Eric, you have as much 'say' as anyone here! Although donations are very much appreciated, they don't dictate any additional sway with the staff. An equally valuable way of supporting the site is to simply be here and contribute. It would be pretty boring, otherwise.
As to what prompted me to pursue these options... it is the current occupant of the White House, his behavior, and my reactions to him. He is supposed to be above the disgusting behavior he exhibits, and so am I, as a member of the staff. I should not allow myself the luxury of verbally bashing him here. I should, instead, 'walk the walk'. That he has chosen to disrespect the office and nearly all presidents before him is his choice. It makes him appear the buffoon, the loud mouthed drunk in the bar, the village idiot. Having played right into his hands, I will choose a different tact, and try to be civil. I think by now that everyone interested understands how much I detest Trump.
The suggestions I offer are just thoughts off the top of my head. I haven't even run this by Fred, Bob, or Michael yet. It doesn't need to spell the end of harsh criticism of Trump... keeping the old forum, but making it invisible to guests will allow this to continue.
As to anyone who would complain about continuing political discussions here... I would suggest they refrain from reading those forums as a matter of choice. Nobody has to click any link here for any reason.
Regarding moderation of the new political discussions forum, I believe we can do it fairly. We have N8YX, a conservative with strong support of the 1st and 2nd amendments, Bob, also a conventional conservative who has a good grasp on fairness. Michael, I'm not clear on his political leanings, but he seems to value equality and fairness for all. I'm the hothead on the staff, but you can't classify me as a liberal, nor a conservative. I see value in both sides, and choose to view the world in living color as opposed to black and white. I do have an extremely low tolerance for liars, racism, bigotry, and trolling.
Any conclusions reached here will be discussed with the rest of the staff, and we'll figure out what we're going to do, if anything.
So, give us your opinion, vote in the poll, and have fun!
73 - Luke
BTW - I did not vote in the poll. It's obvious that I'd prefer the option of having two political forums.