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To everyone who joined these forums at some point, and got discouraged by the negativity and left after a while (or even got literally scared off): I'm sorry.

I wasn't good enough at encouraging people to be kinder, and removing people who refuse to be kind. Encouraging people is hard, and removing people creates conflict, and I hate conflict... so that's why I wasn't better at it.

I was a very, very sensitive teen. The atmosphere of this forum as it is now, if it had existed in 1996, would probably have upset me far more than it would have helped.

I can handle quite a lot of negativity and even abuse now, but that isn't the point. I want to help people. I want to help the people who need it the most, and I want to help people like the 1996 version of me.

I'm still figuring out the best way to do that, but as it is now, these forums are doing more harm than good, and I can't keep running them.

Thank you to the few people who have tried to understand my point of view so far. I really, really appreciate you guys. You are beautiful people.

Everyone else: If after everything I've said so far, you still don't understand my motivations, I think it's unlikely that you will. We're just too different. Maybe someday in the future it might make sense, but until then, there's no point in arguing about it. I don't have the time or the energy for arguing anymore. I will focus my time and energy on people who support me, and those who need help.

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"My Dream for America"
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Subb Offline
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Post: #1
"My Dream for America"

I'm gonna have to do a speech on what I want for the US. Two problems.

1. I have no idea what to do.

2. Because the school is a virtual school, people associate it with homeschool. Conservatives like homeschool, so this draws in conservative parents, which means most of the student body is conservative. I'm left-leaning. The last thing I want to do is to stir controversy in the beginning of the school year.

I want something I can agree with, but won't leave the conservatives foaming at the mouth. Thoughts?

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09-07-2013 05:14 AM
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xcriteria Offline
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Post: #2
"My Dream for America"

Transform school into something more learning-centric, with more of a mentorship/coaching model than a per-subject instruction model.

How does a virtual school work, anyway?

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09-07-2013 05:43 AM
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brainiac3397 Offline
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Post: #3
"My Dream for America"

I'd go with something leaving the conservatives foaming at the mouth. It doesn't hurt to make a big bang and blow the ship to bits(you know how they say "rock the boat", well in this case I go with blowing it clear out with such force that vaporizes the ship. I guess I'll just have to swim)

But if you want to go along with something less explosive,how does something along Thomas Jefferson's views of America sound?

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(06-14-2013 08:02 AM)Potato Wrote:  watch the fuq out, we've got an "intellectual" over here.

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(This post was last modified: 09-07-2013 09:12 AM by brainiac3397.)
09-07-2013 09:12 AM
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Ky Offline
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Post: #4
"My Dream for America"

Nah, explode it. Conservatives like me could use the controversy...especially the social conservatives (who I am NOT like) - they really need to change their worldview.

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09-08-2013 06:46 AM
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brainiac3397 Offline
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Post: #5
"My Dream for America"

It's even more fun to blast their views to hell, then agree with them XD

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(06-14-2013 08:02 AM)Potato Wrote:  watch the fuq out, we've got an "intellectual" over here.

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09-08-2013 08:27 AM
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Subb Offline
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Post: #6
RE: "My Dream for America"

Screw it, I'll blow this class up. Well, the five people with me. Just so you know, these kids are so conservative that when we learned about the Vietnam War backlash, (people burning their drafts and such.) The main reaction was, "omg y wud they du dat."

Still don't know what to do, though.

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09-10-2013 01:12 AM
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Post: #7
"My Dream for America"

Rant what's wrong with the United States in your opinion. There are 2 ways you can do this:

1. Completely bash their views subtly, or

2. Go with a "neutral" tone, if you can.

It's in your hands, really.

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Stop jerking off to porn and whining and do something about it

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09-10-2013 04:04 AM
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brainiac3397 Offline
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RE: "My Dream for America"

Or go psycho conservative right wing and explain how the lord will come one day and smite all evil doers and nonbelievers in the US of A, while the battle hymn of the republic plays in the background.

Then crack up laughing at how stupid the idea is(and hope you dont turn up dead the next day)

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(06-14-2013 08:02 AM)Potato Wrote:  watch the fuq out, we've got an "intellectual" over here.

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09-10-2013 01:26 PM
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Subb Offline
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Post: #9
RE: "My Dream for America"

Well, I go to a virtual school, so it'll be a remote detenation more than anything.

I'm thinking I'm gonna do something about how shallow and devisive our beliefs are. How we as humans can come to a conclusion in ten seconds and cling to that conclusion to our deaths. How we can fight for and justify that conclusion, no matter how wrong we are. How we can take everyone who disagree with that conclusion and cut those people out of their lives without batting an eyelash. Basically, my dream is for us to spend less time quabbling, and more time collaborating. To have eager ears rather than deaf ones. To spend time working towards a solution, rather than babble about who's pointless solution is right.

So the left is going to have to watch out too, if I'm correct. I always preferred the South Park approach, to be honest.

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09-10-2013 02:58 PM
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Subb Offline
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Post: #10
"My Dream for America"

So, I forgot to give you an update. So I'll do it now.

The speech went amazing. Great response from the students. The only thing that lost points about it is that I didn't say that it was my dream for America. My speech is below:

At the beginning of this year, there was a period of two to three months where I had a hobby of starting political discussions on the internet. In that period, I met some of the smartest people, who laid out the most compelling arguments in the most tactful and meticulous way. I’ve seen arguments with years of thought behind them. But, I’ve also seen other things. In that period, I’ve seen some of the most idiotic reasoning, the most naive responses, and the most transparent acts of hypocrisy in my life. Those people had one thing in common; They didn’t want to discuss what was best for this country, they wanted their viewpoint to be enforced, and nothing less. And I’m afraid that’s the same attitude in our congress today.

Today, I’ll be talking about what we need to change to get out of that attitude. First, we need to let go of this shield we usually hide behind. We need to talk about the touchy things, the controversial stuff. Abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, gay marriage, the role of religion in government, what our children can and cannot be exposed to. We don’t like to talk about these things. We like to be hurt when someone challenges our opinions on these subjects. And that’s very harmful. We, as a country, need to shed this shield of comfort, and step into the world, where we can deal with these issues. That, is the only way we can solve those problems and move on.

Luckily, some of us are already doing that. But another problem has come along. We put down the shield of comfort, and pick up the shield of narrow-mindedness. Now that we step into this world, we cling onto spewed rhetoric that has no substance. And we say that’s the answer. That’s the solution. This way or the highway. There is no discussion here. Only bickering. Blah blah blah, That’s what they say. They play a chess game of empty words, ignorant of the fact that they’re both playing the same color. We need to get rid of the bickering, and start having discussions that matter. That will decide where this nation will go.

At this point, we as a society will have moved forward, but congress probably wouldn't.
This 112th Congress is the most useless one in history. One example of this is that the House of Representatives has tried to repeal Obamacare, knowing that that bill would be vetoed, thirty three times. I’ll let that sink in. That’s like playing chess not to win, but to try to get back your fallen pieces, even though your opponent will never give them to you. The reason for voting for that legislation is to keep their seats. That’s not the only problem. Remember the fiscal cliff and the debt ceiling? They will bicker and fight until the last minute, because it isn’t about the fate of the American people. It’s about hearing their ideology bounce across the room, and into the ears of the people who agree with it. They’re playing a game, who whoever has the most people behind them wins. And they’re playing it at our expense.

The only way to change that, is to change ourselves. We are doomed to have a bickering congress because WE are the the ones who are bickering. So put down your shield, and and don’t dare to pick it up again. Maybe if we all did that, we could finally move forward. And then maybe those transparent acts of hypocrisy can become the most glittering examples of genius. Thank you.

Sub's Mental Log!
We've had a lot of fun, guys.
Fulltime Member, 2013-2014

RIP GWEDIN
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10-09-2013 01:48 AM
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