Dear Thom Hartmann:

Dear Thom Hartmann:

I wish to ask to have my posting privileges reinstated.
Under the present rules:
5. Banned User Procedure: A member who has been banned may email the Forum Moderator to apologize, to appeal the decision or to clarify. Once a Forum Moderator has taken action, He/She will decide to reinstate or not.

When I arrived at your dynamic and interesting forum, I learned quit early that if I was to stay there that expecting others to respect me was not something I would get. This is despite my always-maintaining respect for your board and you. I would often express my thanks to Thom for providing a site where people from such varied points of view can discuss issues and hopefully learn in the process. But recently there has been a push for censorship. It is being disguised as “respecting others”. After being called an idiot and every name imaginable including monkeynerd on countless times and told to fuck off on many occasions, I don’t know how people can pretend to say they are respectful. I could go on how others showed disrespect to me, but then the question is when have I ever shown disrespect to other board members? I feel that I have shown great respect to all board members. If others misinterpreted my intentions then that is their concern. For those that I felt did not deserve respect, I would ignore them no matter how many lies and insults they would aim at me on a personal basis. Here Registered Members: 10000
Is an example of trying to show honor to what you as creator and provider of the board as well as all the board members have worked to accomplish? Instead of having a chance to discuss our accomplishments others took it as attacks on me. I can go through each post, but I think you will see that I made a statement and from there everyone jumped on me. To me the thread was meant as:
“I for one, want to thank Thom Hartmann for sponsoring this board. Thanks.”
It is also worth noting that the rules including the new rules do not include that members have to have “respect” toward other members.
And now that I am barely gone someone wrote this:
“Loganthor has recently introduced what amounts to a problem that one might call "expansio ad absurdum" where he took a simple concept and expanded it into a "monsters under the bed syndrome" that might occur with toddlers in a nursery school, not with adults who want to have a reasonable discussion about issues without some of the extremes that go with it; the result was what you called "amateur dramatics" with the other voices chiming in (or piling on) as well, like Rutherford and his faux apology comment to Andger.”
It was not a faux apology to Andger. I was asking whether Andger was going to apologize for calling Loganthor a ‘boy’.
And so according to the reason for banning is:
Disrespect towards fellow members both on and off the board.

So I disagree with this, but if it would make it better I would be willing to state an apology.
It has also been widely indicated that a warning would come first before being banned. I was not granted a chance before being banned.

Sincerely,
Ronald Rutherford

P.S.: When I first entered the world of blogs and forums, etc, I saw others that hid behind fake names and pseudo personalities. I thought about what personality I wanted to present to the world and I choose that if I was honest with the world I would be honest with those I meet. Just like your onscreen name is also your name.

P.S.S.: I have been thinking that if the board is suppose to be receptive to other points of view then the Administrators should show that diversity. Before being banned, I thought it would be good if at least one administrator was of conservative bent. Then if conservatives got out of line someone could be able to “interpret” the situation and suggest what should be done and not the least be able to talk to the offending member from someone that they are more likely to respect.
I have been an administrator before and would love such a chance at your forum.