Smackdown

So I'm a moderator for this game message board. It's something to do in my free time that has nothing to do with work.

Thank heavens.

Until the other day.

Now this game is fairly dark. Bad things happen to people and it's expected. Dark themes abound. However, it's turning into things darkly sexual in nature, and that's not the essence of the game. The posters have been testing the limits, but never exceeding them. One small complaint from another writer made them impose on themselves a rating system, and it seemed to be working well. A self-imposed system (not a moderator imposed rule), so there were no complaints among them.

Again, until the other day.

One of them decided to post what can really only be described as pornographic. It explained, in great detail, a seduction that really wasn't necessary or warranted in any way. So, I pulled it. And replaced it with a post on how this game wasn't that kind of game, and my reasoning behind removing the post.

I immediately got hit with a reply, both e-mailed and posted, by the author, lambasting me for violations of his first amendment rights. The other people on the boards have all quietly come to me and applauded the action. No one else complained about pulling it, or blamed me for keeping them down. I was also accused by this particular writer of living under a rock, and daring me to go outside into the real world.

Well, guess what, children. I do live in the real world, and as such, have a set of common rules of decency that it seems like you can't abide. I've seen both sides of the coin, so I do know what I'm talking about. Typical people don't go outside and screw in their front yard for all the neighbors to see. Movies that show that kind of thing in the detail that was described are not R-rated, they're NC-17 or more likely X. I'm not turning my board into a porn site.

Now that I've said that, I'll tell you the other side.

I'm an artist, first and foremost. I will be one of the first people standing in front of the David, screaming at the idiots who want the poor guy covered for decency's sake. I recognize art, and know that art is objective. Not everyone who views it will agree that it's art, and some will scream porn and how it offends their delicate sensibilities.

I will protect every nude painting or sculpture ever done. I will protect the right of every person who strips naked, paints themselves blue and stands in the middle of Times Square and calls it art, because it is their right. And although I don't always agree with it from a decency standpoint, I won't infringe on their right to do it.

This however, is different. It was childish and really more of an effort to see how far things could be pushed. And sometimes, you just have to stand up to the bullies, because they can't get away with everything...