Jacke's personal rules and guidelines, and some thoughts on opinions

I don't have very many rules here, the rules I do have are very simple:

This blog is public. That means that if I write something here anyone can respond to it anywhere they want to respond to it. If they choose to respond in the comment section that's fine, if they choose to respond at their own blog, that's fine too. It's public, it's fair game.

I have no language restrictions. I don' t like profanity and would prefer people didn't use it but do not demand or restrict people from using it. It's nice when people respect my wishes but there is no enforced restriction on profanity.

If I make a mistake I expect to be called on it. If it is a matter of opinion then assuming there is a basis for the formed opinion I will defend it to the extent I feel it deserves defending.

If I get a fact wrong, tell me. Tell me here, tell me there, expose me. If I get a fact wrong then I deserve to be held accountable for it.

If I do not know something I will admit it.

If I am uncertain about something I will not post it as fact, I am likely, when speaking in opinion to forget to state that it is my opinion every single time I issue one and will assume the reader is capable of discerning whether something I write is fact or an editorial opinion, otherwise I'd be prefacing every other sentence with "in my opinion," and it'd get repititious and boring.

If someone writes me a private email it will stay private unless I have expressly asked permission to post it or discuss it on this blog.

Now, I think that just about covers my limited rules, as you can see, they mostly apply to me. I don't believe I have much license or right to make rules for other people.

Here's a thought about opinions:

The problem I have with stifling debate or telling other people what rhetoric is acceptable and what rhetoric is unacceptable is that everyone has their own opinion on each and every issue, hence everyone has their own opinion about what is a valid point, invalid point, what constitutes hate speech, what crosses a line, what doesn't.

When any one of us who enjoys the priviledge of free speech begins to try to dictate to another what is acceptable or unacceptable, in my opinion, whoever engages in it is starting down a dangerous road because I always wonder, who gets to be the "decider?" Who gets to decide for the rest of us where the acceptable line ends and the unacceptable line begins?

I believe that every person should be held accountable, individually, for his or her own words. I may or may not agree with a person. I may or may not think that their comments are wise, or conducive to good debate or civil but the whole idea of America is that throughout our history our military has fought the good fight to ensure us the continued right to speak our minds irregardless of popular approval.

I hope, if anyone is even interested, that this clarifies my perspective. I'm just one person. I don't expect my opinion to be regarded as any more special than any one else's opinion. Most of the time I don't even care what I think, why would anyone else? ;)