Upon scanning this board this morning...I see some new screen names (note I intentionally didn't say "new posters"). It seems like a good time for me to make a few general comments about this forum and to open up some discussion about the tone and content of this place we hate to love. I ask everyone who posts here to take a moment to consider why it is they participate in this forum. For discussion sake, I offer some categories of posts we typically see here: 1) Promotion of one's own position by posting positive links that reflect the positive attributes of those you support; 2) Degradation of the "opposition" by posting negative links that reflect the negative attributes of those you oppose; 3) A discussion starter based on a genuine interest in learning about world and national issues in order to formulate an open minded and objective opinion; 4) A desire to engage in good natured debates in a respectful way; 5) A desire to ridicule anyone who does not share your position; 6) A desire to target certain posters with whom you disagree, dislike, or both. I'm sure there are more...but the one question I always find myself pondering is...do people think they are really going to change anyone's mind by posting negative links and repeatedly making negative comments about "the other side"? I ask those who do nothing but make posts that fall into categories 2 and 5 to take pause and consider that question. Re-phrased...do you really think you do your position any benefit by insulting those who disagree with you? In the real world, would you start a conversation with someone by saying something like "Ewww...you dress yourself in the ugliest clothes I have ever seen, your hair looks like crap, you have gotten fatter since the last time I saw you, but I can help you to look better". Of course not. I'm going to try one more time to ask people here to think before they post. The tone of this place has deteriorated to shameless, insulting progandization. The purpose of this forum as far as I am concerned is to provide a source of respectful and openminded discussion and classy, good natured debate. I am posting this because I am about to start deleting posts here based on TONE (something I try not to do). I will do my best to be objective, but I am starting to look at the posts that are basically negative propaganda as crapping up the board and I will remove them. I know I will piss some of you off, but so be it. So if you don't have something to contribute in the form of a discussion, don't post it. Don't post links without discussion and don't insult half the board by making idiotic generalizations. You have been warned.