I would like the moderators of this forum to place this topic at the top of this forum with a sticky, so that it’s at the forefront of everyone’s entry into this area. Can we also place stickies throughout the SDMB for the same purpose in each area?
Whilst it may not be to everyone’s taste or liking, it’s certainly apt, and important. People’s lives are at stake, and if you do not educate people on such (Apparent) blatant miscarriages of justice, what will you educate them about?
It seems Diane’s thread on this is doing fine as a center for information as far as the SDMB is concerned. It has been running since last July, and was posted to as recently as yesterday.
As for stickies in all forums… no. While I don’t want to imply this is not a worthy cause, the fact is that lots of things would be worthy of a sticky thread, and there would be no end to the requests we’d get. Down that road, we cannot go.
Thankyou for reading, and whilst I appreciate the comment, not every worthy thread is about the life and death of an individual who appears innocent, and has been treated with disrespect by the country and state he resides in.
I would think, this thread outranks other worthy threads based on the above alone.
Yes, I fully see what you mean. I guess if you were to try this idea it would be on a case by case basis, and I can soon see where favouritism would be thrown about as to why X was chosen over why, and I see where your logic leads to…
But…
Even so, it’s hard to say a thread about X is more or less worthy than a thread about a huge miscarriage of justice leading to the death of an innocent.
I do understand your position, I’m simply shocked that in this day and age, such can happen. Many feel powerless, and the more who are aware, the more the balance might be caused to shift. Hence the request.
As with all people, it’s hard to believe that any of this is true, but one thing stands out above all considerations. If this can happen, and nothing is done to redress the balance of justice, who is next? That sounds very dramatic, I’m aware of that, but it’s hard to talk abut this case without such emotive comments.
Derleths suggestion while tackily put was a good one. Make a site and advertise it (without spamming! for example by having it in your sig in various forums you are a part of and in your email sig etc. With thousands and thousands of memebers from all over the world they would need full time employed staff just to deal with the “case by case” requests. I don’t doubt that your cause is a worthy one, but there is at lease one worthy cause per member of the bord.
Hi Logic, while I really do appreciate the suggestion and would personally be thrilled if the SDMB put it up on a sticky, I understand why they won’t. We would have first pages full of nothing but stickies or ATMB or Pit threads full of requests, debates, or complaints over whose cause is more deserving.
I think it is great that you are so passionate about the WM3 and would really suggest that you become involved. That Pit thread as well as www.WM3.org is full of information of ways to help. Please feel free to email me if you would like further information or help.
Thanks Iteki. It’s not my cause per se. I only understood this today when my girlfriend showed me the topic, and gave me some links.
To say I am horrified is an understatement. The request just seemed an obvious one given the thread and it’s importance not just to the case, but to every member of the SDMB. I mean, if we do not rally against such injustice, what do we rally for?
Sorry, not a rant, and I hear you and will consider your words.
My sig (appended to my first post in this thread) contains a link to my homepage. If you did something like that, nobody would have a reason to complain. Simply keep it less than or equal to four lines (the Usenet limit) and everyone’s happy.
Oh, and for later on: Before you try to change things around in a forum, be sure you actually have a clue about how the forum works. The SDMB doesn’t have a FAQ, really, but lurking can give you insight.
Being a new member, I can see your post count, and see that from your post, you’re happy with this forum, and your position in it. Clearly that post count allows you to look upon new users with disdain, and any requests they make, politely or impolitely.
My request was not political or flavour of the month. Rather, it was created out of shock at such injustice. Perhaps you’d like a link to an online dictionary so you can better understand your own verbage and rhetoric?
Why the hostility? I was not trying to change this forum at all. I simply made a request based upon (Hopefully) a one off case of massive injustice.
I neither talk crap, or fill webpages with crap, and will be most pleased to leave you alone. Thanks for the suggestions.
Derleth stated his position rather bluntly, but I understand his reaction. Everyone thinks that the cause he’s gotten interested in is the most important thing in the world, and often has trouble understanding why everyone else doesn’t feel exactly the same way.
The case that LogicinMotion has become interested in may, indeed, involve a terrible injustice, and innocent lives may be at stake. The catch is that a lot of the subjects that come up on these Boards involve potentially unjust situations, and place innocent lives at risk.
Just look at how many threads involve U.S. foreign policy. Many people believe passionately that what the administration is doing in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or in North Korea, or in Iran, etc., etc., is either highly immoral or highly moral (take your stand!), and no one could argue that these decisions don’t carry the chance of snuffing out hundreds or thousands of innocent lives (how many coalition troops have been killed in Iraq? How many innocent Iraqi civilians?).
Look at the threads about things like abortion, or environmental policy, or health care, or corporate malfeasance. The list is endless. Each subject raises issues of “justice,” and each contains elements that potentially threaten the health and welfare of innocents.
Expecting everyone to share one poster’s notions of “top priority” is naive.
Logic, I understand your concern and your request. I also understand why it was turned down, but you don’t seem to.
One of my particular concerns has been the misinformation that has been posted about mental illness, especially depression. Some posters have discouraged people with a frequently terminal illness from taking the very medication which often saves lives. Because people with depression are unable to think clearly, they are very vulnerable to this misdirection and to blaming themselves. Many innocent lives may be at stake.
But I do not have the right to insist that my concerns be given a priority over yours.
BTW, I too am conerned about the West Memphis injustice. I’m glad that you made your request; it will call more attention to it.
One more reason why that thread shouldn’t be made a sticky: the purpose of these boards isn’t to fight social injustice, it’s to provide a forum for debate. One of the reasons why this board works so well for that purpose is that the administration doesn’t take a position on any of the issues being discussed. Making that thread into a sticky would effectively be an official endorsement of one side of the debate, which is territory the SDMB should avoid for its own best interests.
I’d also suggest that Logic read the entire thread he’s promoting.
I suggest this because there is a great deal of debate concerning this issue, and the conclusion that innocents have been railroaded is far from a given.