Does this sound familiar to anyone?

The Motto: "Deny Ignorance"

More than a slogan and deeper than a mission statement, our members have embraced the motto of "Deny Ignorance" as our reson detre, demanding everyone who posts to aspire to a higher standard of participation. These simple two words have galvanized a broad membership base that spans the spectrum from highly speculative conspiracy writers to staunch skeptics. The result is a unique collaboration of diverse individuals rallying under this simple statement to learn from each other, discover new truths, and imagine new ideas that expand minds.

This motto has life. It has purpose. It demands ATS members to think.

It is a state of mind.

It is a sense of purpose.

It is a statement against the paradigm.

It is a rage against the mindless status-quo.

The idea of "deny ignorance" isn't a goal that ATS hopes to accomplish. Instead, it's a challenge. A call to all those who come here to aspire to a higher state of awareness through informed discussion and debate.

Deny ignorance is what we do.

It's how we think. It's how we talk. It's how we listen.

Ignorance is the social disease of history that has clouded our minds and dulled our brains. Is the evil that men do, the reason history repeats, and the cause of intolerance.

We deny it. it's not welcome here. Within these boundaries, it has no strength.

Here, ignorance is denied.

It should do, because its on the front page of this site.

Sadly, very little of this is being portrayed in this forum.

For some reason, this is the year of the smear. The smears are born out of ignorance. They are born out of a desire to take the easy, cheap shot for the sake of it. They are born out of peoples desperation to say something - anything - in order to try and make a point.

The smears are shallow, and crass. They are not what ATS is about.

I don't care if you are Republican, or Democrat, the simple fact of the matter is that, at the present time, so called supporters of both sides are degrading the standards that people expect on ATS by posting absolute utter trivial rubbish.

This isn't the comments section of Youtube. Its a forum for rational debate of quality topics. This is ATS. Everyone posting here should know better. Everyone posting here should expect more. Everyone who has found their way to ATS, and become a member, has done so because they EXPECT more.

So how about everyone steps back for a few minutes and actually looks at whats going on here, and then discusses the poilitics and the policies. ATS deserves better.

Only you, the members, can make it better.

[edit on 5/0908/08 by neformore]

Originally posted by neformore
So how about everyone steps back for a few minutes and actually looks at whats going on here, and then discusses the poilitics and the policies. ATS deserves better.

I actually heard the song lyrics "Stop, hey, whats that sound, everyone look whats going down" When I read that.

Sadly the American people love to play dirty politics, people would rather discuss the person than the politician. In a society where tabloid journalism is king, and people eat it up, then demand more, is this any surprise?

This ignorance sells well to a demanding market.

Drama, and the perpetual quest for dirt on anyone and everyone in the race will take priority over everything else that actually matters.

If it has no shock or entertainment value, people don't care!

Maybe you should exchange the motto deny ignorance for decry ignorance?

It would better fit the general political environment you speak of.





[edit on 5-9-2008 by The_Alarmist2012]

Thank you so much! Star and flag. This has been in my mind for the past couple weeks and I never really thought of starting a thread on it.

I've been in so many threads where people not only take things COMPLETELY out of context but they also will ignore the issue at hand.

Alot of the time it's five-year old crap. like "she hit me first so I hit her back". Instead it's "your candidate smeared my candidate, so I smeared your candidate." It completely circumvents the issue entirely and is a very heavy dodge from even dealing with the issue at all.

I've also noticed this: Sometimes I've tried to put the issue back into context by maybe singling one poster out who did this and have not gotten any legitimate response whatsoever. It's like you beg for a rational discussion and they drop off like they never said anything.

I dunno....I understand this is an election year and people are really heated about this. Believe me, I am too. But I really think we should all act like the adults we are and should be.

I can't tell you how many people repeat the same rhetoric, ON BOTH SIDES, over and over again as if they pulled it straight from a news show transcript.

Sadly, we've had a few of these threads before, neformore, but it always stays the same. *sigh*

What's funny is that now I've noticed people accusing the moderators of being biased. It's an all out blood bath, man!

In the nicest way, I have to object to one point.
Ignorance is hardly the cause of intolerance.
To know all is not to forgive all.
People like to say different, but they don't practice such in their actual life, not so much, no...

But I agree with your larger point about civility. Calling names is like conceding helplessness, and personal attacks don't advance your premise.

reply to post by neformore


While that is very honest and thoughtful, you know very well that elections is about two month away, many people that are posting in a daily basis right now doesn't give a darn about denying anything because they are here to promote their political views and using people's ignorance is their tool.

Now for the rest of us that knows better we are trying and trying hard but sometimes is futile.

I try to not even come to this board anymore, because I always get sucked into a very ignorant debate that goes no where. I think it's sad when you can't even go to a thread without seeing someone with an avatar of Obama and Biden changed around to where it says Osama Bin Laden, this board has turned into a place where people keep trying to connect dots where their aren't any. It's hard to take alot of people seriously on here anymore.

reply to post by neformore


I wonder if maybe the more angry, lame, antagonistic or ugly the post - the less sure the poster feels about their candidate or position

sometimes it just reeks of desperation and fear - more like they're trying to convince themselves of something - or trying very hard not to look at something

this election feels a little more panicky than usual