Put that in your pipe(s) and smoke it

@unsound --

 The issue at hand is that, despite conforming to the rules as prescribed by the hosts, that posts are being deleted just because a complaint has been made. When such decisions  are arbitrarily made it potentially negates the purpose and value of the forum.

Again, exactly. 

This forums value and purpose is to discuss music and the equipment that reproduces it, if the moderators allow the subject to stray to far afield from that purpose then it's value has been diminished. This arena is not the public square where any idiot can scream at the top of his voice his displeasure on any subject and when I see conspiracy theory nonsense and links to sites that promote them you can bet I'm  banging on the report flag.

More importantly, if we want this forum to allow for free speech

I also do not agree with this. In no way do I want this forum to allow for free speech.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.  

+1 djones51's point about the general point of this forum being respected.

One other things is relevant to his point, too -- it's really of value to our ability to get along as people to have a space where we keep politics *out*. I really would prefer to talk about audio with people and form bonds with them completely outside of politics. If, down the road, politics comes up (say, off the forum) any disagreements we might have will be more negotiable because we took the time to form friendly bonds about audio, first. Inject politics in the beginning and the chance for camaraderie diminishes dramatically.

My speech is not the same with my love one, with my friends, with a work collegue or with a customer, not the same with an old lady waiting in a line or with a scientist, nor is it the same with the pope, or with an imam, or with a buddhist monk.... Why? Because being free and polite i discern with whom i speak with....

Because i use my free speech ability (not rights) to translate my feelings, ideas, approprietely... What we say and the style or manner to say it matter...

I never discuss quantum dynamic with my grandmother, nor will discuss free speech "rights" here ... And any forum is linked with his own regulatory speech recommendations....It is a good thing to respect them and a good thing also from the regulators to allow some flexibility....A good thing to any of us NOT to use the "button" except in some evident case of disrespect....I never used it before because it is better i think to read "example" of stupidity than to erase them all, most of the times....Censorship is not my first reaction....


Interesting discussion are interesting only if respect is all along the discussion.....

If respect is there even some politic arguments are interesting.... But experience here dictate to me total restraint about that precise road fork because people most of the times think less with one another than they speak useless opinions mantras.....Politics is way much complicated than audio matters anyway....If people cannot agree in audio basic facts imagine politics.... :)

Then it is way better to speak audio, philosophy, psychology etc, but not politics or religions....

:)