# Announcement: Changes to Activism and War & Politics



## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

With the recent election for US president being over, the mods and admin feel there is a need for some changes in the War and Politics and Activism forums.

A forum focused on War and Politics on a Natural Family Living forum is bound to be primarily focused on the negative aspects of these things. We doubt while writing this that if one were looking at the board one would find three positive threads. This saddens us.

It isn't that anyone wants to do away with the board or that there haven't been amazing things posted here, but that we believe that changing things around a little will make it work better now that elections are over.

"War and Politics" will now be called "News and Current Events". This will, of course, include War and Politics but will also open the board to more of a variety of issues for discussion in that forum, encouraging more members to participate and hopefully dissolving the harsh divide that currently exists in War and Politics.

Also, to discourage the division in W&P, the tribe threads will be removed and will not return in any forum at MDC. As they stand, they do a disservice to MDC by identifying members of the various political sects and delineating for others between who is like and who is different, when the truth might be far more of a gray area.

Activism will change to "Take Action", this forum will be for action alerts and calls to action only. Letter writing campaigns, boycotts, and marches will be posted to that forum and all threads will be moderated. This will not be a forum for debate to take place.


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## SoHappy (Nov 19, 2001)

War and politics affect our lives every single day. They affect our interest rates, our travel plans, our investments, our livelihoods. They affect the air we breath, the water we drink, the foods we eat, the plans we make, the fears we hold deep in our hearts and minds.

Personally, I need to talk about these things and feel the forum was appropriately titled, due to the impact of war and politics on not only my own life, but the entire world.


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## CookieMonsterMommy (Oct 15, 2002)

I 2nd SoHappy 100%.....war and politics is not no longer relevant now that the elections are over.....elections are really one small aspect of the overall political picture....

Kelly


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

hear hear!









it's a sad day when the misnomer that politics only matter during an election year is reinforced.







:


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## joesmom (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *annakiss*
A forum focused on War and Politics on a Natural Family Living forum is bound to be primarily focused on the negative aspects of these things. We doubt while writing this that if one were looking at the board one would find three positive threads. This saddens us.


Of COURSE we are focused on the negative aspects. How could we not be? It saddens _me_ that this change is taking place. Would it be better if everyone posting here was pro-war?

I have been confused for a long time, this is not helping...









The election may be over but the war is NOT. My cousin was supposed to come home in Feb; we got word recently that his stay has been extended. Was I surprised? No. Because I have been reading here & branching out & doing my own research besides. This forum has matured me & taught me a lot. I hate to see it go.


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## Rhonwyn (Apr 16, 2002)

How long does it take for a thread to be posted here? I sent something in early this morning and have yet to see it.


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

I think the comment about only having three positive threads is quite telling. There does seem to be some need to keep everything all nice, sweet and positive and agreeable on these boards.


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## frolick16 (Feb 10, 2004)

for the next four years I will be affected by the outcome of the elections, as long as I have sons I will be affected by war or the possiblity of war if I cannot seek solace or cry in outrage here, then where?


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Thank you for these changes. I agree that it is a much better idea to focus more on issues and avoiding a lot of the "negative debate." I have completely avoided this section of the forum for the most part because of all the negativity and personal assaults.


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## Dov (Nov 21, 2001)

IMO it makes more sense to _add_ the News and Current Events forum not use it to replace W&P. People really seem to need W&P.

It's not a wise move to delete negative or divisive debate (the left/right only threads) in a time in the cultural dynamic when it is indeed so profoundly divided. It may suck to say it, but it's true that the world just isn't happy-happy like some folks would prefer (if only it were...). MDC needs to recognize the real need for solidarity amonst those who are oppressed by the abuser culture. The abuser culture wants a place to come together and bash their victims without feeling that they're causing harm (yeah, the irony and perversion of this is not lost on me). On the latter I don't get why they need MDC, they have the entire news media, the pop-talk culture and just about every other forum on the continent pandering to their "values." In contrast, those who dissent and do not agree and take issue with the mainstream have no place, MDC being a rare exception, to come together and commiserate, plot, synthesize, analyze, vent, console, etc. Taking away the meeting place only helps the abusers not the victims.

I'm wondering if MDC is just not desiring to provide the place anymore (be it due to exhaustion, etc.). That's a legitimate need perhaps, but it should be simply stated as such, not smothered in some pseudo-rationalizing to justify what seems to be the urge to just not deal with anything dirty, messy, negative, and divisive. That's just not a good method to deal with anything, IMO. Sometimes we need space to opt-out, so fine, MDC should just say so if this is the case. Look when I feel too sensitive and tired I opt out by just not going into W&P. (When I unwisely have failed to heed my own advice, I've been bitten by my errors; but a little egg on the face helps one be more prudent in the future--one hopes anyway).

MDC moderators could do some different kinds of interaction on the threads... perhaps guiding dialogue, posing more questions, challenging assumptions on all sides is far more progressive than merely nixing dissent, debate, and pain and smothering it with happy-happy (which isn't going to work, just try it and you'll see). Peace and democracy are not flat; they're dynamic and dirty. I know with my own limitations I could not volunteer for this very difficult area to moderate... heck, sometimes W&P flat out needs a skilled mediator, even a therapist or two.

I'm not supporting anyone bashing anyone by expressing my support for keeping W&P (and expressing my concern over the sticky here stating this change)... on that aspect (which I've been on both sides of, IMO) I believe there's a lot more emotional maturity and personal responsibility needed, as well as better non-violent communication on the part of posters. I know I don't always model what I'd like to see on W&P threads and I'm grateful for the slack given at times. But I don't support MDC excising W&P in favor of slapping a false smiley on members who clearly need this forum to exist. I actually do support the idea of activism being morphed into a take action forum for activism postings. A cautionary note: in my experience dry bulletin posting-only forums usually die off in a few months. Some discussion is still necessary to keep them going.

So.... anyhoo, that's my four bucks....


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

wow Dov excellent post!


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## aussiemum (Dec 20, 2001)

Yes, wow Dov, what an excellent post! I agree 100% with what you said.

Cynthia, mods........ do you hear what we are saying? Why _not_ have both a News & Current Events & a War & Politics forum..... We are still at war, after all...... aren't we? Surely it has not become background noise yet......


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

I'm currently confused because war and politics is still locked and the threads haven't been moved so they are now dead. I thought you all were renaming W&P.


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## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

Cynthia added News & Current Events as a seperate forum and had moved recent W&P threads there. Go to News and Current Events to discuss War and Politics. It's all just under one heading now, there's no seperate forum.


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## cynthia mosher (Aug 20, 1999)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aussiemum*
Cynthia, mods........ do you hear what we are saying? Why _not_ have both a News & Current Events & a War & Politics forum..... We are still at war, after all...... aren't we? Surely it has not become background noise yet......

Yes, we hear. Thanks for the thoughts and ideas but we'd like to try what we have put in place. Please help us by giving it a chance.


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## Mommymama (Aug 23, 2002)

Cynthia,

I do believe the W&P forum should be maintained. The W&P issues get watered down in the News and Current Events forum. It's as if you tried to combine the Vaccinations forum into Health and Healing since Vaccinations are related to Health, kwim? Just my 2 cents.

Marilia


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## aussiemum (Dec 20, 2001)

Cynthia, thank you for responding in this thread. I think I understand the reasons behind why it is no longer possible to post a new thread in W&P, but I am no sure that the solution you (collective, not you personally) propose is going to necessarily going to solve the problem. The problem, as I see it, is that America is deeply divided & that divison is going to force the rest of the world into making some hard choices. We see those divisions on this board....... & I think the only chance we (collective, as in humanity) have to resolve it is to at least talk to each other about the things that divide us....... I dunno, my two bobs worth, anyway......

i'm willing to give the new forum a go, but that's easy to say as I'm going to be away for about the next two months...... I do think that discussions about war will always be relevant..... I think it's human nature.....







:

I hope there's space on MDC for that POV when I come back.......


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