is fine. It is a sad day to say the least.
The political bilge that most of you spew in relationship to it is not. I myself find both the right and the left amazingly stupid when it comes to the reality of the situation. Maybe both sides of this argument should just shut the hell up for once and just remember the dead from this attack.
Tell us something, Tom Cofield: Why are we all amazingly stupid? I just reviewed the now locked thread (a slap in the face to the American members, who I dare say make up most of your membership) and all I see is a thread that started out by being very quiet
until the anti-American trolls showed up and started fishing for trouble. Sure, there were some hyperlinks, but so what? Why don't you check to see who came in and started the initial provocative remarks, and who continued to fan the flames, and do something about it? But do it intelligently. Don't punish the innocent folks who responded with strong emotion to the insensitive, ill-timed, and pre-destined remarks of the trolls who got the ball rolling. You don't punish victims for being upset with the offenders.
And every one of those trolls who got it started knew damn well what the result of their remarks would be! The American members were simply and quietly commemorating a national tragedy until the trolls showed up with their provocation. As for the content of the hyperlinks, a think a reasonably intelligent troll should have known they'd be very patriotic at the least. That content is off site, and the trolls didn't have to click the links. They ne2 what would be there. But they wanted to intrude on our grief and start a fight, and I'm sure they're gleeful that they manipulated you into locking the thread down. How long will it be until we can't say anything in here without the trolls beginning their manipulations? The individuals in question are people who always seem to take great delight in making remarks that they know will start something. When are you going to deal with them? Or would you rather that all American members who love their country and would be offended by the troll remarks leave this forum? Or maybe we should just never, ever make mention of anything that happens in the real world so that we don't infringe on the rights of the people who will start trolling the moment the real world is mentioned.
This is a day that will live in infamy for Americans who give a damn about their country. If SimHQ can't understand that, then they probably can't understand anything. Do you feel that punishing everyone by locking the thread and issuing an immature blanket insult to the members was the correct course of action here? How about banning the trolls? I'd also like to know what your credentials are in terms of judging us all to be "amazingly stupid when it comes to the reality of the situation". Are you an acknowledged expert on foreign affairs, terrorism and international relations? Are you somehow vastly more intelligent and more capable of understanding the situation than the people you so aggregiously insulted? Do you feel you have some cosmic understanding of the issue because you went to Kuwait and worked in a military hospital? I'm going to guess that I might be far less than amazingly stupid when it comes to the reality of the situation, considering my education, life background AND military experience. I'd even wager that I'm far more knowledgable than you when it comes to the reality of the situation. You don't know most of us personally, or our histories, nor do you have any basis whatsoever in judging us all to be "amazingly stupid". There could well be people here who are far more qualified than you to speak on the subject. Hell, the senior career diplomat in the State Department could be a flight simmer who hangs around in here, would you know? I don't think you have a list of the world's acknowledged experts in this area, detailing their hobbies, do you?
So the bottom line is this: I think you owe everyone whom you called "amazingly stupid" an apology. I think you need to take action against the people who
deliberately started that debacle. I don't think it's reasonable, regardless of the forum rules, to think that an occasion like this will not be commemorated by your members. You can expect it. And you should show some respect and leave it alone if it's quiet, as this one was until the trolls arrived. And I think you need to grow up and exercise your authority in this forum in a bit less hysterical manner. Or doesn't your boss care how you treat the members, without whom SimHQ would fold?
I eagerly await your response and the explanation for why you feel your remarks were justified.
Cheers!
Rick...