Dear Jason, Ted, Jeff and Denise
Please accept this blogpost as my formal resignation from your blog aggregator "Liblogs".
I have taken a good long time over the past week to make this decision and I have made it with a certain degree of regret.
I have been a member of Liblogs since December 2005/January 2006. I have always thought it to be a great place for Liberals to exchange, at times, contrarian views with one another.
The recent events in the middle east has drawn an incredible amount of difficult debate to this forum. A debate that hadn't taken place before within the confines of this forum. The debate spilled into the public realm and took a turn that none of us could have conceivably predicted.
It seems we are not alone. The world is in one giant, massive debate over the same issue at present.
I do feel, as some others have already expressed, that some of the debate was stifled and/or censored on this site. In hindsight I can honestly say that perhaps one or two of the incidents warranted it. For the most part however, I feel the debate was well represented - even educational at times.
I did not appreciate the notice that Jason posted on the aggregator suggesting the "official" position of "Liblogs" on the mideast debate. An official position would have been that of an aggregator that is the sum of its parts. Your message claimed to be the sum of 5 parts out of hundreds of members.
For this reason I tender this resignation.
I thank you for allowing me to participate on this site for as long as I have and I look forward to your continued acts of Liberalism that may help a party in need of a change for the better.
Yours sincerely,
James C. Curran
The "What Do I Know Grit"
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23 comments:
Congratulations, James.
That was a tough decision.
Hard decision, and admirable.
Very polite.....
I woulda posted a pic like the one of the little dutch boy that mattt uses...:)
I've read your post over the years and always found them fair, even when our opinions diverged.
On the subject of Israel, you have been an advocate and defender joining various groups in support. I was extremely surprised at the venom you received for your exploration of the present conflict in Gaza.
I can only hope that your readership will grow and that other avenues will open up.
Classy post, James . . . .
A noble man.
A noble spirit.
A hard decision but an honourable one, James.
Sorry to see you go James I often enjoyed your honest and insightful perspective on the issues. I do think that over the last few weeks that different commenters have been pushing your buttons and instigating some harsh dialogue, yes I believe you got played! That doesn't excuse the issue that brought about the censorship debate, however you were one of the strongest voices of objection to such activity and I believe others knew that so they pushed your buttons. Not everyone, I believe this issue has influenced a lot of good bloggers to leave but their are some that well??? (just look at their titles) Again, I enjoyed making comments on your blogs and will miss that insightful perspective.
I will continue to blog for now. Hopefully ProgBlogs will let me stay. I hear rumours of a new Liberal aggregator coming soon to a computer near you.
Thank you all for your kind words.
No real point in saying I will miss ya James because I read prog blog all the time anyways....so will be catching your stuff the same as before.
James,
An honourable letter! I shall continue to read your posts, diligently, through Prog Blogs or from my own blog as I have you on my blogroll.
We are only a "click" away. :)
apparently people who don't like you get their comments deleted.
I used to read your blog on a daily basis but over the last few months I've found your posts to be harder and harder to stomach.
As I said last night, good riddance. I love that our party is a 'big tent', but perhaps its just a little too big at times. Maybe the NDP has some room for you James.
A prime example of censorship right there Diane. How did you like it? Not too nice is it. As for not liking you? How the hell would I know. I don't even know who you are anonymous poser.
Perhaps it is you that should leave the party if you agree with stifling debate and total censorship. Don't read my blog if you don't want to hear the truth. Go some where nice and dillusional. You'll enjoy it much more I'm certain.
And good riddance to ya.
You haven't been removed from the blogroll yet James. Perhaps thay don't want you to leave?
How can you 'resign' from Liblogs?
I hope that you don't leave James, and I hope that someone can speak with you and change your mind. BCer in TO has mentioned that that statement that Jason put at the top was not endorsed by the 5 admins and no one will do it again unless 3 out of 5 vote it's ok.
I also know that some of them disagree with what he deleted. So at minimum, please note that they are trying to work on this.
Anyway, I subscribe to you on bloglines and I will still read you regularly, I just guess it won't be through there. :(
Take care.
If a Liberal blog aggregator NOT controlled by narrow minded hall monitors is ever established I'd love to join it. My application to Liblogs was rejected or should I say ignored after I was queried about my name, rank and serial number so I won't have to resign luckily. I've enjoyed your posts JC, will continue to read you over at PB as before.
Though we've obviously butted heads in the past, I think that your resignation is a loss for the Liblogs, as I've appreciated much of your commentary... even the parts I don't agree with.
Best wishes on wherever the future takes you,
Christian Conservative
I think this an unfortunate step, Jim, and I would ask you to reconsider.
I certainly have some issues with what you've written (and some personal issues with what you wrote about me) but not the way you wrote them, which has been civil and open to debate. To lose someone who can carry an opposing viewpoint in a nuclear minefield and still maintain a decorum in the debate is a loss.
So I ask you to reconsider before the feed is removed at your request.
As you noted, the debate was well represented and educational, the few deleted posts even justifiable.
The Liblogs post by Jason expressing his personal views was, frankly, his right to do so as much as many think it was not advisable. But note that it was removed within a few hours. You might ask why such a long comment he obviously spent some time writing would be removed so quickly and who was pushing him to remove it or at least comments within it about who he was speaking for. If that is why you want off the list, the whole personal post issue was and remains the subject of much private discussion.
Like I have stated publicly in many comments: I have strong views on this issue as many do, but I just do not see why this foreign conflict breeds such bitter division within the Liberal Party and immediate intolerance for others' opinions, outright lies about what people have said and done, and personal attacks that no one should have to tolerate. I make that as a general statemetn and not directed at you Jim. And I say that about both pro-Israel and anti-Israel commenters. Too many feel someone who holds a different point of view on this issue is immediately tainted in all respects and on all other issues, and must be either an anti-semite or pro-Bush/Harper neo-con. It is simply ridiculous and sad.
The only thing that comes close to comparison is the abortion debate, but at least that has some direct and real bearing on people's lives here in Canada so I am able to understand more clearly why it is a nuclear policy issue for some that can brook no opposition.
But I know of no issue that gets so immediately personal when the consequences of taking a position one way or the other have so little consequence. Has anyone's life changed one iota because the NDP in opposition singled out Israel for blame and let Hamas off the hook? Has anyone's life changed one iota because the Liberals singled out Hamas for blame and let Israel off the hook? Is one person in the Middle East better off because this conflict generates way way more attention than any of the far worse atrocities going on in the world at this very moment (to say nothing of the atrocities already passed). Of course not. Nor has anyone's life changed in the Middle East or in Canada because Harper has said what he has said. And yet, people go beserk over this issue like no other issue. You have some saying we are now a fascist party because they don't get to force others to read their views on a privately owned blog aggregator, others who say any opposition to Israel is tantamount to the worst kind of anti-semitism and racism and should not be allowed. Total nuts. No one helps anyone or anything with that kind of extremism.
I stopped commenting here because of things you have written, about the party, about Israel, about Iggy and about me personally. That is obviously my choice. But that doesn't mean I don't read your posts every day. It doesn't mean I question your loyalty to or belonging in the party as you suggested I did. And that doesn't mean that I think Liblogs won't be diminished without blogs like yours. It would be.
Hopefully you will reconsider.
I've considered and reconsidered Ted. I actually took the time to sit with my thoughts since your post yesterday.
I think it better I stick with my plans to part from Liblogs. I've reviewed some thoughts shared on various blogs over the past couple of weeks (screen saved many) and have come to the conclusion that my departure is currently the best plan of action for all involved.
Thank you for your offer and thank you for having me at Liblogs.
All the best,
Jim
I have considered your letter and taken note of it.
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