4 Is a sensible and responsible example being set when our volunteer police force also indulge in making abusive posts themselves and start calling other posters names?

Courtesy is always appropriate. So is plain speaking. (And if you think that those PMs from Joe are "abusive"...)

The nature of PMs of course are not for public display, I will continue to respect that convention.

The two examples posted were not of course PMs from Joe - they were posted publicly in the Guest Posting thread. The claim was not that they were abusive or the extent of that abuse - they were evidence of those who would volunteer to judge us setting the example of name-calling those whose views they did not agree with or understand.

Did Joe publicly write that he considered me to be an idiot and a troll?
Is this name-calling setting a sensible and responsible example and do you consider this then to be "courtesy"?

As you know I have been called a lot worse things and don't really care what names I am called. However, if the big no-no is claimed to be censoring abusive postings and the name-calling of fellow 'catters' - to prevent some posters from being offended - Is it not reasonble to expect those who volunteer to judge us to set better standards than they currently do? And for them to be judged by those same standards - if not even higher ones and certainly not to been seen to be setting double standards?

Should they not ensure that ALL members are not encouraged and are not encouraging others to indulge in this scapegoating - where certain individuals with certain views - appear to be considered as 'fair-game' and where the normal conventions do not appear to apply?

Kevin you well know the points I am being forced to labour - I would be grateful if you did not make me labour them yet again. Perhaps you and others can help in addressing them?

Somewhere between the extremes of the 'snow job' perfect fairyland of Amos and the 'puppetmaster' nightmare of Justapicker - lies the true situation. Good folk trying to do their best. It does not help them or us to praise them uncritically or to slag them off whatever they try do.