# Mod decision: "Before someone hurts themselves"?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 14, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449 "2005-07-14T01:53:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/1 "2005-07-14T01:53:42Z")
[Did Hillary Clinton say this?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=325465) What’s the problem? I certainly don’t understand why this was closed. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/2 "2005-07-14T01:55:53Z")
Politics in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/3 "2005-07-14T01:56:20Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I certainly don’t understand why this was closed. Well, the question was factually answered (what more was there to _factually_ say about it?) and being a political hot-potatoe the chance of someone saying something that didn’t belong in GQ was high. Doesn’t seem like a bad decision to me at all–GQ questions are often closed because they’ve been answered. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/4 "2005-07-14T01:57:26Z")
Someone was bound to introduce politics into it. Pretty much a no-no for GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/5 "2005-07-14T02:15:35Z")
Given the degree of political polarity on this board, that question **could** have caused a major argument in GQ. As I saw it, Sam complimented the OP and the responder for asking a factual question and giving a factual answer, then locked the thread before someone decided to do an anti-Hillary or anti-Bush post in it. Though I hate to injure Sam’s reputation as a Jackbooted Nazi Mod. ™, I feel that this was among the most reasonable Mod. actions I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/6 "2005-07-14T02:19:20Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I feel that this was among the most reasonable Mod. actions I’ve seen. Not saying too much recently… They’re blaming it on the heat, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/7 "2005-07-14T02:21:58Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > …hot-potato **e** … Is that you, Mr. Quayle? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/8 "2005-07-14T02:25:05Z")
I didn’t realise “this is a political topic in the USA” was a normal reason for a thread being closed. I had fuck-all idea what the thread was about - my response was a veiled ‘just google it’, given that this was what I did to provide that reply. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/9 "2005-07-14T03:14:30Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I didn’t realise “this is a political topic in the USA” was a normal reason for a thread being closed. Topics that involve politics are permitted in **GQ**. Topics that result in poltical discussions are taboo. **GQ** : What is Communism/Terrorism/Neo-Conservatism/ignorance? Not **GQ** : What should we do about Communism/Terrorism/Neo-Conservatism/ignorance? The first question will be left open only as long as the answers are purely factual–and the thread will probably be closed as soon as a truly factual answer has been posted in order to avoid [Politics in GQ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=176699) (as noted by **manhattan** in the last sticky on the **GQ** page). It is a pretty old policy. I don’t recall whether an older sticky has been lost or if it was simply posted by so many Moderators over the years that it simply appears like phosphor burn at the top of the monitor whenever I open **GQ**. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/10 "2005-07-14T03:31:39Z")
Even Cecil’s faux-pas have felicitous effects. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/11 "2005-07-14T03:47:40Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Though I hate to injure Sam’s reputation as a Jackbooted Nazi Mod. ™, I feel that this was among the most reasonable Mod. actions I’ve seen. Your check’s in the mail. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/12 "2005-07-14T03:50:12Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > [Did Hillary Clinton say this?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=325465) > > What’s the problem? I certainly don’t understand why this was closed. If you have additional factual information to contibute to that thread, I’ll re-open it. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/13 "2005-07-14T04:14:41Z")
Well for the sake of balance (because I complained about mods in another thread) I want to congratulate **samclem** on a timely and thoroughly appropriate decision. The thread started off as a nigh-pit and closing it the very second it was answered was exactly right. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/14 "2005-07-14T11:06:33Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I didn’t realise “this is a political topic in the USA” was a normal reason for a thread being closed. It’s hate speech. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/15 "2005-07-14T15:35:29Z")
The OP from that thread _could have_ been a veiled way of saying “Hey, get a load of what Hillary called Bush!” (in hopes of heaping scorn on one or the other), which is something that is very much out of place in GQ. Or it could have been exactly what it said it was. Even so, if the thread hadn’t been closed it was only a matter of time before someone would have used it to post comments derogatory of GWB and/or Hillary. Good call, **samclem**. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/16 "2005-07-14T15:49:32Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > It’s hate speech. What, comparing Bush to one of the greatest film composers of all time is hate speech? Get off it, ya fuckin’ Tiomkin. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/17 "2005-07-14T15:51:43Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > It’s hate speech. Are you serious, or am I in the whooshed state? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/18 "2005-07-14T16:21:50Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Are you serious, or am I in the whooshed state? I thought of it as a chreia. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/19 "2005-07-14T16:38:53Z")
You mean a “chreia” as in “a brief reminiscence referring to some person in a pithy form for the purpose of edification”? How is that hate speech, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449/20 "2005-07-15T10:33:34Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > You mean a “chreia” as in “a brief reminiscence referring to some person in a pithy form for the purpose of edification”? How is that hate speech, exactly? No, the chreia was my post. (The definition you found is a bit muddled. A chreia is any generally pithy anecdote.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-decision-before-someone-hurts-themselves/312449.md?page=2)