# Stifling debate without justification **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 27, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905 "2023-01-27T16:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/41 "2023-01-29T17:06:28Z")
Posting this in the existing ATMB topic, > [@All Americans need education in Black studies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/190): > > I’d rather debate the ways of increasing the awareness of the history of Black people and other minorities in the classroom than whether or not the specific proposal of the OP is the way to go Could a mod clarify if discussing the broader subject given by the topic title , rather than the OP’s specific proposal, is on-topic? In light of the 2020 rules on hyperspecific thread scope. If not on-topic we can make a spin-off. (i.e. how best to incorporate more African American focused lessons into existing U.S History and Literature classes, whereas OP has been clear she wanted to debate adding a mandatory Black Studies _course_ in its own right) @What_Exit who has been moderating the thread. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/42 "2023-01-29T17:08:47Z")
Broader without getting too broad is fine. Especially as the main topic has been pretty well discussed and the OP was not written in a way where GD Mods were going to enforce a laser focused topic requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/43 "2023-01-29T21:50:34Z")
Again, I never intended to dictate the boundaries of the debate for others. I said _my_ intent was to maintain a “laser focus” on Black studies, meaning that’s how I’m going to write _my_ posts. And I did. I stuck to my guns and argued the point on which **I** (not necessarily anybody else) was laser focused. It got argued down. I lost. OK then. _But I’m just a soul whose intentions are good_ _Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood_ ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/44 "2023-01-29T21:56:15Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > But again, we see many threads in which a group of people decide for themselves what should be discussed in a thread and gang up on those are opposed. I have a thread I started that I asked for opinions on two options. Others decided to hijack it to talk about a third option. I even tried to get it back on track by saying I tried that third option and can we get back to the original two options and the other posters blew that off. Have fun with your new thread I guess, but as for me as the OP that thread is useless to me. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/45 "2023-01-29T21:59:08Z")
What thread and what forum? Forums do have different modding and even moderators. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/46 "2023-01-29T22:01:43Z")
When somebody tries a blatantly major hijack, like some weirdo tried to tell me the Civil War was about “states’ rights,” the moderator was right to step in and shut that shit down right quick. It means no matter how lax or stringent the OP was about it, there eventually is a hard limit to how far a poster can veer away from the stated topic. (and that is the moderator’s call) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/47 "2023-01-29T22:03:02Z")
> [@San Francisco or Yukon Sourdough](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-or-yukon-sourdough/978870): > > I need a sourdough starter and I wonder how much of the “OMG sourdough bread HAS to be San Francisco Sourdough!” is hype or possibly the water/air in San Francisco and you just don’t get that flavor anywhere else even with the same starter, both yeast and bacteria. I love sourdough pancakes and I have had yukon sourdough but I have never had San Francisco pancakes. I need to get a starter and for someone who doesn’t bake enough to justify getting both, what one should I get for making bread an… Note Post 7 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/48 "2023-01-29T22:04:10Z")
Was it your sourdough thread? You should have flagged that. I’m pretty sure any Café Mod (which includes myself) would have halted that. At this point it seems hopeless. though at a quick glance. Don’t assume that your thread is being looked at by a mod. If things are going off, flag us. * * * LOL, I’ll jump in and see if I can get it back on course. Might be a lack of people expert about your two choices though. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/49 "2023-01-29T22:11:39Z")
OK, spun 3 posts off to a new thread and made a note. Hopefully that helps. That is a good example of when you should flag us down though. Nobody doing anything wrong really, but maybe the moderators can get the thread back to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/50 "2023-01-29T22:21:01Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I said _my_ intent was to maintain a “laser focus” on Black studies, meaning that’s how I’m going to write _my_ posts. Sure, but did what you actually wrote > My intent for this thread is to keep a laser focus on Black studies > No scattering of focus accurately express what you intended? I think you need to consider that objectively, not just get huffy that people didn’t read your mind correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/51 "2023-01-29T22:31:29Z")
Doper, please. I have the right to state what I intended and to speak up about it when anyone misunderstands. Once I’ve explained that, your continued insistence on how badly I may have written it the first time becomes irrelevant and even unhelpful. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/52 "2023-01-29T22:36:20Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I have the right to state what I intended And nobody has disputed what you intended, after you later explained it. > [@Johanna](#): > > your continued insistence on how badly I may have written it the first time becomes irrelevant and even unhelpful. Just as your continued insistence on getting huffy that other people took your words at face value and didn’t read your mind is unhelpful. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/53 "2023-01-30T00:08:46Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Just as your continued insistence on getting huffy that other people took your words at face value and didn’t read your mind is unhelpful. This… If you write something that implies something you didn’t intend, don’t be surprised when people react to your implication. If you say, “My intent for this thread is to keep a laser focus on Black studies,” in a thread you created, it sounds like you’re dictating how people must post in the thread. If instead you said, “In this thread I am trying to keep my posts focused on Black studies,” I think there would have been no question that you’re only referencing yourself. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/54 "2023-01-31T15:07:26Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > If you write something that implies something you didn’t intend, don’t be surprised when people react to your implication. But if they continue to harass you about it after you’ve explained, huffiness becomes justified, IMO. Both you and Riemann need to just let it go at this point. You made your original point, Johanna made theirs. You continuing _after_ that starts to look personal. And yes, unhelpful. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/55 "2023-01-31T17:52:53Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > But if they continue to harass you about it after you’ve explained, huffiness becomes justified, IMO. > Both you and Riemann need to just let it go at this point. > > You made your original point, Johanna made theirs. > > You continuing _after_ that starts to look personal. And yes, unhelpful. That’s a complete misrepresentation. Read the thread. I’m not the one who can’t “let it go”. Look at the sequence of posts to see who came back on Jan 29 to repeat their indignation. What I’m seeing is the OP stubbornly refusing to acknowledge any responsibility for the GD mess. Nor any acknowledgement that their accusations of personal animus on the part of a mod were completely unjustified. Nor any acknowledgement that their attacks on other posters in this thread were unjustified because they are clueless about the purpose of ATMB. Apparently no ignorance was fought here. Instead we get a little poem about how misunderstood and butthurt OP is. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/56 "2023-01-31T17:56:35Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > That’s a complete misrepresentation. Read the thread. I’m talking specifically about the last round of posts here. And this one you just made, too. You think “butthurt” is helpful? Man, somewhere the ghost of Colibri is fuming… ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/57 "2023-01-31T17:57:08Z")
If I post my opinion (responsively), I “can’t let it go”. But this doesn’t apply to OP or to you, apparently? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/58 "2023-01-31T17:58:36Z")
There’s “post my opinion” and there’s flinging shit. Guess which one “butthurt” is? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/59 "2023-01-31T18:00:44Z")
This entire thread is OP flinging shit, and then refusing to acknowledge that none of that shit should have been thrown. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905/60 "2023-01-31T18:02:23Z")
I bow to your clearly superior knowledge of what shit-flinging looks like… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stifling-debate-without-justification/978905.md?page=4)