I have no objections to making any pledge public that I have already made in private. I will always try, in my own fumbling way, to add to the dialogue that helps us discover and explore aspects of our humanity. I have always seen that as being closely interwoven with my personal musical journey of discovery and exploration. That's why I don't object to purportedly "non-musical" threads in a music forum.

I am strongly opposed to censorship of any sort and have often seen how a somewhat uncomfortable statement of position can help even onlookers get a better reading on their thoughts/feelings about something. That being said, personal attacks are never acceptable, in my humble opinion, even when confrontation seems to be the quickest way to evoke an honest response. I like the idea of denying oxygen to the truly rude and unnecessary remark and agree that the best response can be a profound silence(it helps a lot to look profound while you're being silent, but that's hard in a cyber context). If something must be said, support for those attacked is often a needed antidote to things that hurt.

As my grandma used to say, BE NICE. And my own observation - don't be afraid to wade into the muck from time to time; you may find some diamonds in the dreck.