As a general rule, I do not blog about WoW . I have met wonderful people (Jackbooted Right Wingers among them) and told some pretty damn cool stories with it. All in all, it is a very positive experience–even when the game itself is being wonky. I don’t even typically post when someone is being stupid in game. For the most part, what happens in WoW stays in Wow.
This is an exception.
Last night, a brief discussion of Habeus Corpus, Due Process and Search and Seizure rights started. For the most part, these conversations are civil and, to a degree, left of center. At this point someone I do not know well said, “Due process for our enemies. That’s great.” That’s when the chatter started. Some folk tried to figure out what this guy meant. Others jumped out of the conversation. I added my two cents–which was, “Due process rights are human rights, and until we fight aliens, our enemies are entitled to them.” I then followed up with, “we should probably move on.” Twice.
If Lewis, the aforementioned right winger, and I got into this conversation, I think we both would have quickly agreed to disagree–or taken it to the blogs. WoW and Politics don’t need to mix.
The person in question said something else, “Yeah, I get it. I need to shut up” and left the channel. I have a problem with this. ITs the rough equivalent to a temper tantrum. I don’t have a problem with the thought as much (although I’m on the record saying some rather strong things about the idea of our “enemies.”) but I do have a problem with throwing down the political gauntlet and running away, especially if it disrupts my hobby.
Now that I got this whiny blog off my chest, I can go back to real work.
Oh snaps! I totally didn’t notice the “Due process for enemies” part. Chat was going crazy between raid stuff and chat channels.
Baby jeebus have mercy.
The funny thing is that we can have a perfectly civil discussion for the most part in the blog (and probably could have one in person) and not feel like “I should shut up.”
And that Jackbooted Right Winger, also has a brain and likes to exercise it. I approve of him.
There are places I feel comfortable discussing politics, and places I don’t. I tend to keep my politics out of WoW–partially because most of the folks I know are politically opposite from me as far as I can tell, and partially because it’s just not the place for it. Marty’s right–if we started to get into a political argument in a WoW chat channel, one of us (probably me, as I’m fairly non-confrontational) would break it off. If I felt like I was getting piled on, I’d leave, but I wouldn’t do it in a snotty manner. I’d just log off and go do something else.
I’m politically active, but it’s not who I am. It’s just a part of the greater whole.
Heh. I don’t *have* any places I feel comfortable discussing politics – I’m too liberal for most conservative sites, too conservative by half for the liberal ones, and I don’t enjoy arguing anyway. My two major timesinks are fandom, which tilts overwhelmingly liberal, and beadwork, which makes fandom look like the John Birch Society.
So I just make the occasional rightward moo.
Also. I have been laughing my butt off all afternoon at the mental image of annoyed, shept, frozen Bricu. Just thought I’d mention that.
In his defence, he did get them to owe him favors..
Political, religious, and other potentially-inflammatory subjects were banned from the Nox channel a long time ago, simply because we do have people from a wide spectrum of beliefs, but not necessarily individuals that can always calmly and rationally discuss their opposing views. (Note that this doesn’t make them bad people, just ones who will sometimes let their passionate opinions about a topic temporarily eclipse their consideration for others’ feelings.
It’s worked pretty well for us, and we’ve only had to remind someone of that rule… once? in the last three years.
We don’t have that restriction in the raid channel, but so far when differing views come into play, people have been civil. It’s probably their fear of Malkavet’s wrath.
Also, Davien would have done the first thing even if it wasn’t presented as a favor owed. They were on the same side at Sorrow Pass. Bricu would have only had to ask.
The GM in me is still wincing at the favor-to-be-named-later.
Hint: It will be payable in Goldshire.
Sorry about the “inside joke,” non WoW people!
To be fair, the fellow who dropped channel was in the middle of a raid, and since I guess this was a subject he feels strongly about he probably did not want to be distracted if the conversation continues. Which I appreciate cause he was one of my healers. >_>
But yeah that’s not really a classy exit, and a good example of why that is a bad environment to discuss politics. The best political discussion I’ve had lately was myself and Hannah, at 3 in the morning, drunk as shit, discussing gun control. It was epic.
JewBen? Is JewBen a member of the AG tribe?
AG blushes and twinkles her eyelashes.
Jewben is that Tarquin nub.
He likes to be lit on fire.