Sorry, but the burka pales to insignificance....

Well, some of the silent majority are probably the ones objecting, Jingle! Aren't there more than 15,000 Gransnetters now? People forget they have views, even if they choose not to post.

I'm sorry When but in my opinion you can't really complain how a forum/thread is developing if you don't contribute!

How can their views and sensitivities be taken into account if they don't post?

I presume if someone feels strongly enough they would say so, or vote with their feet and seek a different thread or just make use of other parts of GN.

The majority of GN is non-controversial so plenty to choose from.

I'm totally confused about concern for those who don't participate on the forums!

when

Riverwalk why can't they have opinions and complain? Gransnetters who don't post also enter competitions and win prizes. I don't post on Gransnet Twitter or Gransnet Facebook, but I read them and have opinions. It's all part of the overall Gransnet experience.

Just caught up with this thread and until HO said it had altered the title of the thread I thought I was going mad. It most certainly is one of the least controversial topics posted on GN for heavens sake.

It seems to me that the common sense approach would be if you don't like the OP, or the title, don't bother looking at it. Accept that maybe this thread is not for me, I will leave it to the others. It's not as though it was the subject of the thread that is being challenged which would obviously be open to debate/disagreement/argument. Sadly the sentiment behind the OP has been railroaded and the continuous gripe against swearing has become the bigger topic.

Personal sensitivities will be challenged all the time. Some find swearing a problem, some find sexual talk offensive. I for one would hate to see GN sanitised.

I thought the post was to try and make us think of the sadness of the conflict and heartbreak of Syria?

I can't see why anyone who never posts on a forum would complain about a thread heading. I don't complain when they win prizes in competitions I haven't entered!

GNHQ's editing doesn't seem to have achieved its aim, does it?

I find hot-headed discussions of torture/execution methods offensive.

Ana .

The Silent Majority do seem to win most of the prizes.

Takers, not givers!

Some do pull their faces when unknown Gransnetters win prizes, Ana.

The change in the heading has focused attention even more on the language rather than on the issue JO8 was highlighting!

I confess all this kerfuffle means I haven't opened the thread yet so I only have a vague idea of what the OP was about.

I am not clear what this thread was meant to be about. We have already explored ideas about the hideous situation in Syria in an earlier thread. True, it was to no avail but that is also the case with the UN. So far as I am aware we have a consensus on President Assad. We have already agreed that the killing and wounding of civilians, many of them children, is appalling and heartbreaking. We are aware that refugee camps in neighbouring countries are dreadfully overcrowded and getting worse daily. Some of us, I have no doubt, have contributed to charities attempting to alleviate the situation.

I confess I was unable to stomach that yawping woman and her badly written song.

I like threads where they title of the thread clearly signals the subject matter.

Not impressed with the about-turn by GN and not remotely convinced by their argument!

If you want to use offensive language maybe you are on wrong forum?

Sad that a handful spoil a good forum

Equally Celebgran, if you object to a bit of bad language maybe you are on the wrong forum.
The language certainly does not spoil it for me.

Offensive to whom? Just because it offends you, Celebgran, doesn't mean it offends the bulk of members.

Swear words have their place in language. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean they can't be used or that the user doesn't belong on this forum.

I think the point of this thread was to draw attention to the Save the Children's fundraising campaign for Syria. The Ellie Goulding song in the link has been re-released with all proceeds going to this cause. If anyone wants to skip the song and go straight to the donations page it's here: www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/emergencies/syria-appeal

Thank you grannya!

The background to my starting this thread is that someone (David Cameron actually) tweeted this video. And it just came into my mind how the whole country at the moment seems to be getting in a state about something, in comparison, really unimportant, while other horrors are going on in the world.

I got angry.

And that is the simple truth of it.

j08, justified anger is good, and your anger was most certaintly justified

jo8 I so respect your reason and right to get angry at such a horrific situation in Syria, as usual the woman and children are affected the most. When I read some of the posts on here they could break my heart. There's always someone worse off than ourselves.
To have to live through a war, see and experience terrible things and end up in a tent, or worse, is for me unimaginable. I was born at the end of WW2 so I can only imagine what Its like.
Because your heading had the F word in it that seemed to of distracted peoples attention from the subject, but you are so right, and caring to prick our consciences
I hope this goes in the right sequence because I am quite rubbish at typing

I agree absolutely with Anniebach and hebrideanlady.

Tony Campolo, one of the Christians I most admire, would often begin a speech (to a primarily Christian audience) this way: "I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."
I don't like swearing, I don't do it myself, but there really are things that are, or should be, much more shocking. But even that is beside the point here, it's what we do about the things that shock us that matter. We're not helpless in this situation. We can write letters, sign petitions, join marches; we can make a financial donation if we have the means or we can help out in a charity shop or find some other way of volunteering gifts or services. Please don't let's be distracted from actually doing something by our feelings about a thread title.