you know, I used to enjoy HAIF

[lockmat]

The easy solution is to simply stop reading and participating in threads that bread this behavior, as has been noted many times already.

Or maybe Editor should just get rid of the "view new posts" button and force people to go to different sub-forums so that those who are offended won't even be tempted to view political/religous threads?

If I have been the offender in any cases in any way, I would hope someone would tell me, at least via PM, because I don't want to be that way. Although I hope that people don't take simply disagreement as a personal attack.

[TheNiche]

Some people here defiantly take their party affiliation way to serious. I try to stay in the middle. Even though I admit to leaning toward the conservative Republican side, I hate Limbaugh and Hannity, I'm pro choice, and despite having an arsenal at home, I am for gun control. I'll be the first to admit the Republican party has lost focus and seems to be run by a bunch of religious zealots that let their religious beliefs cloud their sensible judgement. At the same time the Democrat party seemed to have turn into a bunch of lazy pussified whiners that blame all their problems on Bush and Republicans. Both parties need to get over themselves and focus on what's best for our country. In the meantime I guess I will continue to ridicule anyone that takes themselves to serious.

Because that's what I do.

You and I each illustrate that political parties are not monolithic. It is impossible to generalize that someone who supports a Republican candidate because of economic policy is also supporting warmongering and torture, or for that matter, that someone who supports a Democrat candidate because of a pro-choice stance on abortion is also in favor of strict gun controls. The political parties take all kinds, and each has cobbled together some rather unholy alliances between large political factions. As a consequence, most individuals aren't perfectly aligned to one party platform or another. But there are only two viable political parties, and so people must weigh their stances and priorities, and hope that the guy they supported reliably does what he says he wants to do. I definitely preferred Bush to Gore in 2000, even in retrospect, but I'm also deeply disappointed in his legacy. I'm sure that I am not alone in that conclusion, even if my reasons for disappointment are embraced by a small minority.

[IronTiger]

Quite honestly, I don't blame just Limbaugh and Hannity, but I also Blame Garafalo and Franken for being just as hateful and close minded in their views and basically brainwashing their listeners into believing it's all or nothing.

Oh, so while you can't call others on the board, the President, or the Former President anything but you call radio talk show hosts "hateful and close minded"?

That's...harsh.

[ricco67]

Also note i didn't pick one political party over the other in regards to hatefull and close minded.

I threw the Libs under the bus as well.

Having listened to just about every poltical talking head on the right AND left. There is little variation from their respectives political parties "morals".

meeting a guy from california, he was was a "liberal" (his words) and decided he could never live in Texas because its a RED state and ultra consevative. at least it was in his view.

I told him that not every Texan IS a conservative, upon which he asked who i voted for. His response was funny, he actually recoiled from me..

He is so wrapped up in his political party's viewpoint that he thought i was the devil!

It took me awhile to explain to him that we have more in common than he realizes as far as issues goes:

Pro choice

pro gun control

Etc..

he simply could not fathom that you can be for one thing "Liberal", but be for another that is "conservative." That seems to me is what is happening on this system; if you are FOR a particular issue, than YOU are branded THAT ideology.

What finally pushed me over the edge is when Hannity said (paraphrasing), "that moderates need to stop acting confused and pick a party." Almost the same thing was said several years later by some host on Air Americal!

Glen Beck is, IMHO, the only sane person on TV and radio.

if you exclude his crying on the air and his fits.

Kinda like Savage LITE, but with a Brain.

[IronTiger]

What finally pushed me over the edge is when Hannity said (paraphrasing), "that moderates need to stop acting confused and pick a party." Almost the same thing was said several years later by some host on Air Americal!

Glen Beck is, IMHO, the only sane person on TV and radio.

if you exclude his crying on the air and his fits.

Kinda like Savage LITE, but with a Brain.

Oh, so you're picking a bone against Hannity because of he insulted the moderates? That's a new one...

[ricco67]

No, he basically said you are either Red or Blue; and if you aren't then you need to pick a party.

Sorry, I'm not a republican or Democratic robot. I am about issues, not about party.

Limaugh stated (4 years ago)that he was glad the elections were over and that the Rep. party lost because "- was tired of carrying them". basically, he was proping up people in his own party of choice that he didn't believe in them because he was not able to find it in himself to call them out while they were in office!

[20thStDad]

People are much more prone to reading something the wrong way than they are to hearing it the wrong way. Written text loses all intonation, sarcasm, and attitude. For this reason I think people get hypersensitive on these forums, and in return get defensive. It's kinda fun sometimes, and when it's not I just don't reply to a topic.

[IronTiger]

People are much more prone to reading something the wrong way than they are to hearing it the wrong way. Written text loses all intonation, sarcasm, and attitude. For this reason I think people get hypersensitive on these forums, and in return get defensive. It's kinda fun sometimes, and when it's not I just don't reply to a topic.

You're right, it seems like some of what Limbaugh/Hannity may seem offensive when taking out of context.

[Native Son]

WAYNE...Please pull the plug on this brain dead body

my thread complaining about the vindictive nature of political discourse on this board has degenerated into even more vindictive crap. I will do my best to keep my easily offended nose out of political threads...so long and thanks for all the fish

[H-Town Man]

Personally, I am going to take a break from HAIF and hope cooler heads prevail.

A lot of people did that in 2002. They're still gone.

[Jeebus]

Or maybe Editor should just get rid of the "view new posts" button and force people to go to different sub-forums so that those who are offended won't even be tempted to view political/religous threads?

I suggested this before as well, but only to apply to the off-topic areas.

[Subdude]

WAYNE...Please pull the plug on this brain dead body

You're right - the OP is complaining about all the politics and it falls right back into more politics.

Closed.

[editor]

Two things --

If a thread or message is problematic, REPORT IT. It is your responsibility as a member of HAIF to let me or a moderator know there is a problem. The only way we can effectively keep things from getting out of hand is if problems are brought to our attention.

There are several posts in this thread where people state that they see problems, yet none of those people have reported the problems to me or a moderator. If you see your neighbor's car getting broken into and you don't call the police, you're part of the problem, not the solution.

Second --

If the political threads bother you, let me know. I can make them invisible to you. That way you can enjoy the Houston History sections and other important areas of HAIF without getting sucked into a discussion that bothers you.

[editor]

We throw our punches and return to our corner.

This forum is not for throwing punches of any kind. If you want verbal sparring, go elsewhere. HAIF is for intelligent discussion, not political boxing matches.

[editor]

As another intelligent Haifer noted, its too bad this forum doesnt stick to architecture. The forum has lost so many newcomers/contributors due to the embarassing few on here. Many of these not only had great resources of info but great historical pics and so on but said to hell with this crap and split. See Haif looses.

The off-topic sections were created to corral the political discussions that were popping up elsewhere in the forum. Having Off-Topic is an important tool because when someone lets their politics get the better of them in another thread, they can be directed to the proper place for that kind of discussion.