Posted on Feb 24, 2017
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Over the past few months I, along with several other User Admins, have been hit with complaints about people's behavior. Most of these reports come out of people acting disrespectfully towards another normally centered around a political post. Every day, countless posts from both sides of the political line are posted. I was hoping that after the election was over and people settled back into their routines these posts would start to dwindle in number but sadly, that isn't the case. In fact, I think people's reactions only made people want to share more. Other social media sites are covered as well but here I think it's different.
I understand that for many of you, this is your one stop shop for social media actives. And I understand that you have the right to voice your thoughts and concerns but what I don't get and what I will not tolerate is the name calling and personal attacks. I think for some of you, you are so wrapped up on what others have said or done that you yourself are losing touch with reality. Rather than finding a healthy way to express your feelings you are just so hyper-focus that it's causing damage to yourself. Some of the actions I've seen here are simply not healthy.
When RallyPoint first started. it was started to a place where service members and veterans can come to get connected with others and get answers to their questions. Now, with over 1.1 million members we are still that place but have this dirty shadow following us.
So the question I have for you, as one of the original members and as one of the Senior User Admins of this site; why are you here? Are you here to connect with your brothers and sisters-in-arms and to help provide meaningful answers to questions or are you here in some effort to spread your ideals onto others? Why do some of you feel the need to attack others just based on the fact that they voted for someone different? When will you pause and step away to realize that no one person can make American great again, to do that takes all of us. It takes all of us to come together, support the powers to be and hold them accountable as a collective body.
I understand that for many of you, this is your one stop shop for social media actives. And I understand that you have the right to voice your thoughts and concerns but what I don't get and what I will not tolerate is the name calling and personal attacks. I think for some of you, you are so wrapped up on what others have said or done that you yourself are losing touch with reality. Rather than finding a healthy way to express your feelings you are just so hyper-focus that it's causing damage to yourself. Some of the actions I've seen here are simply not healthy.
When RallyPoint first started. it was started to a place where service members and veterans can come to get connected with others and get answers to their questions. Now, with over 1.1 million members we are still that place but have this dirty shadow following us.
So the question I have for you, as one of the original members and as one of the Senior User Admins of this site; why are you here? Are you here to connect with your brothers and sisters-in-arms and to help provide meaningful answers to questions or are you here in some effort to spread your ideals onto others? Why do some of you feel the need to attack others just based on the fact that they voted for someone different? When will you pause and step away to realize that no one person can make American great again, to do that takes all of us. It takes all of us to come together, support the powers to be and hold them accountable as a collective body.
Posted in these groups: 
RallyPoint
RallyPoint
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 240
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I am here to reconnect with fellow servicemen and women; I have found that I share more in common with them than with my civilian friends - even after being out for 45 years.
And there is no excuse in my view for treating fellow vets and AD servicemen with less than professional respect regardless of one's political POV. This was require of us while serving and should apply now just as well.
I just ran across this article that seems to apply here especially:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/07/08/cal-thomas-place-where-civility-once-ruled.html
And there is no excuse in my view for treating fellow vets and AD servicemen with less than professional respect regardless of one's political POV. This was require of us while serving and should apply now just as well.
I just ran across this article that seems to apply here especially:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/07/08/cal-thomas-place-where-civility-once-ruled.html
Cal Thomas: A place where civility once ruled
When was the last time you heard a member of one political party praise a member of the other party?
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I am here to "join forces" with fellow service members/Veterans and discuss topics that affect our future. Although I feel debate is healthy, I also feel the debate should be done by both parties with courtesy, decorum, and respect. We can all have differences of opinion, prime example is I'm a Republican/conservative, but I respect JP's views even though we may not agree. Bottom line follow the advice of Thumpers Mom "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"
S/F
S/F
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It would seem that the greatest common bond developed by military service is an attitude, one that in my humble opinion we all share. It's covered by the words "initiative" or "industry". the lowering of ones bullshit threshold to the the point that we don't want to simply wait for answers, we go get them. In hunting for answers, we will also find ourselves called upon to provide answers or useful direction to obtain same where we can in return. Even in the bible, Karma is clearly explained, "we reap what we sow". As such each of us becomes part of an immense brain trust that can provide useful information for everything from common questions to information that can cause the best educated civilians to stumble. In short, "we're here to help wherever we can".
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I also found the site by accident. Since then I have helped other service members find it. I am here to help others when I can and network with other vet's. Maybe even find some old friends.
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I do not like political posts at all. Just about 100% are negative towards Trump. I try to offer support and information to assist others. I also dislike humor posts (duffleblog) or what ever the hell its called. While I do jump in on political posts as I fell I do in fact have to counter BS information being pushed as fact. Semper Fi to all. Keep up the good work Admins we all owe you big time!
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I see posts that are designed to be provocative and they always seem to stir up disagreements. I think some of the posters like to start a good fight and then back away smirking. I have found myself drawn into some of these "cesspools". I am trying to be a better person and I was drawn to RallyPoint to once again experience that feeling of camaraderie and team work I miss from my military days. As active duty or veteran, we have a common heritage and that is service to our nation. Regardless of how we feel we were treated in the past, our military brothers and sisters are not the enemy....
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Really, save the name calling for Facebook. We are professionals. This is a site for people who know what the hell we're talking about!
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SGT Ben Keen I just stumbled on this post. I'm about 2months into my membership. A friend and former Wart Hog pilot turned me on to the RP (thanks Charlie). I joined to connect with fellow veterans and AD warriors, because sometimes I miss the life style and attitudes. I've been voting for about 43 years and I can tell you political discourse was never as contentious as now days. I rarely discuss politics outside of my group anymore because one side has become to ugly to talk too. If I get antagonized or baited in to a shit storm, I just ignore it and move to the next post. I have connected with some great men and women on the RP and I plan to stick around. This is way better than the crap I see on FB. LOL
Ooha!
Ooha!
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I joined to connect to old friends and new in the military community. VERY quickly I got involved in "pushing back" against the very strong (to me) right-wing bias and never ending attacks on President Obama.
As the election heated up, I got more involved, not out of love for Hillary Clinton or to push liberal over conservative policies, but to fight against the obnoxious and disgusting campaign of Donald Trump. As a 33-year (and counting) soldier, an immigration attorney and a former ICE agent the level of nativist rhetoric was and remains shocking and intolerable, and I continue to do everything in my power to fight back and try to uphold what I consider to be American values and our status as a nation of immigrants.
Along the way, I also found that as the Trump campaign moved forward, so too to very aggressive "religious liberty" movements that I consider in my educated opinion to be code for protecting a Christian's right to discriminate against people he/she doesn't like.
So today I guess I'm still here for my original reason, which is the connect with friend old and new in the military community, to seek mentorship from senior officers and NCOs who've been there and to offer mentorship to those coming up behind me. BUT, and its a very big but, my primary purpose here has become to keeping the dialog balanced, pushing back against the extreme right-wing (borderline fascist) trends in our society and to let those who spent the last eight years attacking those of us left of their extreme position (which includes moderate Republicans whom they call RINOs, not just Democrats) and pushing back at those who want to change the status of our secular republic to their desired "Christian Country", which is something I strongly feel we must never become.
While the word "Patriot" has been hijacked by the right and co-opted by the Tea Party types, it is because I am a patriot in the old definition that I feel obligated to do so.
As the election heated up, I got more involved, not out of love for Hillary Clinton or to push liberal over conservative policies, but to fight against the obnoxious and disgusting campaign of Donald Trump. As a 33-year (and counting) soldier, an immigration attorney and a former ICE agent the level of nativist rhetoric was and remains shocking and intolerable, and I continue to do everything in my power to fight back and try to uphold what I consider to be American values and our status as a nation of immigrants.
Along the way, I also found that as the Trump campaign moved forward, so too to very aggressive "religious liberty" movements that I consider in my educated opinion to be code for protecting a Christian's right to discriminate against people he/she doesn't like.
So today I guess I'm still here for my original reason, which is the connect with friend old and new in the military community, to seek mentorship from senior officers and NCOs who've been there and to offer mentorship to those coming up behind me. BUT, and its a very big but, my primary purpose here has become to keeping the dialog balanced, pushing back against the extreme right-wing (borderline fascist) trends in our society and to let those who spent the last eight years attacking those of us left of their extreme position (which includes moderate Republicans whom they call RINOs, not just Democrats) and pushing back at those who want to change the status of our secular republic to their desired "Christian Country", which is something I strongly feel we must never become.
While the word "Patriot" has been hijacked by the right and co-opted by the Tea Party types, it is because I am a patriot in the old definition that I feel obligated to do so.
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Bravo Sgt Keen, I have become a member to stay connected with the military way of life. My son has now joined the Army Reserves and is about to start college and ROTC. I have used this site to asked a few questions about the reserves and the ROTC to help my son. I do not believe this is the place to push your political ideas. I do not think it is right to attack another person because they voted different than what you think is right. Is that not one of the things that we in the military fight to protect? I think a lot of people are loosing track of the main point, it is "United we stand against all enemies foreign and domestic". The key word is "UNITED", we can disagree on how things should be done but we must always stand together and back each up.
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MCPO Roger Collins
There are ways to avoid "hot" topics. And plenty of those you may feel more conducive to your tastes. There are many of us that liked a spirited debate while serving on AD and still do now. If you get seriously involved and do your research, it can be quite educational.
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