In detention. Now, I will admit, the punishment imposed upon me is not quite as horrifying as that imposed upon Harry by Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but it is punishment just the same. I was suspended from Ricochet.com for 72 hours, which will end Monday.
My crime? I violated the sacred Code of Conduct at Ricochet, when, just like Harry, I let my anger get away from me. Now, my violation was just verbal-saying some nasty words in a comment on a post by another Ricochet member, but I also promised to do something violent to the member if I ever meet up with him in person. And I stand by every word I wrote in that comment.
For context, the post in question was written by a particularly obnoxious member, who is well-known on the site as a rabid Never-Trumper. That member has never been able to contain his detestation of the President, and has written numerous posts on the subject, as well as commenting on others’ posts. His Trump Derangement Syndrome is manifest in most of this member’s activities on the site, and he contributes relatively little to the ongoing discussion. The subject of the post on which I commented is especially obnoxious, because it positively gloats about the dementia-plagued, influence-peddling DemocRat who stole the 2020 election from President Trump, getting enough electoral votes to win the election. This is the kind of post which, in the past and on another subject, drove away one of Ricochet’s longest-lasting members, who was the kindest, most loving person known to Man. I despise people who do that.
Mr. Obnoxious who wrote the post is an attractive nuisance on the site. People agree that his views are noxious to the President and many members, but they simply cannot refrain from commenting on his posts, thus reinforcing that behavior. And, this time, I admit that I, too, was taken in. I just could not let that gloating go unremarked-on.
I have been a Ricochet Member since 2012, and I have never been banned, or had a comment flagged, before now. But I now join the Select Group of members who have been suspended, or banned from the site forever. This does not worry me one bit. I meet many of those other banned members on one of their blogs, and we commiserate there. I will know enough in the future to keep my anger to myself, but when I am allowed back I will make sure I never comment on Mr. Obnoxious’s posts again. He is toxic. I am not.
Calling-all-RushBabes 
Congratulations, RB! As a dear mentor and friend commented during college days – when I ran to him in distress, after I’d used a rather-earthy epithet toward someone – for the first time ever: “You’ve joined the human race…You said (that usefully-descriptive Anglo-Saxon word)!”
Not that you used it in this instance, but, you spoke your mind….Brava! As to where you’ll be always welcomed to vent, I know just the place! 🙂
I expect the member whose behavior ran you off never had to pay any price.
You’d be correct in that supposition, my friend…C’est la vie. Btw, Thank you for the wonderful Christmas chuckle! (Jacquie Lawson one on the way this weekend!
This is beginning to feel like spiritual warfare, believe it or not.
I was suspended the second time for following Max’s guidance.
I’m pretty sure this will be my last suspension. I really needed to vent about this particular member.
He is an obnoxious cyber-bully. He would not talk like that in a pool hall.
He being the reincarnation of Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria obvs.
BTW L!’s precious CoC is as meaningless as any document ever written. Nor does it provide any protection whatsoever if and when one gets on the wrong side of the so-called moderators.
You poor darling, you have to bite your lip and suck it up. I respond to your responses to that dick head, but never, ever to him. Once I did when he first appeared, but now I don’t even read his post, just skip over them. It is very sad that Ricochet allows the buffoon to even post on the site. If I didn’t have so many friends over there, I would drop from the site.
I read every other word of his posts. It detracts not one bit from comprehension, and saves 50% of my available bandwidth.
Normally I don’t even read his posts at all because he is so predictable.
Kay, I feel the same way. Other than tolerating GR, my other reason would be Rob Long’s and BY’s rampant TDS. It’s just tiresome. I haven’t been able to listen to the flagship podcast, which I used to enjoy, for the past several months. Even Peter and James can’t make up for it.
Well, I can say whatever I want on my own blog-no code of conduct here. You may swear up a storm in the comments any time! And BG is worth swearing about, no doubt. I am grateful to have so many friends that I made on Ricochet.
RushBabe, I know how you feel. I have deleted more comments for responding to the individual in question. Don’t feed the trolls.
I’ve never seen him post or comment on a substantive conservative issue when there is no opportunity to bash Trump.
Percival, you are correct. Responding to the troll gives him encouragement. My brother, who spent 20 years in the AF, then to law school, retired at age 80, could put him in his place with about 6 words. I’ve done my best to get him to join Ricochet, says he has better things to do with his time than retort to idiots like GR.
RB, as far as I can tell your comment to GR – which he richly deserved, and then some – lives on in my quoting to reply. Last time I checked, anyway, my comment which quoted yours, had not been edited or deleted.
As for why they don’t kick HIM off, perhaps permanently, it might be as simple as his paying ~$500/year for his membership (and parading around with a Ronald Reagan avatar, what a joke…)
As I have always said, everyone on Ricochet needs to simply ignore him, but we have seen how likely that is! He really defines the concept of “attractive nuisance”. Thanks for your comment!
Nothing attractive about him! He is a nasty person.
Well I do think there is a certain value in not letting his various assertions go unrefuted. For the benefit of new Ricochet members, etc. And there is also some value in using him to sharpen our swords.
Second try posting this:
I think there is a certain value in not leaving his assertions unrefuted, for the benefit of new Ricochet members, for example. And there is also some value in using him to keep our swords sharp.