Comment Policy

Because a person can only take so much

As someone who has been online for almost half of my life, and run a website for almost all of that time, over 20 years, I know a thing or two about comment sections. As a content provider, that’s what people like me are called (I’m not a journalist), I view comments as something I can take or leave. Since I am responsible for all the comments on my other site, I will sometimes delete those over the line. Occasionally, readers here will report comments. Sometimes I will delete those, other times not.

I love most of the comments here. I learn so much from them, even without engaging or responding. I take mostly a hands-off approach until I see things getting too heated or abusive.

This is a small Substack compared to others, so it’s a little easier for me to pay attention, but in general, I don’t intervene unless someone calls me out and I see my name. Sites like The Free Press or Racket have so many commenters it would be difficult to moderate or even pay attention to them. But this site is a small community - and the way I see it, if it benefits me and other readers I will keep doing it. But if it doesn’t, what’s the point?

If one person is agitating all of the other commenters, I will likely ban them. If one person is agitating me, I will likely ban them. Constructive criticism is okay, but when they head into abuse territory, that’s when I will censor them. This Substack is a labor of love, though I do make a small income from it - thank you to the paying subscribers.

I once commented on a Substack of a writer I really like. The comment was about the Democrats and their inability to confront “gender-affirming care.” Other commenters essentially told me that it wasn’t a welcome comment because this writer had already said anything to do with trans stuff was not welcome and would be banned. I unsubscribed and haven’t been back since. I don’t like being told what I can’t say. So I understand if other people feel that way too.

I don’t have “rules” of what people can’t say here - but I do know when someone comes along who has ill-intent. That is, they are not commenting in good faith but are essentially trying to provoke or hurt me or other people. Sometimes it’s fine, other times it isn’t fine. In general, I will give a warning before banning people.

It isn’t easy running a website or a Substack. That’s especially true right now, with the war in Gaza. I don’t really “stand with Israel,” and I never have. I don’t support #freepalestine either. These are hard lines that I’m not prepared to take right at this moment.

But I do know terrorism when I see it. Terrorism is the brutal killing of people - and in this case, burning them alive, cutting off their fingers, raping them, laughing about it, putting it on social media, etc. - to inflict maximum harm on a government or a group.

Terrorism is a suicide bomber walking into a shopping mall and killing hundreds. Terrorism is blowing up the Federal building in Oklahoma City. Terrorism is, at least to my mind, opening fire on a group of elementary school children. How we deal with terrorism obviously varies.

I don’t know what the right response by Israel should be in this circumstance. I do know calling it “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing” is an ugly lie. Calling them Nazis is a lie too.

War is hell. This is what war looks like. Humans seem to only be able to build tribes and fight wars. We should avoid war whenever possible. I do not support US troops on the ground, especially since I know the people sent to fight will be the same people are government has called “domestic extremists” for years by now.

But if you start a war, as Hamas did with Israel, you should expect the shock and awe that you knew would be coming. That doesn’t justify the killings, but no one fights wars to lose. They fight wars to win. No one is going to accuse the United States of genocide in Germany for WWII (maybe Vietnam, maybe Hiroshima/Nagasaki).

I knew bringing up the war in Gaza would alienate some readers and I would lose subscribers, depending on what side I took. I had to simply give my honest opinion, damn the torpedos.

All of this to say I will ban you and delete you if your comments are too much for me or other readers to bear. That might seem to you like the silencing of dissent, the very thing I complain about — and perhaps you have a point there. But this site requires a lot of time and effort for me. It isn't worth it if it becomes a huge drag on my psyche. “Free thinking,” as I define it, mostly applies to what I write. I welcome other points of view in the comments but not targeted attacks.

And finally, if you’d like to pitch me something to post here, I’m open to that too.

I hope that clears things up.