Why I think we should have a politics // world situation channel

[ashen fossil]

I am aware that technically, this is not allowed. However, I do find it slightly silly, even hypocritical that we do not have a politics channel. I have been working on this for a while (about a week) to make it as good as possible, and would like to share and bring it to the attention of the higher ups.

1: Politics can cause a ton of stress
Yeah, politics can be very stressful. But this is a therapy server. We are here to listen, give advice, and be there to comfort people. And I know a lot of people that are stressed out due to politics, but can't really share that feeling due to the rule. If we allow this channel, I can bet that a ton of people will feel more comfortable talking about their feelings and concerns about the state of things. Ty

2: Politics matter too
Rule 6 states that political talk is not allowed, and talk refers to the exchange of opinions and political viewpoints. However, in both the LGBTQ and religion chat, opinions and viewpoints are CONSTANTLY SHARED. It seems a bit hypocritical to me that we don't allow it with politics. Politics can play a huge part in our life, even if we may not realize it.

3: Nobody HAS to indulge in it
Even if somehow this is approved, we don't have to make it public. Just like we only allow people to discuss religion and LGBTQ topics if they get a certain role, we can simply do the same with a politics channel, so that politics stay in the respective channel. Nobody has to go there, therefore there can't be any complaining, especially if we reinforce for it to stay in its channel.

4: People need to know
The current state of the world, most specifically the USA, is....not ideal. At all. Things are happening all over the country and world that people deserve to know. More often than not, information is hidden from the public, or even just straight up false. It's a right to know the truth about things, especially if it concerns your well-being and safety. People need to know what to do, and how to stay safe.

Another thing I would like to add, is I hope that others will respect my opinion, and not start unnecessary fights or bickering. And honestly, if the mods just remove this without even commenting or looking at it I
I honestly might just leave/gen

Nonetheless, if the final answer is no, I respect that decision. Have a great day <3

[hasty cypress]

when people want to talk politics I usually encourage them to stop or move to dms since dms aren’t restricted in that way, but I feel like this would be a great idea for people who don’t think of that first or simply want to have that space to talk freely about politics (past or present) with a larger group. not everyone wants to move to dms and I get that, sometimes u feel safer in public
thank u for taking so much time to write all of this out and make it more presentable, that tells us how much u care. it’s a lovely idea and I hope to see it get some recognition

[dusty chasm]

Hmm, I used to be into politics wolfie, so I can give you a more detailed insight about that world

Lemme organize my words one sec

[ashen fossil]

All good, thx for the feedback!

[hasty cypress]

oh and I did want to mention that if there were to be a channel like this, it would probably need some serious moderation as there is a reason why it’s prohibited here in the first place. I’m pretty sure it’s to discourage arguments, but even beyond that things can definitely go south very quickly especially with how violent things can be

[ashen fossil]

That is a fair point. Perhaps there could be some sort of agreement, something such as

"I agree to the fact that if I do something like talk about politics outside this channel or start a fight over something I will be permenatly unable to access this channel and maynbe kicked"

[hasty cypress]

that’s a good compromise, I think it’s up to the staff to decide whether that’s manageable or not. things would definitely need to be strict there

[ashen fossil]

[dusty chasm]

Now, despite me being overly cheerful and optimistic, I must be realistic as well. I appreciate the suggestion and I would personally love to have it here! However, in the circumstances of this server and political world in general, it would be too much of an issue to apply an idea like that while ensuring a safe place.

Let me be clear on one thing, I would not compare politics with other debatable themes like religion and LGBTQ. Religion is more respectful because of the values that it promotes and the importance of not judging, making the debaters in that channel actually mature. LGBTQ was not made to debate about the community, but to support it.

Politics is a whole other world, many ideologies, way too polarized. It is extremely easier to get into heated arguments when talking about politics. You see people fighting in this server daily because of that exact reason, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to moderate if it was implemented as a channel. It would just be too much of a headache to the staff team who are already in a demanding position.

Trust me, it is not easy to find an actual respectful and neutral debater of politics, it is not a nice world and people tend to hate over the other ideology and position constantly. The best alternative to this would be through DMs, as it keeps the server more secure and peaceful, preventing any major conflicts from within the server.

Besides, while I do understand that politics can play an important role when it comes to the mental health of others, I still think it is better for it to stay away from the server. This is because, as I said, would be difficult to moderate and control, it can worsen the member experience which is very valued in here and can do more harm than good.

I am sorry wolfie, if the political world was nicer and the people in it were more respectful, I would have thought of this to be a great idea. Due to the reality being different however, I must say that for the sake of this server, it is better for it not to have a channel dedicated to politics.

Still I appreciate your effort, amazing work. 🙏 💜

[ashen fossil]

me when I spend 5 min looking for a gif realizing its not allowed..............

[hasty cypress]

[ashen fossil]

But yeah thanks
I understand the reasoning and I respect it all the way. I personally do see myself as a neutral sort of person, and while I do enjoy debating from time to time, politics isn't necessarily my biggest thing

But considering the state of the world, I do feel like it's very important to talk about and let others know.

I believe it was Gandhi that said:
“Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.”

Nonetheless, ty for the feedback and I hope you have an amazing day // evening.