Whew... I'm back!

[one_true_leroy]

I'm a newbie that got banned two days ago (after about 1 hour) for posting a thread for being concerned about Kerry becoming a scapegoat for all Bush's terrible policies. I know we (though I just joined, I've been lurking here daily for about 2 years, so I feel at home) have to be vigilant against disruptors, so I'm not mad (though I was upset) to have been banned. I understand that I've got to bear some burden of proof until I get some big numbers behind my name. Here's some thoughts...

1: It's great to be here in the open, instead of lurking. I love this site, and plan to be quite active here (just got DSL at home!).

2: Many thanks to Skinner. He read my personal appeal e-mail and was kind enough to re-instate me. I know he and the other behind-the-scenes cast are nearly insane with fretting over this site, yet it operates smoothly and he has been very gracious.

3: This is excerpted from the (very long-- thanks for reading!) e-mail I sent Skinner, and I share it here as my credo:

**I AM NOT A FREEPER**
<...>
-I will never seek to inflame, incite, or disrupt the community. While I may challenge and debate, and will certainly disagree and be disagreed with, it will only be in the spirit of open and honest debate.

-I will never resort to ad hominen attacks. I can't stand them. They add nothing to a debate but the demean both the attacker and the debate. I will always be civil. A poster will have better luck netting a coelocanth than trying to bait me.

_I will never post anything derogatory of any social group, race, gender, etc. I never engage in 'lumping.' While 'freeper' and 'fundie' are curse words, they are meant to describe a personality and traits, not a group. Not all people on FreeRepublic are freepers, and not every Southern Baptist is a fundie (Carter comes to mind).

-I will never (unless quoting) use language stronger than 'damn.' I don't need those words to express myself. (I haven't decided if I'll use 'WTF.' The abbreviation is funnier than the phrase, especially with the smiley). Though they are common on the site, and I disagree with censorship, they do not reflect on the overall class of the admins, and I like to carry myself better. My words are the vessels of my thoughts, and I chose them carefully.

-I will always do my best to express my position coherently and with reasoning and support. I am a student of many disciplines, including history and politics, and will use them to craft my arguments. I can very sarcastic though (and my humor can be odd), and I will try to use smileys to convey that.

THANK YOU!!

[rot0r_head]

1. You're certainly a good sport about it

Sorry you got banned. It is getting a little wild with Freepernoia. Glad to have you back! :)

[merh]

2. Welcome back to DU!

Best advice I can give you, if folks start taking things personal, just ignore the thread - don't bother posting responses to attacks.
And if you are being attacked, alert the mods - that is why the alert button is there!

:hi: Welcome & enjoy!

[UrbScotty]

3. You are very nice and understanding about it.

Now, about your sig line... I prefer Chai Tea. But that's just me.

[Dzimbowicz]

4. Welcome back

Although I do not know what you posted in the past, I do respect your honesty about the situation.

[one_true_leroy]

5. later...

I think I'll repost it after Tues. It is a topic I think needs a great deal of consideration, but I want things to calm down a bit, first. Being banned here is like Kafka meeting Orwell in a dimly lit alley... *ALL* your posts are deleted one by one, even ones not related. There's no warning, no rebuttal, and no reason given. CREEPY feeling :tinfoilhat: ! Thankfully my e-mail appeal was read!! :bounce:

edit: it really does reflect highly of Skinner that during this time of heightened freep alerts, he read my e-mail, responding the same day and restored my privilage. I was prepared to have to wait until post-election. :o