Can i first of all just say how sorry I am for starting the religion post last weekend. I really had no idea it would cause so much friction. Billy seemed to get really annoyed and some of his comments were shocking. However, on the other hand it's supposed to be free speech in this country and I was just wondering if Billy is banned from the board now?
Religion and politics - 2 dangerous and emotive subjects on these forums ! That's why I stayed well clear of the religion thread !
It did get out of hand, but that was no reflection on the OP which I thought created some good debate.
I knew the thread was a mistake as soon as I saw it. I avoided it but from the comments on the other thread and the actions afterwards I realised it got pretty nasty. I find it very sad at the levels of bigotry and prejudice some people display and it seems there can never be a rational debate on such subjects. Don't worry about it nomoregeordies, but a lesson learned I expect. I have said many times (these things come up every 3 or 4 months) we are very fortunate in this country to have the 'right to free speech'. But this comes with the great responsibility to respect other people's views even if they are the complete opposite to yours. Having said that, apart from going against common human decency, it is also a criminal offence to incite racial or religious hatred and/or to advocate murder and maiming. We rightly criticise other countries who do not respect human rights and the rule of law but it seems more and more people in the UK believe that some humans are less 'human' than others. This really makes me fear for the future.
A human being has the propensity to be the best animal in the world or the worst thing around. Racism and religious bigotry stem from a fear that the person or person targeted could be superior in some way
its Billy that needs to apologise not you. I just hope the things Billy said were not meant and he was just intoxicated with drink/drugs.
Just so you all know I have reduced Billy's ban from 7 days to 2, why. A temporary ban is used for two things, to punish the offender of to calm things, in Billy's case it was to calm not to punish. 2 days should be more than enough time for Billy to reflect and hopefully he will return and all will be forgiven and we can move on. Its very simple to me, you can disagree, argue and fall out, I do it with Cest most weeks, what you cant do is wish them dead, families raped and the like, you certainly cant threaten. Someone said yesterday they have heard worse in the pub, I am willing to bet if you did the offended would be warned by the landlord and would either leave, calm down or be barred. Lets all move on now, all over and done.
I quite like billy, even though I have had a run in with him in the past, but it seemed to clear the air. But just how many chances is he going to get. Yes he has been through a rough patch, but so have a lot of us on here but we dont act like billy does, but if billy can keep getting away with it, and it has happened a lot, his outbursts and threatening behaviour, then everyone else will think they will be able to as well. There has to be a point where enough is enough, for me it was the past couple of days, just for a cumulative effect of him, not so much what he said. Meh, nothing personal against billy here, but it doesnt look good to the rest of us giving him chance after chance after chance.
If Billy had said what he had to me in a pub, then I would not have been as calm as I have been on this forum Syd. I dont care how long his ban is for, as long as he realises his ridiculous and childish behaviour.
TBH Steve I think the last chance saloon is here, its simple really, we all know when we are in a mood for an argument, temper or just pissed off, log off. I dont like banning people from here and apart from the idiots we don't ban but that does not mean we wont.
I do agree with you mate, but it's only an internet forum and I think the better thing to do would just be to let him give off steam on here. Of course, a ban is correct but there's no need to drag it out further than that. If Billy can let off some of his obviously innate agression on here to a bunch of people with no names or faces, that's far better than doing it in the real world. We should just ignore when we can, reprimand him when we feel we should, and ban him when it is totally necessary, as it was yesterday.
Billy is a lad who has been put in the firing line of the Northern Ireland divide which I believe has hurt him more than he knows..
He was clearly off his tits from the start. Made no sense so I left it when he got abusive. If it's any consoloation he will have been nursing the mother of all hangovers for a day or two now.
I think that must be the reason, the man was in a life and death situation and was being shot at by an extremist republican minority. That has lead to a generalisation on his behalf, perhaps. Good and bad on all sides and in every religion. Personally I always find atheists to be the nicest people. However, I don't want to start another religious debate. Therefore, I swear to God never to mention religion again (even though I don't believe in God).
