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Guys.....guys....!!!! In the last 1-1/2 days here, you have reinforced the idea, and maybe just as....or more importantly....the feeling, that we share here at this forum is akin to a family relationship. At times, it appears to be dysfunctional....akin, again, to the experiences of being a part of any one of our families in the "real" world.

In our politics forum "family", the "daddy" came home here to spend time with us for the first time....in a long while. He observed that I was breaking a rule that he had defined and warned me before, not to break....as did some of my older brothers....aka mods and admins....

I felt the sting of his words....in the form of a public rebuke, and a new thread OP that I had stayed up half a night researching and compiling, was criticized by "daddy", and closed before it attracted any replies from the rest of the "family".

Then, other family members came by to weigh in on their opinion of me, and my contribution to "our family", aka the tfp politics forum. "Daddy" received both praise and frank criticism for the stand he took with me.

"Daddy" posted things that were supportive of my contribution and participation, and he went out of his way to come up with a board "fix" that would permit me to continue posting full articles and/or lengthy excerpts, while giving all other members and readers the opportunity to view a much shorter, streamlined version of my posts, with the option of viewing all of the content of each quote box in a given post.....or not....

"Daddy" PM'ed me with a description of his "fix", and asked me if I was willing to work with this solution.

Since I've so recently felt the effect of strong public criticism from "daddy", and to a lesser degree from other family members here, as well as the effect of support and praise from family members who posted in my support, even in strong defense in my favor, and directly against "daddy", I post now in support of our brother, pan....

my brothers, roachboy and smooth..... I know for a fact that pan is about committing to truly listening, and opening himself to learning from, if...after listening to members of our family who espouse opposing ideas and principles to ours....there is anything to learn from their positions on political issues.

He is about setting aside our partisan ways....because the place to start, if we want those who disagree with us, to be less partisan....to truly listen and be open to learning, begins within each of us in this family. He believes he has blinked first, offered respect.....tried to convey an atmosphere of one "side" here....one family....

Our brother, politicophile has come back to be in our posting family. A few days ago, others, and I....on another forum, urged him to rejoin us here as a regular participant within our politics forum family.

It was reconfirmed to me, yesterday and today, from other members of "my family".....that my effort here is "worth it"....that I am more appreciated than, more widely read than....."daddy", in his initial frustration and exercise of his authority, claimed that I was.

I want to <b>emphasize to pan now.....that he is worthy of my strong support....his participation here is highly regarded, as is the renewed participation of politicophile, and that both have my respect.</b>

I support "Daddy", Halx, in his effort to make this a better, more inclusive site, and forum, I respect the fact that he is "the owner", and I ask that he consider that he provides the "canvas", and we provide the painted images on the canvas....the content.....that this makes us his "partners", that the site and it's functionality alone, are "the house", but our residence here is what makes this a family that he and us are all members of. The tfp site has taken on a life of it's own, just as individual threads, or posts do the same....on a smaller scale....in ways that we often have not anticipated.

All of our claims.....of site ownership, of site membership, of being a part of the politics forum family, in no way diminish the claims of anyone else here. We all benefit from the interaction and exchange of ideas....by the effort we put into participating here.

....and pan.... I am wrestling with this challenge....how can I open myself to opposing ideas and opinions in these mercurial times..... to commit to being "less partisan"....so that they, of opposite perspectives and sympathies will....too, encouraged by the example that you are already setting...... without me being in conflict with this?:
....and to my sister, Elphaba..... where do you think you are going off to? Get back here ! Please??