London Irish
Well-known member
Brilliant post - the most eloquent argument I've read against "it's only a messageboard" shite that you hear so often on here and which just offers a blank cheque for bullying, spiteful behaviour.Ray the Otter said:I registered here some months ago, made a few posts and then decided not to bother anymore, just to lurk and read every now and then instead, until now that is.
The reason I stopped posting was because I commented on a post regarding Leon Knight in which the poster stated he hoped Leon had both his legs broken when he returned to Withdean to play for Swansea. I said I thought, and still do, that is in bad taste and that a civilised person should not wish that on anyone. I said that having had my own leg badly broken it was far from a joking matter. This may be seen as a sensitive view to some to post on a football messageboard and I was prepared to get some ribbing but what I didn't expect was a load of personal abuse.
It seems there are a nasty little minority who think it is perfectly fair to abuse other posters who find racism, sexism, religious intolerence and voilence objectionable. I wasn't prepared to put up with it so I walked away. I understand totally why Joe has done the same thing. Having read his (and others) arguments with these thugs over the last few months I'm surprised he stuck around for as long as he did. The 'virtual pub' argument only goes so far. Pubs and public places are largley self censoring for this reason; if you used such language and abuse towards another customer in such a place you would almost certainly be ejected, probably barred and possibly flattened by the victim of the abuse. The keyboard warriors on here have no such natural restraints so feel they can abuse with impunity. They even seem to be delighting in driving long standing, entertaining and popular posters away. This schoolboy bullying tactic of abusing anyone who dares argue against their views is in danger of destroying this forum so anything that stops that from happening would be welcome in my opinion.
It has nothing to do with censorship or freedom of speach and everything to do with respect and civilised behaviour. If they really were as patriotic as they claim to be they'd know about these values and show more maturity than they do at present.
A crying shame that someone with your good sense doesn't feel they fit in here, but alas I'm no longer surprised.