Gentlemen,

I suspect that more than few of us went to Sunday School as boys, and as such, we should be reasonably familiar with the principle of treating others as you would have them treat you. Even if you never stepped foot in Sunday School, the truths here are pretty self-evident.

We're having a problem around here lately. It's not the spiraling downfall in post quality. It's not the influx of new members who don't yet seem to understand what we're all about. It's not the general rise in white noise. It's not the resurgence in tin-foil hat conspiracy posts. It's not the fellows that have been posting increasingly goofy rifles in the home build section. It's not even the emergence of guys who happen to have particularly strong opinions about the current administration or the latest push for gun control legislation in whatever form.

The problem we're having lies with the otherwise peaceable folks who seem to think that their fellow members no longer deserve a measure of basic respect if/when the opinions of said members diverge from their own dearly-held beliefs (on whatever the topic). We've been very clear on the fact that bitter debates, personal attacks, name calling and baiting will not be tolerated, but apparently the message has grown stale with age. Kindly allow me to freshen it up slightly in the interest of maintaining the peace around here.

If you disagree with a point another member has made, you may freely engage his facts or issues and make your points. If you belittle him as an individual in the process, or otherwise imply that he is intellectually-deficient in some way, we will crush your balls.

If you call another member a name in a manner that is in any way interpreted as hostile or sarcastic (because sarcasm is a huge accelerant -- if not the most volatile of them all), your balls will be summarily-crushed.

If you get into a heated debate with another member that even slightly resembles an open argument (or is laced with the aforementioned sarcasm), go ahead and slap 'em up on the table, because we're going to crush them.

If you direct profanity at another member with even mild ill intent, kindly drop trou. Your balls? Yeah, we're crushing them.

If you happen to think that your position(s) and/or belief(s) on a matter are so sacred as to create immediate offense if/when you encounter someone who might feel differently, do not respond to them. If you do, you will almost surely project an air of ire and intolerance. At that point, you may consider your balls as good as crushed.

I could go on, but I believe the point has been gently made. The staff has been instructed to be on watch for this kind of behavior, and to root it out without a lot of discussion; especially in the near-term. If you happen to wade into those waters anyway, and you happen to have balls ... well, you know the rest. Please take it like a man, and avoid the grousing and protests.

Clear, brothers? Let's make an active effort to "be at peace with all men," and put away any personal gripes we may have against another member. If that approach leads you to take one on the chin when you did nothing to deserve it, let us know and we will take whatever action is necessary to restore tranquilly. Hint: your tormenter's balls, and the crushing thereof, will almost certainly be involved.

This is a professional resource: let us have no more of this sixth-grade crap.

Please and thank you.

AC