So it's about that time...no, not time for a cold beer but time to say bye bye Bald Move. I have supported this website, the podcasts, and
@Jim and
@A_Ron_Hubbard for more than two years because I enjoyed the content and the community. I am still looking forward to my copy of A.Ron's book and will listen to the Game of Thrones podcast for Season 8, but that'll be it. What I won't do is continue to monetarily support a website/community that tells me I have to think a certain way or be banned.
For those of you who don't hang around in the more politically oriented threads, it has become policy that if you argue that President Trump isn't a racist then you will be banned from the forums. In A.Ron's own words from a DM we exchanged,
"I'm not going to have people deny Trump's racism when it's so blatant, cruel, and obvious."Well I have a problem with dangerous, blanket statements such as that, especially when they come with an ultimatum. I can admit the President can be racially tone deaf at times but calling him an out and out racist and threatening to kick off anyone who disagrees crosses a line with me (and I didn't vote for the guy). A.Ron told me in the same DM,
"You're welcome to stay and keep your mouth shut and listen to the women and people of color here about political and social issues that are life and death to them, or you're welcome to seek out whatever free speech utopia that will let you air your completely obvious and banal opinions to the world, because there are a lot of them out there and this isn't one of them."Now it is their website and they are within their rights to kick people off. But for a community that is supposed to be open and inclusive, this new policy strikes me as knee jerk and smacks of someone pushing their own political agenda. I don't come onto Bald Move to listen to an echo chamber of negativity, but that's what it has become. I won't stay and keep my mouth shut as A.Ron told me I would have to do because I have beliefs and in this country I am free to express those beliefs, and I will express my beliefs that I should be able to openly speak about my viewpoint without fear of persecution or retribution (the mods on here have frequently threatened me with banning and I have been cursed at repeatedly for some of my viewpoints, which seems to be ok with A.Ron since I haven't seen him smack the hands of others for coming after me).
I would advise moderate and conservative leaning people to reexamine your monetary support of Bald Move in light of their new policy and attempts to control the narrative on the forums/website in ways that are hostile towards us (even if you don't support the President). The guys are great podcasters, but they have injected too much of their political agenda into Bald Move and I think it will be part of their undoing in the end.
Best Wishes,
Anubus21
