[BBQchef33]

With the advent of our elections coming up, and in maintaining our vision of this forum being a community allowing conversation beyond just BBQ, the News and Politics area is going to reopen in the Special interest Section, however it is re-opening with VERY EXPLICIT criteria.

Its is still hidden UNLESS YOU CHOOSE to see it.

All previous access to the forum has been removed. This means NO ONE HAS access at this moment, and you will need to voluntarily re-join it if you want to be involved or to see the forum in your forum list.

IF YOU CHOOSE to join that area of this forum, you are doing it with the understanding of the following. After YOU CHOOSE TO JOIN, any deviation of this agreement will result in simple, swift and permanent removal from the News and Politics Forum.

You are voluntarily choosing to enter the News and Politics area at YOUR OWN RISK, as emphasized above.. you CHOOSE TO JOIN. If you do choose to join, you agree to the following conditions.

There is One main rule. If you choose to become offended by something said in a Subforum that you are more than aware contains controversial content, and opinions that are contrary to your own, which will at times become contentious, and you complain or report it to us, your access will be permanently removed from the N&P forum.

The Rest of The Rules:
1 – You will join with iron skin and will NOT take offense to folks opinions and beliefs. If you do choose to be offended, dont bitch to us expecting sympathy or agreement. We are not moderating content or stifling opinions or conversations. Leave the thread or leave the N&P forum. Do not flame, or escalate, or have hissy fit.

2 – You will not initiate, or take part in or escalate any flame wars, name calling or personal attacks. Remain civil at all times. If we have to step into an uncivilized pissing match, all participants of said match will be removed. Passive aggressive behavior is NOT exempt and will receive the same fate.

3 - If you send a moderator a PM complaining about generalizations regarding (insert part line here), being called a (insert party line here) or associated with a(insert party line here), or whatever, YOU will be removed from the N&P forum permanently.

To Clarify: Learn the difference between a PERSONAL attack and a GENERALIZATION. If you take offense at being associated with a group that is under discussion or under fire, then leave the thread, or counter civilly. WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYONE BITCHING that someone insulted an entire GROUP, half the forum, or your Uncle Neds extended family by saying(insert party affiliation here) are dumbasses or (insert party affiliation here) are Racist, or cold hearted, or (insert group name here)enjoyed Kanye west singing Bohemian Rhapsody.. WE DON’T CARE! Generalizations are NOT personal attacks.

If you disagree with this concept, DO NOT JOIN N&P. If your a conservative or a liberal or a closet independent, and dont like being labeled as such, don't join, because your posts will give away your dirty little secret.

4 - DO NOT EXPECT THE MOD TEAM TO MODERATE ON ANYTHING POLITICALLY RELATED. YOU are to self police, and police each other. If someone bitches, and we have to step in to moderate, the chances are the offending parties will loose access to N&P. If the report is a whiny pissy thin skinned report, the reporting party will be removed.

5 - If for any reason a mod is forced to step in to extinguish flames that break The General BBQ Brethren FORUM rules.. ALL participants in the pissing match will be removed from N&P. Bitch to us in a reported post because of hurt feelings or loose panties, and you MAY find your report posted in N&P for a public flogging.

6 - DO NOT drag anything from N&P into any other areas of the forum. This includes any ill will, bad karma or personal grudges you've cultivated during involvement in N&P. If we notice that a personal grudge has spilled into the public forum and pissing matches between N&P members are poisoning the public areas, both parties will be placed in "administrative ignore" permanently. This means that WE will add both parties to each others ignore list to protect our membership from seeing and childish BS.

8 - Do NOT post anything Political in Woodpile. EVER. Simple/informative/non controversial/non contemptuous NEWS items are ok.. But NOTHING that can get heated. If its a source of controversy, it goes back here. If a mod moves something here. It stays, no discussion

9- Just ONCE accuse us of not doing our jobs, or not being impartial or leaning one way or the other because you disagree with how we moderate, you will be removed with extreme prejudice. No questions asked. The mod team knows how to moderate objectively and we do not care about the content or subject matter. We know what is and is not allowed in accordance with the forum rules and OUR DECISIONS ARE FINAL. Period. If you don't agree with the decision. TOUGH. If you cannot live with this hard nosed approach, don't join, but we will not have a repeat of the last debacle.

Bottom line: You choose to join an area of this forum that you know at times can get contentious. Act like adults. Have adult conversations, don't call names, and don't get all whiny because your ego got a booboo and come crying to us expecting us to stand up for yours or anyone else's political beliefs, and do not expect us to defend you or anyone else because your foot got chewed on when you entered into a lions den with it wrapped in bacon. We are not here to sooth and caress anyone. If you can not grow iron skin, do not join.

If you agree to the above, you can join N&P Here.

or

You join it from your user Control Panel(userCP), "Group Memberships" in the 'Networking' Section.