We Get Reports: A PSA For New Visitors

We get reports. Oh, do we get reports. Lots and lots of them all basically saying the same thing:

"How can you, a 'Bernie/liberal' sub, allow..."

Amusing variants include;

"I used to always..."

"This used to be..."

"So now you're all..."

"Dear Penthouse Forum..."

And my favorite:

"Delete my Fucking Account, Kos..."

Look, we get that you saw one of our (hundreds of) posts make it onto your front page, or r/all, and based on that one post, that was probably brigaed by whichever side-sub happened to see it first, extrapolated that to be representative of the whole of this sub.

If any of these "offensive" posts represent our sub, here's what they're actually representative of - a sub that doesn't see it as our job to define what can and can't be discussed. This isn't r/politics, or r/news, or r/political_revolution, or t_d or any other sub that feels a duty to protect it's tender readers from having to scroll past a post that might offend their more fragile sensibilities.

This is not the safe space you're looking for!!

So when you see something cross-posted from "The Enemy" or linking to "Fake News" or discussing "Not that same damn conspiracy again" you have options outside of hitting the report button (unless you're trying to entertain our mods, which many inadvertently do, in which case it's okay):

1. Move on

2. Downvote and then move on.

3. Enter the comments and tell us what's wrong with it and why.

Any of these are perfectly fine, and I have a preference for #3.

When I used to mod at another unnamed Bernie Sub with a somewhat more restrictive view on allowing dissension, I once made a case that we should allow trolls unpopular opinionators to post, as some of our readers actually found it cathartic to bat them around (i.e. Cat Toys), and other readers would be exposed to some very good counter-arguments that could be used when they see the same tired talking points elsewhere and/or in 3D life.

I lost that argument, and now we have the WayoftheBern!

So to our new visitors upset at some post that we "failed" to remove because "We didn't used to be like this" or some such nonsense, you can help the cause by engaging, or you can get out of the way of those who are.

But if you want to be shocked and disgusted that we failed to properly enforce a thought-code to your expectations or standards, there's good news - you don't even need to start your own sub! There are hundreds out there already, many of which are highly trafficked, that will enforce a perfect slice of your spectrum of thought, guaranteed to not offend your delicate comfort zone, where there are 100 ways to say, "I agree with you," and "This, +100," and upvotes as far as the eye can see! A safe space tailored to fit your ideological straight-jacket, a perfectly manicured garden of every variety of sunflower and daises.

But this sub isn't it, and even worse, it never was. Come for the outrage, stay for the challenge.

Make an argument, defend your position, but don't expect a sub with a heavy anti-establishment lean, started by mods banned from other subs for speaking out and populated by refugees from other subs and sites who felt Strength Through Purging And Deletion made any sense whatsoever, to respond to "How can you allow...?!?!" in any other way than disdain and ridicule.

/rant