This will be my final post on socialdiscussions.com

I love people.

That is why I am an Ubuntu lover. To me, it represents the opportunity to share the computing experience, the internet and the internet community, not only with those who can afford Windows or a Mac but everyone.

Because I love people I am very engaged in politics, for in the United States, politics is the mechanism through which people power is or is not distributed.

I am African.

Living in the United States I am very aware of the role racism plays in the lives of people of color and in the functioning of the society as a whole. It is my belief that racism is used to divide the regular folks in the country creating a situation where we are

1) The only post-industrial country on the planet in which the people have not come together and demanded universal healthcare. Other countries have had it for at least a half century. At least.

2) The country with the highest percentage of its citizenry forced to sit in cages. We call it prison.

3) Some of the largest cities on Earth with the worst mass transit infrastructure.

4) The largest wealth inequality of all post-industrial countries with average CEO pay at big companies being 400 times the average production worker's compensation.

Because other countries with relatively homogenous ethnic populations have organized working classes that have long overcome all of these problems, I maintain that race is the # 1 social, political and economic issue for citizens of the US. I believe that we, the people of this country can win on all of these issues if we work together and cease to be racially divided. This will take work but we can do it.

Because of the systemic ideological nature of this problem I have never expected widespread agreement with my positions. I have, however, expected, along with others with contrary opinions, the freedom to express.

I have recently been informed by the moderatorship of this forum that my expectation of freedom of expression was unwarranted and wrongheaded. Specifically,
While no one necessarily likes being told to shut up. It's one thing when rebukes and 'shut ups' fly from poster to poster. That could be called flaming or rudeness but usually it's just folks getting a little carried away. When moderators privately tell posters to shut up there is another word.

Censorship.

When I arrived at this forum a couple of months ago, several posters expressed curiosity as to why there are so few people of color engaging in the online political debate of this society. I believe that my short experience here may serve, for those interested in receiving it, as a message explaining why. From the openly hostile personal attacks from some on the forum to outright censorship by those tasked with running the forum. Moderator bapoumba made note to ensure that his/her words were not unitlateral, characterizing the nature of the censorship saying, "All staff agree here". I do hope that as I depart, the moderatorship will have the temerity and courage to not censor this final post with deletion or edits. But if so...

I wish all of you good fortunes in your political education and in life generally. Particularly rjwood, kevmartin, latecomer and DChristopher who even in disagreeing with my views were almost always respectful, which is all anyone can reasonably expect and apparently more than most here cared to offer up. To, at this point, continue on here with the clearly communicated threat of censorship hovering over every post, would be dishonest of me. For that reason, I will depart.

Keep up the good discussions. If ever I am sought, you can find me at Playahata as Watch Out Now! or at Internet Infidels as ATLien.

Fair winds and following seas,
Fanon