I'll jump in the fray, but now that I know that some people don't read threads by people they don't like, I'm not sure anyone will care...
A couple of things. I have engaged in political "debate" here. And I respect everyone's opinions. I even watched Sean Hannity the other day. As long as Sean doesn't call me names, we're cool. Same for everyone here. Debate is one thing. The term debate implies civil discourse.
All most people want on any topic on any internet forum is civil discourse.
My problem with the political discussions is when they crop up elsewhere. I have seen very benign topics end up becoming some sort of flame war based on political ideology, much to the chagrin of the original poster.
When you hijack a thread and turn it into something that was very much not the intent of the original poster, that's disrespectful.
While we're on the topic of disrespect, Anthony pays the bills here. He lets us come here for free and talk amongst ourselves about whatever our heart desires (see above comment about civil discourse) and doesn't charge us a dime. He's in charge. His forum, his rules. You wouldn't go to his house and call him names and push his buttons, so don't do it here. This is virtual house and he alone pays the mortgage. So wipe your feet before you come in.
I come here to have fun. Just like I go to St. John to have fun. I like to read about beaches and beach bars, but occasionally I want to see what people are cooking up in the kitchen or know if I should visit Aruba or buy an iphone. It should be fun. No matter what thread I click on, I should enjoy my experience here.
Life is too short to be grumpy. Life is too short to be an Internet bully. There are so many better things to do with your time. If you really want to argue about politics, there are so many outlets where you can do that. They are all over the Internet. And I wouldn't go to those places and expect them to want to argue about beaches with me, so I'm done arguing politics here. I think I'm right; you think you're right, and life goes on. We're at the point where we all just need to agree to disagree and go back to exchanging our favorite rum drink recipes.
Speaking of rum drinks, I'm sure it's 5 o'clock somewhere... I'm heading back to my cave now. Behave while I'm gone.
