An Open Letter to the RallyPoint Community - Why are you here?

One Comment and One Comment Only, I would Like to Commend the "Admins" of the Rallypoint Community for their Devotion to Duty and finding a Middle Ground! Better Folks Than I and I commend Your Efforts!

I view RallyPoint as my favorite social media site and I find it very encouraging to be able to connect with veterans, many who are retired, are still serving, or are veterans embarked on the rest of their respective lifetimes. Service to others, whether to individuals or communities, is a privilege which can be lost due to indiscretion, crimes committed, or ostracism. We veterans are often a group with strong convictions and we tend to take affiliation with our group think to be paramount. As social people, especially while interacting with like-minded people in this platform, we should place priority upon keeping this venue secure, safe, and friendly. Becoming focused on trees within the forest of RallyPoint can lead to bad behavior because we tend to personalize our respective opinions and group affiliations. Let us all strive to respect each other's right to identification and while discussing topics be mindful that opinion is what it is and not implicitly a threat to others [eliminating those holding hate group affiliations].

Since I joined the RallyPoint community, a little less than 2 years ago, I have had several friends die and many more leave for various and sundry reasons.
I do my best to be respectful to all others in person and in my posts and responses, comments on RallyPoint. Many RallyPoint members are respectful.
I try to reason with the disrespectful people which works some time to improve interaction.
Thanks for seeking our responses to an intriguing discussion SGT Ben Keen
Thanks for mentioning me SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas
FYA SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SP5 Mark Kuzinski TSgt Joe C. LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSgt (Join to see) SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Tom Brown SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SGT Robert George PO2 Ed C. COL Mikel J. Burroughs

SGT Ben Keen
This is a great question to ask the community and it will be interesting reading the responses.

Personally I am here for me! I need Rally Point and what it has to offer. I need the camaraderie, the spirit of friendship and fellowship this group brings to the table. How we can keep each other upbeat and sane despite what challenges or circumstances we face. We all have demons or skeletons lurking in our minds and thoughts and it's a good feeling knowing that others understand. That others are their if you need them. We can be the best healers of ourselves. We are the only ones who get the brother and sisterhood we share. We are all patriots and love this country regardless of our philosophies and political leanings. My hope is that we don't lose that kinship we share because of the hostilities that develop in some of these threads that have been populating the forum. Remember who we are and what we mean to this country because we are a select few. If we start forgetting their will be no one to remember. We who are still around are the best preservers of those who have passed. We have vast knowledge past and present to share not only with our fellow veterans but our communities. And remember the worst thing to happen is to be forgotten! God Bless everyone!

Best Regards and Much Respect
Curt

I'm here to mentor and/or assist my fellow service members and veterans!

I'm here because I want to be.

I realize that doesn't actually MEAN anything, but I assure you the reasons behind my use of the word "want" are many.

For other's benefit, I would correct one thing you wrote above SGT Ben Keen. You stated we have a "[right] to voice [our] thoughts and concerns..."; however, as this is NOT the public square, that "right" rests solely with those who own and run the site. RallyPoint really is free to do with this site what they wish, and can proctor it accordingly without violating freedom of speech. That is their right.

I'm here because it's as close to sitting around the Staff NCO Club shooting the bull on whatever as most of us will ever see again (being retired and in my 60's). Conversing with fellow servicemen & women of multiple generations on many subjects. My wife doesn't like to talk politics at all and this gives me and outlet for that, too.
Only been around since mid-NOV, so I don't know how it was pre-election. If I ever get (or have been) disrespectful to another RP member I hope someone slaps me down ASAP. I'm at times passionate in opinion, but don't want to be disrespectful.

Real soldiers should act in a respectable manner when communicating with other soldiers or public. Unfortunately there are those bad apples in every batch.

I came out of curiosity. I stayed because of the diversity of topics, the camaraderie. And because I believed I could contribute, mentor, speak from a female perspective and make some new connections because most of my non RP friends are non military. We here at RP spoke similar languages. I could reminisce about my youth, share what I had learned and see what our military has become with the cuts to budget and numbers but still in theaters without clear borders.

Then my health took a sharp turn for the worse and I was unable to read or see RP for months, the months leading up to the election. My Facebook friends range the entire spectrum of opinions. There were more than enough exchanged opinions that I didn't care to engage in. Sadly, on my return to RP, I found many of my favorite contributors checked out. I see the same group tagged in post after post. How does that welcome junior enlisted or new RP members? I respect many on that group, but what happened to the other 400,000+ members? Perhaps one solution is a hiatus on tagging.

I am dismayed at the infighting and loss of compassion and community. We don't know what burdens others carry and read the wrong inflections in posts. And we won't know about those burdens nor will we be able to share the load until the members of RP remember to welcome everyone. We have lost our vision and objectivity.

With that said, I must break from RP for a while. I personally need positives in my life. I need to engage with people in real life, face to face. I need to step away from electronics. In my non RP life, there are children laughing, people dancing, wide open fields, the expanse of blue skies above, flowers, anonymous kindnesses, births, deaths, friends. I am excited because I get to be the Easter Bunny at the local zoo for vanishing animals, a blue fairy who makes little ones delight in the botanical gardens, watch live stage musicals of Broadway caliber. My account will stay active and I am available to anyone who wants to message me. I will answer, if someone is in trouble, please send them to me so I can communicate one on one and find a light in the darkness. I'll leave the green light on for you.

I joined this site (group) a couple months ago. I missed the military comraderie. There is some here, but you have to look for it. I was going to delete last week but decided to learn how to use the site to find what I was looking for. I find if I use the site the way it was designed, I like it. I am figuring out that if I stay out of politics and religion its a great social site. I will stay. On another point, I do read the profiles now to see where some vets are coming from. It helps.