Should Gransnet be used as a political platform?

This should be under Site Stuff shouldn't it?

Should have thought that we are all old enough with a reasonable level of intelligence to know what is what and quite able to make informed decisions whether to sign petitions etc.

I agree with Whitewave.

Yes. I'm sure us posters are quite intelligent enough. It's not anything to do with intelligence though.

I don't think you've quite understood my apprehensions.

I have no problem whatsoever with people posting links to petitions; or expressing strong views about issues (major or minor). Why would we want to limit their free speech?

We are all of different political persuasions and those views are, quite rightly, expressed on various threads. For every right wing post, there is a countering left wing and vice versa - I see no problem at all.
I am at a loss to understand why the free expression of views is a matter of concern.

Is not freedom of speech what we are trying to find a way to defend? - people's views just differ as to the means.

There is no reason why Gransnet should be censoring free speech - and every reason why they should not.

It's why we have a thread headed News & Politics surely, and it is not compulsory is it?

If you think about it jing trying to limit thought and political persuasion is exactly what IS is doing.

See my post on the thread in question. I am sure you know which one it is. I feel outraged about it TBH. And you are being taken in.

In what way are we being "taken in"? We are being presented with a particular point of view, which others will no doubt refute. Will their views also be taking us in?

Sigh! It's just a way of getting the petition out there!

Of course it is!!!! And what is wrong with that??? Petitions =one form of democratic process. Democracy is good, suppressing free speech is wrong.

I am new to GN and have spent a bit of time reading through the threads. I find the political threads to be the most interesting and informative. The nature of political discussion is to put forward opposing arguments and as I am very much a floating voter I like to listen to all sides of the argument before making up my mind. I find that the regular contributors to the political threads very quickly defend the right to free speech should anyone challenge it. I follow links if the subject interests me but I don't feel that GN contributions unduly influence me on any major government decisions.
Perhaps the poster can give an example of something that has raised her apprehensions.

Can someone tell me which petition we're talking about please.

I wasn't even aware that petitions such as these existed before I came on Gransnet, and although there are very few that I would consider signing, I'm very glad that other posters draw my attention to their (the petitions, that is) existence.

I think what our GN 'comrades' forget is that many people have been frightened off the overtly political threads by their far-left posts. As a labour supporter I've given up posting because I wish to disassociate myself from them.
This leads them to imagine that they have gained the field even though most of the time it's a 'dialogue' between themselves.
They can post all the links they like (and they do ) but they are simply shooting themselves in the foot by refusing to enter into productive discussion and most of us recognise this.
So links like the one mentioned are dismissed as 'more of the same'.

Anya I totally agree- some posts in the recent past have been very rude- we are each entitled to a political opinion and as you said, some have been so overtly political that I have steered well clear, no longer even watching from the sidelines.

Exactly Ana you have 'told it as it is', the political threads are more or less a one sided dialogue full of anti- goverment rants and links to left wing diatribes from God knows where.Any moderate views ( let alone right wing ones) are drowned out by ( the few) although perhaps we should be thankful it is only a few.

There is a fair amount of "productive discussion" I think - I ignore those posts that are personal rather than discussing the issues - there are bound to be some of those.

Although I do sense that the tide is beginning to turn, and not in their favour.

How can a political discussion be regarded as 'too political'? Or does 'too political' apply to something that one doesn't agree with?? imo the current government is 'too right wing' for my liking but that seems to be acceptable. It also seems to me that a lot of the dire warnings that the so called extreme left wing grannies are telling us about are actually coming to fruition as we speak.

Sorry Tegan must be having a bad-brain day. Can you help me find the post which says 'too political'?

It's the last few lines of this post that bothers me.

(That is for jayh )

I don't mind if regular posters put on links to petitions about things they feel strongly about. It's then up to individuals to decide if they want to support the petition or not.
What I object to is people who have never posted before doing it.
Often when you google them you find they have some agenda of their own that they are pursuing. That has happened occasionally and is tantamount to spamming the forum.

What I object to in that jingl is the opening lines which are in fact an opinion but presented as fact so the poat is flawed, beginning and end.