# Fighting Ignorance? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 31, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707 "2003-08-31T00:02:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Millen89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Millen89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millen89)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/1 "2003-08-31T00:02:52Z")
Another conservative has been banned. **G.I. Joe** was axed after just twelve posts. And what was his infraction? He had the nerve to express a non-PC viewpoint regarding homosexuality. I’d like to suggest a new motto for this board: If you can’t beat them, then ban them. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/2 "2003-08-31T00:05:09Z")
There’s a difference between expressing a viewpoint and being an asshole. **G. I. Joe** was an asshole. Take some time to look around here for a while, and you will see that there are quite a few conservatives who are able to obey the rules and conduct themselves with decorum. Knowledge is half the battle. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/3 "2003-08-31T00:06:33Z")
Not only was **Joe** banned, it seem his posts have been deleted. Must’ve been someone’s sock; we’ve had quite a bit of static cling lately. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/4 "2003-08-31T00:10:48Z")
Oops, didn’t look back far enough. [Here’s one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=208024). Sock or not, that was certainly no ordinary conservative. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/5 "2003-08-31T00:12:08Z")
Damn straight. It’s ‘The Night of The Liberal Long Knives’. Run for the woods you Republican Rednecks, our boyz is a comin’ . . . Or not. Y ou know the reasoning for the banning how because, fwiw, I believe the same person has been banned before (under at least one other user name) - **mhendo** seems to have a grasp of at least some of the circs. Is he out there . . . . ? ---
**Author:** ![Millen89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Millen89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millen89)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/6 "2003-08-31T00:21:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\*Damn straight. It’s ‘The Night of The Liberal Long Knives’. Run for the woods you Republican Rednecks, our boyz is a comin’ . . . > > Or not. > > Y ou know the reasoning for the banning how because, fwiw, I believe the same person has been banned before (under at least one other user name) - **mhendo** seems to have a grasp of at least some of the circs. Is he out there . . . . ? \*\* **London\_Calling** , if that turns out to be true, then I will retract my OP. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/7 "2003-08-31T00:24:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Millen \* > \*\*Another conservative has been banned. **G.I. Joe** was axed after just twelve posts. And what was his infraction? He had the nerve to express a non-PC viewpoint regarding homosexuality. \*\* See, here’s what I’ve never understood: why is it so “PC” to think that gay people have a right to live their lives in peace? And why is it “non-PC” (often implied as “good”) to think that they’re immoral and dirty (a viewpoint which almost inevitably leads to support of laws designed to discriminate against them)? And anyway, I’ve heard more than one person opine out that gay rights should be a conservative viewpoint, insofar as they should oppose laws that allow the government to get a foothold into the bedrooms of private citizens… ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/8 "2003-08-31T00:38:28Z")
> [@](#): > > I’d like to suggest a new motto for this board: > If you can’t beat them, then ban them. This attitude irritates me no end. Do you think “The board” is a monolithic entity with a strict line on every issue which has to be toed on pain of banishment? I’m afraid the facts don’t bear you out on this one **Millen.** We have lots of Conservatives on these boards, many with very old fashioned views on homosexuality, who haven’t been banned. How do you explain the fact that **His4Ever** is still free to post here? If, as you say, derogatory opinions on homosexality are strictly verboten how do you explain the fact that **JerseyDiamond** isn’t banned? How do you explain the fact that arch racist and fervent neo nazi **Sionnach** isn’t banned? My theory: **G.I. Joe** was banned either because he was somebodies sock or because he was just a friggin’ idiot. I don’t care which. ---
**Author:** ![Millen89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Millen89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millen89)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/9 "2003-08-31T00:38:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Leaper \* > \*\*See, here’s what I’ve never understood: why is it so “PC” to think that gay people have a right to live their lives in peace? And why is it “non-PC” (often implied as “good”) to think that they’re immoral and dirty (a viewpoint which almost inevitably leads to support of laws designed to discriminate against them)? > > And anyway, I’ve heard more than one person opine out that gay rights should be a conservative viewpoint, insofar as they should oppose laws that allow the government to get a foothold into the bedrooms of private citizens… \*\* And if **G.I. Joe** hadn’t been banned, you could be asking him that question right now. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/10 "2003-08-31T00:45:44Z")
Maybe you should ask [Gastrointestinal Joseph](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?action=showresults&searchid=850320). Oh, wait, he’s been banned too. Damn liberals! ---
**Author:** ![Read\_Neck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Read\_Neck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Read_Neck)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/11 "2003-08-31T00:48:11Z")
Conservative? Redneck? GI Joe was a raving lunatic. I hate the Rangers. Millen – The PC police will be around shortly to straighten you out. They’re basically the SDMB equivalent of your Grandma telling you to “Play nice”. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/12 "2003-08-31T00:48:32Z")
People don’t get banned for their political convictions. They get banned for other reasons:[ul][li]Being a jerk;[_]Being a returning, previously banned poster;[_]Breaking the rules.[/ul]Since our rules prohibit hate speech, for example, it’s not unthinkable that a banning is _related_ to a person’s politics. But merely being a conservative is never a reason for banning: hell, our own staff has a few people on it whom I’d gladly label conservative. In fact, I’d say the staff is pretty well spread out across the political spectrum. [/li] Not to mention the global one. It truly baffles me, how some people seem convinced that we’re a bunch of neo-hippies, banning conservatives left and right. ---
**Author:** ![Millen89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Millen89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millen89)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/13 "2003-08-31T00:53:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben Hicks \* > \*\* If, as you say, derogatory opinions on homosexality are strictly verboten how do you explain the fact that **JerseyDiamond** isn’t banned? > \*\* I didn’t say that. ---
**Author:** ![Millen89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Millen89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millen89)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/14 "2003-08-31T00:58:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*People don’t get banned for their political convictions. They get banned for other reasons:[ul][li]Being a jerk;[_]Being a returning, previously banned poster;Breaking the rules.[/ul]Since our rules prohibit hate speech, for example, it’s not unthinkable that a banning is _related_ to a person’s politics. But merely being a conservative is never a reason for banning: hell, our own staff has a few people on it whom I’d gladly label conservative. In fact, I’d say the staff is pretty well spread out across the political spectrum. [/li] > Not to mention the global one. > > It truly baffles me, how some people seem convinced that we’re a bunch of neo-hippies, banning conservatives left and right. \*\* **Coldfire** , could you tell me why **december** was banned? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/15 "2003-08-31T01:00:34Z")
It baffles me too, Coldfire. I mean, banning conservatives _left_ and right? Sounds way too balanced to be true. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/16 "2003-08-31T01:00:59Z")
You said \*“Another conservative has been banned. G.I. Joe was axed after just twelve posts. And what was his infraction? \*\*He had the nerve to express a non-PC viewpoint regarding homosexuality.” \*\*\* the clear implication is that you believe that anti gay opinions are not tolerated on these boards. Maybe I should have said \*“If, as you strongly imply, derogatory opinions on homosexuality are strictly verboten **on this board** …” Says pretty much the same thing but is a little less ambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/17 "2003-08-31T01:03:48Z")
[QUOTE] _Originally posted by Coldfire \* \*\*People don’t get banned for their political convictions. They get banned for other reasons:[ul][li]Being a jerk;[_]Being a returning, previously banned poster;[\*]Breaking the rules.[/ul]\*\*[/li][/QUOTE] **Clogboy** 😛 …sorry, I meant **Coldfire** …no wait, I **did** mean **Clogboy** …anyway, he has it right. **G I Joe** was banned because he was acting and posting like a jerk/troll, simply to inflame and trying to spread ignorance to the **Teeming Millions**. Yes, there are posters who have posted many of the same things that \*\*Joe \*_di but they couched them in much more polite language, plus they have a longer tenure at the SDMB, so I think they get a bit more leeway from the mods._ \*Which I don’t agree with, but I can understand why it is so. ---
**Author:** ![Millen89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Millen89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millen89)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/18 "2003-08-31T01:04:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by look!ninjas \* > \*\*Maybe you should ask [Gastrointestinal Joseph](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?action=showresults&searchid=850320). > > Oh, wait, he’s been banned too. > > Damn liberals! \*\* I am not familiar with this member. Was he banned for his political beliefs, like **december**? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/19 "2003-08-31T01:05:06Z")
**Millen** , it doesn’t sound like you read all of **G.I. Joe’s** posts. A couple of them went over the line into out and out trolling. It sounds like he may have been a sock as well (Gastrointestinal Joseph obviously was the same guy). He was looking to stir up shit and get himself banned, It had nothing to do with any sincere conservative or non-“PC” views on homosexuality. As has been pointed out already, we have a bunch of people on the board who post anti-gay sentiments and they don’t get banned. Gay issues are one of our most popular GD topics (not to mention the Pit). That wouldn’t be possible without all the (dare I say it) homophobes who post on this board without incurring the wrath of the mods or any calls for banning from all us bleeding hearts. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707/20 "2003-08-31T01:08:02Z")
I’m sure you know this **Millum** but just incase, G.I. Joe = **G** astro **I** ntestinal **Jo** s **e** ph [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/198707.md?page=2)