Anyone who has been an administrator of a public forum knows that the authority of the task comes with responsibility. Administrators set to tone of discussion, and moderate it when it gets out of hand. Even in a well-run group, tempers flare, barbs are exchanged, and patently silly statements are ridiculed. Relationships are formed, both good and bad. In order to foster a fair and open exchange of viewpoints, and administrator needs to stay above this, and act as the voice of reason.
When an admin steps into the fray and not only tolerates the open slander and politics of personal destruction but engages in it himself, the discussion quits being an open marketplace of ideas. Normally when someone does this, they're called out on it, and their stupidity is subjected to public ridicule, and they soon learn to act civilized in public, and moderate their rhetoric within the bounds of propriety. Not Lew! As an admin, he feels he has carte blanche to defame anyone who come in his crosshairs, and when you call him out on it, you will be defamed and subject to his verbal abuse as well. And by golly, you better kow-tow and take it, because if you respond back in kind. ... you're gone.
Just like a fuedal lord, Lew will press his delete button, and off with your rhetorical head. Or, like Trotsky, you will be "disappeared," peremptorily removed from the discussion so your disruptive observation of the perfidy of the admin doesn't infect the rest of the body.And heaven help you if you notice this high handed behavior and call out the tyrant on removing someone who had the utter gall to stand up for themselves, because the tyrant will remove you, as well! King Lewie will not be mocked!
Lew cannot carry on a civil discourse in a forum which he does not control. He will only let his hair down and be his vulgar, bullying self when he has the power to silence dissension. As a result of standing up to his nonsense, three people are now on his hate list and have been banned from the public forum, Southwest Washington Opinions.
The funny thing is that Lew isn't as secure in his power as he would like you to think. Heaven forbid that anyone get back in and continue to draw attention to his perfidy. Fortunately, he's not the only admin on SWWO, and some of the adults keep unblocking his enemies and letting them back in. I understand it's become a matter of mirth among hose involved to bet on how long it will take before Lew notices and blocks them again. Bets are being laid, and money is exchanging hands. The current record is about 15 minutes, and this in the middle of the night. No one posts or does anything to draw attention. They're added, and then summarily blocked.
The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that Lew in his paranoia, is staring at the membership list, hitting the refresh button regularly, like a cat staring at a mousehole. It's sad that a grown man is so afraid that someone might call him a bad name that he devotes so much time and effort to keep people from expressing their opinion.
He complained that someone called him a bad name, and so that person was banned. Lew can't seem to understand what my mom taught me at a young age, that honey attracts more than vinegar does. He doesn't understand that when you insult, denigrate and slander a free man, you're probably going to get the same back, in spades. If Lew doesn't want to get dirty, he shouldn't start throwing mud. Lew shouldn't be ruffled by a few bad words directed his way. He's surely been called worse. Hell, I know he's been called worse, because I've called him worse, right here.
I know many people who are young at heart, and enjoy life to the fullest. Lew is young at heart, but as a spoiled little bully who throws a hissy when he doesn't get his own way, and when someone stand up to him and smacks him for being a prick. Have pity on the man, silently staring at his computer screen, finger poised to block his enemies should they appear again. Whack-a-mole was never so fun.
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