Putting this edit at the top.
I desperately need to finish my Passover cleaning. I still have a fridge, freezer, oven and range top to clean before the night is out. I could easily procrastinate by monitoring this diary and comments, but I shouldn’t, and I’ll be in a world of pain tomorrow if I do. I’ll check back when I can.
OK, back to your regularly scheduled diary.
I hope I am not violating any of The Rules by doing this.
There have been “please reinstate so-and-so” diaries up before, so I figure that at least is OK.
I am asking the Powers That Be to please rescind the ban on user Black Max. I am doing so publicly here, and I have done it privately in a message to the help desk. It’s under Community and Moderation, and thus marked “private”, so I don’t want to be in potential rules violation by reprinting verbatim here what I said there.
But this is what I say to TPTB and to the community.
I got into a vociferous and heated argument with Black Max last night. Over the usual stuff. I strongly disagree with his approach to community issues, particularly regarding Bernie Sanders and his supporters. I got back to DK to find some threads hidden (not surprising) and Black Max bojo’d (very suprising).
I’ve gotten “into it” with Black Max on many occasions. I’ve received at least one time out on account of those heated discussions.
On that basis, I hope that, perhaps, my request will carry a little more than the usual weight.
I do not want Black Max banned. I did not want him banned. I want to see him back here, and we can argue again. Maybe one of us will even persuade the other.
I understand that there may be other issues that I’m unaware of. Black Max’s userpage carries (maybe his bio?) the descriptor “Irascible old bastard.”
We need everyone here. I don’t like a lot of the ways he behaved, but I do not think in any way that the behavior was of a nature so toxic as to warrant removal.
These are hard times. Tempers are frayed. Let’s stick together and help each other out.
I really don’t know if these diaries work. I believe some people have been reinstated after bans. I don’t know if any “Please reinstate so-and so” has ever worked. Maybe they have to go grovel for it. I hope not. That’s not Black Max’s way. I am here to grovel on his behalf. Bring him back, please.
I hope he can come back, and I hope he will. I encourage anyone who feels similarly to do what they can and think is appropriate toward that end.
Passover starts tomorrow night. Because of my religious observance/practice, I will be offline from sundown tomorrow until nightfall Saturday — two days of Passover and one day of Shabbat. I’ll do my best to monitor and respond to comments before then, although I’m deep in the throes of cleaning for Passover, which is a project and then some.
As Passover starts, we are going through a worldwide plague. Together. We have Pharaohs — more than one — who seek to keep us down. But this year, let’s remember — we are all Israel, and we are all Egypt. We are all suffering. Let’s work to reduce suffering in the world, no matter whose it is.
Peace, all. Let’s stick together. As a symbol of that, and more, I want Black Max back.