In recognition of a murder

[DylanSkylar]

Apparently a political and current events forum is no place to talk about the current events that actually matter. We can ramble on for hours about Harry Potter of "that dude on that sitcom", but when it comes to discussing actual matters in the news that do involve us and should receive the attention they should, we are banned!

I recently made a post about the Lawrence King murder. He was a 15 year old boy who was murdered at school by another boy, because of his sexuality. It has finally started to receive the airtime that it deserved in thanks to talk show host, Ellen Degeneres. Before such, the story was basically shot down to "boy is killed by another boy at school... and now, opening at the box office this weekend is _____!". It was true and utter bullshit the way the media has dealt with this topic. Once the facts of the event started to come forward, that being the boy's sexuality, the reports started to suddenly sweep it under the carpet altogether. But, in some strange and twisted media-clawed world, whatever mention did come forth was that of "well he wore glitter and high heels to school!". In the end, it almost became an excuse of amusement. And, in all honesty, the topic at hand was really getting to me. But, finally, as I said, someone came forth and took the challenge of truly discussing the matter on television, for the nation to see. That person was Ellen Degeneres.

Yes, I had made a thread about this news case. It was uncalled for. Things like this should never happen. But, they will until we make an effort to educate and inform people that being gay is not a threat or anything else to humanity. In the end, it is just a way of life. Just like being straight or anything else is... You don't agree? Then turn away and let be. It is not affecting you!

However, in my need to share such events and make well-known, I recently received a message telling me that my post on the topic had to be deleted because it dealt with underage people. What?! Seriously? This was posted in the political and current events forum of the message board? Should we not be allowed to discuss events that matter and may have some impact on the actual presedential campaign right now? I guess now. We can rattle on about Harry Potter from back in the day when he was not 18, we can rattle on about "the dude from that tv show" or "youtube video" that is hilarious or cute, but you know-- not quite 18... yet, when it comes to an actual news story, one that can have a lot of impact on things, and needs the attention it deserves, we are not allowed to do such.

May I ask WHY?! What is the reason? A moderator feeling a power-trip? Someone not agreeing? What is the deal? Whatever it is, I would like to know...

The message I received in regards to my Lawrence King post was as follows below. Note: I removed the name of the writer for obvious reason. However, this is the ideal nature I am speaking of... just like the news, they attempt to sweep all under the rug. Make excuses saying it depicted someone underage. No, it depicted a 40-something comedian making a public announcement that needed to be heard as a picture of the victim was displayed behind her. If this is your justification as to why the thread was deleted, you honestly need to go through and delete thousands of messages. Any message involving a movie, tv show, youtube video, book, magazine, etc. that has an underage character in or out of focus, walking past screen as an extra/background actor, etc. needs to be deleted immedietly. Is that not the only fair way to go about it? Or, as we already know, a media-saturated world living for the next star to crash and fall before actual current events get the attention they deserve?!?!

"I just wanted to let you know that your thread about the murder of the underage child will have to be deleted. However, I would also like you to know that the story disgusted me as well - I read many articles on it and it made me sad that someone could actually do that to another human being, regardless of his age.

The only reason it has to be deleted is because of the underage content. Descriptions/videos/depictions of anyone under the age of 18 are prohibited on JUB.

I hope you understand why it had to be done, even in reference to the injustice that was done to this person.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to PM me.

Thanks so much!

Sincerely,
"_____________""

 

[TheTalkingAsshole]

I don't really have anything constructive to say about this...so I thought I would post. The rules on here are pretty black and white...and sure, this topic hopefully doesn't excite anyone, but it still deals with a minor. The administrators are trying to ensure the legal and proper use of the site. And, if they bend the rules when it deals with something presumably non prurient, then how do they stop others who just want to look at some naked kid for scientific study? It's a slippery slope. Kinda like gay marriage...if you allow two guys to get married where does it stop? What about a guy wanting to marry his dog?...his alarm clock? I'm sure you can see where this is going.

 

[tmb1]

This is as stupid as kids getting in trouble at school for having aspirin, or giving a friend a hug. Yes there are rules but there is also common sense!

 

[TheTalkingAsshole]

This is as stupid as kids getting in trouble at school for having aspirin, or giving a friend a hug. Yes there are rules but there is also common sense!

^^ Have you dealt with the moderators?

 

[Centexfarmer]

May I ask WHY?! What is the reason? A moderator feeling a power-trip? Someone not agreeing? What is the deal? Whatever it is, I would like to know...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with discussing the hatred, homophobia, and the horror of the case that you're discussing.

However, JUB is an ADULT entertainment (Read Gay Porn), and the depiction of ANYONE under of the Age of 18, whether it be through a youtube video, an uploaded pic, or any other process which makes available on the pages/forums of a JUB a depiction of under age individuals is a violation of our Code of Conduct.

The Moderators don't make the rules, or pass the legislation that makes it necessary for the rules to be made, we only attempt to protect the website from Pedophiles, and anyone else who might wish us harm here.

Post all that you want about the topic, provide links to sources, and stories, we just cannot allow the posting of images of the victim/victims in this case regardless of the source.

That's it, pure and simple.

 

[TheTalkingAsshole]

See? (I kid, I kid)....(I can say kid in that context, right?)

 

[Centexfarmer]

^ Sure just don't be posting any pictures or youtube videos of him.

 

[ineffablejk]

^ Sure just don't be posting any pictures or youtube videos of him.

If I understand correctly, a discussion about the topic is OK pictures are not correct?

 

[tmb1]

I misunderstood, evidently. I thought this whole deal was that we couldnt even discuss it. I understand the whole picture part as being improper though(why would we need to see a picture here? if you need to see a pic, use google.)

 

[TheTalkingAsshole]

^ Yeah, I picked that up in the first post...that's why I decided to be a smartass. Well, actually I was going to be a smartass anyway, but this just gave me an out.

 

[tmb1]

^ Yeah, I picked that up in the first post...that's why I decided to be a smartass. Well, actually I was going to be a smartass anyway, but this just gave me an out.

Gee, thanks for adding your smartassness to such a serious topic.

 

[tallguy297]

Guys,

Maybe I can help clear this up for you. It is a little confusing and the subtly of the ruling here can be difficult to grasp.

A discussion thread is by all means allowed... in fact in this case it would be encouraged. As long as its in a non sexual manner and that doesn't contain innappropraite comments or innuendo regarding the victim who as you know is a minor. Anything even remotely borderline there would have to be dealt with in accordance with the CoC and given these posts probably pretty harshly too.

The issue lies with uploaded clips and images as well erotic depictions and "imagery". There can be zero tolerance to those things on the site.

This is a tough situation for all of us both as mods and members.

The stance on underage images,clips and erotic depictions is designed to protect both the people in those images AND JUB. We are after all a porn site and the rules governing our existence are far more rigid than other forums. Anything that even has the chance of being misconstrued or twisted to look like the site allows images of minors poses huge risk for us.

Unfortunately... and sadly cases like this get caught up in that system. I can tell you that this pleases none of us in this case to remove the pics and images because we are all acutely aware of the topic and its importance and the fact that in this case those images add power to the story.

But we have no choice. In order to ensure the site survives and is even around to let the discussion happen we have to act on these situations.

Please, link to other sites, talk about it and make your voices heard and your support of Ellen known. Despite the little extra effort required to click on a link I'm positive that real good can come out of these threads.

Cheers and thanks for your understanding.

TG.

 

[Nishin]

Just a question... why not simply edit the pic out?
( I have not seen the thread myself though, just questioning what seems could have been done judging by what I read here) ...

 

[Kulindahr]

I don't really have anything constructive to say about this...so I thought I would post. The rules on here are pretty black and white...and sure, this topic hopefully doesn't excite anyone, but it still deals with a minor. The administrators are trying to ensure the legal and proper use of the site. And, if they bend the rules when it deals with something presumably non prurient, then how do they stop others who just want to look at some naked kid for scientific study? It's a slippery slope. Kinda like gay marriage...if you allow two guys to get married where does it stop? What about a guy wanting to marry his dog?...his alarm clock? I'm sure you can see where this is going.

Neither of those is a slippery slope: we can't post pictures of anyone under 18, and no one can "marry" a non-human.

At least we can put in links to sites with the stories we want to discuss, even if those sites have pics -- so long as the pics are something allowed in a public news source. But however odd it seems, because we can have JUB at all thanks to a free country, JUB itself can't be a free country.

 

[DylanSkylar]

The thing is, there were no pictures involved. I simply stated my original message as follows below, and posted a link to a clip of talk show host Ellen Degeneres talking about the event on her show as she tried to hold back tears.

******************

"I had written about the Lawrence King murder previously in my personal blog and there had been some discussion from it about how the news was seeminlgy just sweeping over the event as though it didn't quite happen once the facts of things started coming forward....

Lawrence King was a 15 year old boy who was shot at school by another boy a few weeks ago in Oxnard, CA.

Sad enough as it is, all in all, it's been total crap how a lot of news stations, papers, etc. have dealt with this story. Very few have actually come forth and admitted to the boy's sexuality or anything surrounding such. Majority of the stories seem to have simply been "elementary student shot by another student...". Those that have addressed the issue of sexuality have focused on the boy wearing makeup and girl's accesories rather than the main issue at hand -- that this was an innocent kid just trying to live his life.

Leave it to Ellen to finally speak up about the event and put some actual focus on it.
Please watch: (INSERT YOUTUBE LINK HERE)

******************

Now, taking such into consideration, what is wrong?! Last I checked, Ellen was an internationally recognized star, well over the age of 18 and possessing the freedom and actual ability to bring focus to some matters that actual have importance...

I was originally told in the email I received about the message being deleted, that we couldn't even discusss such nature. However, that quickly brings to mind every discussion thread about "Harry Potter", and/or every other movie and/or television show that focuses on underage characters, etc. Yes, once Daniel Radcliffe performed "Equus" on stage, there were postings saying the pictures of him could not be posted. But that is for obvious reasons, he was underaged and nude... Common sense. Correct? Yet, in innocence, How many messages are there of "Hey my first crush in middle school was ___________, anyone remember that show he was on?" -- all in focus of kids who were close to our age at the time... 14, 15, 16 years of age. What makes it okay to take a trip down memory lane and discuss those topics and perhaps even post a picture of the kid from the show or a movie cover, youtube link to a scene, blooper reel, magazine scan, etc? But, when it comes to discussion a topic of actual importance, we can not?! New Kids on the Block, Home Improvment, Macaulay Culkin, etc etc... The list goes on. Any simple search on this site will come up with thousands of messages regarding mainstream entertainment depicting minors. And, isn't that what one would expect to find when the posting is found in "movie and tv" or "celebrity gossip", etc?
Almost comes down to the point that all such needs to be deleted. Afterall, this is an "adult site".

Also, this original message that I posted was placed in the political and current events forum of the board. Had I posted it in "twinks and hunks" or something, which I would have never done, it would obviously have taken on a different light. That is where the line is drawn. Speaking of political and current events forum, how many threads are there about laws and proposals being put forth about underage prosecution and such? Laws directed towards children and around them?

So what is it? One moderator says no discussion. Another says no pictures? It seems to waiver depending on the subject? And yet there are a plethora of examples, we can all point to without any effort, to make question and case to the topic.

 

[DylanSkylar]

Just a question... why not simply edit the pic out?
( I have not seen the thread myself though, just questioning what seems could have been done judging by what I read here) ...

There was no picture involved. Simply stated Ellen had focused on the subject on a recent show and I was glad for once that the murder was getting the attention it deserved based on why it happened. I did post the youtube of Ellen sitting on her chair at the beginning of the show talking about the case.