Posts by Dana Booth26

@Dana Nelson, @Nicole Palmer4,

I’ve been reading through everything carefully, as I always do. People keep talking about groups and using plural terms... but honestly, let's just move past that. Let's try to maintain a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect here...

I was running around like crazy earlier, so I didn't get a chance to write all of this down, but it specifically concerns the attacks being leveled against moderator Adam M....
In my personal estimation, those accusations are completely baseless. From what I’ve experienced personally, he is a fair, objective, and totally professional moderator.

I used to participate heavily in the BBO threads, where things could get incredibly heated and intense, but discussions were always backed by solid arguments. In those threads, the aforementioned moderator was in charge and even posted her own takes—which, frankly, were often the polar opposite of my own views and logic—yet I never once encountered a situation like this. I never felt like my opinions were being suppressed, nor was I ever personally attacked or made to feel defeated. Because of that, I can confidently conclude that she is doing an incredible job, especially given the bizarre circumstances she’s currently facing... which are honestly mind-blowing. No topics were shut down unfairly, and no one was getting banned without cause...

Personally, I don't go around reporting other users. To me, that’s just beneath contempt. I believe everyone here should be allowed to exchange ideas, just like in real life. Everyone should just do their job to the best of their ability while following the rules—rules that I live by every single day...

It would be a wonderful thing if we all took a moment to look in the mirror, evaluate how we express ourselves and treat others, and stopped pointing fingers at everyone else for the very things we are guilty of ourselves...

There is simply no way that a character from some random soap opera should be able to sow such discord among real people. Writing on a forum is supposed to be a test of our ability to express our opinions and connect with others; it isn't some life-or-death struggle for survival...

If the whole point of the series is love, then maybe we should actually try living it...

I hear people are calling me out, so I figure I’ll just jump in and give you my two cents directly.
This has been hands down the toughest subject I’ve ever tackled on here. It’s honestly overwhelming. From day one, I was stunned by how aggressive everyone’s stance was on this, and then I even got confirmation of that hostility in an off-topic thread... at first, I thought they were joking, but it turns out they weren't.

And since when does anyone get to decide we all have to agree? Who else besides me gets to provide authentic interpretations of my own posts and my own perspective? The issue isn't the opinion itself; it's how it's being delivered. It's being handled with such intolerance and personal attacks that there have been countless times where I felt like just walking away from writing altogether. It’s exhausting—being a lone voice against a massive majority.

But look, I can't stop being myself. I’m going to write about what I see, what I feel, what I experience, and how I live my life... even if that means looking at things through a different lens. I tend to focus on characters who made mistakes and try to find the human side of them, because let's face it, everyone needs a little grace. Nobody is perfect... not on this forum, not the people behind the screen names, and not even the mods. But trying to find flaws in everyone else instead of looking in the mirror? That’s just awful, and frankly, pretty sad.

Every single time I post about Levi—who is my main inspiration for writing about this—people mock him. Fine, he’s just a character, but their mockery says way more about the people writing those posts than it does about the show. I feel like I’m standing in a windstorm of a loud majority that keeps shouting, but they won't silence me. My stance is mine alone, and I stand behind every word I write with my character, my education, and my years of life experience.

I’m not here to win a popularity contest or to have people insist that my posts are the only "truth." My truth is mine. There are plenty of perfectly lovely people in the other section of the forum whom I get along with beautifully—conversations that actually suit our age and maturity levels.

I totally get that people don't agree with me. Whether it's my style (apparently my use of punctuation bothers some people!) or my actual views, that's fine. But coming into this thread just to preach your own version of reality, quoting U.S. laws while the story is set somewhere else entirely... that’s just too much. Accusing others of being biased without actually reading what they wrote, or constantly seeing the speck in someone else's eye while ignoring the log in your own... it's exhausting.

I try my best to follow all the characters objectively, but yes, Levi’s character annoys me. I haven't seen so much whining and weakness in a long time, and apparently, that’s why I’m constantly being reported for my posts. Well, if that’s how you want to play it, go ahead.

What’s happening here is pure intolerance toward certain people—specifically toward me, because I’m not exactly a huge fan of Feriha. But I don't hate her; I don't hate anyone in this world. It’s heartbreaking that I’m being judged for that.

Is it really possible that writing, which should be a fun way to express ourselves, has turned into a situation where people are insulted just for having different views, and where you aren't even allowed to criticize a fictional character?

So many people have left this thread because they didn't write like the majority, and now people want to claim it’s because of me. If that’s how you feel, I can easily walk away. You won't have me hovering over your shoulders, watching your every move, or breathing down your necks. Once I'm gone, the thread will remain, with everyone bowing down to those who think exactly alike. And there you have it—the perfect echo chamber.

But I won't be gone without my quiet, small presence, because no one can take who I am away from me.

Anyway, kudos to the mods for wading through all our nonsense. After dealing with this, I don't think anyone's ever going to be the same again.

I’ve gone through every single post in this thread and on this topic quite thoroughly, and I’m not going to sit here and pretend that my perspective is the only right one...
but I definitely have my own take on the show and the characters. Just because I’ve lost my sympathy for Disney and don't see her evolving for the better—which is just my opinion based strictly on what I've watched and how I've processed it—doesn't mean I should be getting attacked here or within this specific discussion...
I honestly find myself wondering if everyone has actually read the previous posts. What’s the actual issue with people like me (and clearly others too) who just watch the series through a different lens? I'm not one of those people looking to start a war with anyone who disagrees with me...
Personally, I don't have an issue reading what other people think. In fact, when someone’s view is the complete opposite of mine, it actually serves as a good challenge to re-examine my own stance.
Do the people who wrote before me really believe they haven't contributed to the same kind of atmosphere in this thread...? Is everything always blamed on "the others"—those who see things differently—as if we should all be lumped into the same bucket?
I don't belong to any cliques or specific groups; what I write is simply my stance and my feelings. If my words have offended anyone, I sincerely apologize, because that was never my intention.
At the end of the day, this is a forum. The whole point, just like in anything else in life, should be about being yourself and speaking your mind. That shouldn't be seen as being narrow-minded; it should be about tolerance, respect, and the healthy exchange of ideas...
The idea that one person is at fault while everyone else is innocent is incomprehensible to me. Honestly, let whoever hasn't made mistakes throw the first stone...
The rhetoric here gets pretty scary sometimes, where people shamelessly insult every single character except Disney, and somehow that's considered funny. My personal rule is never to insult anyone's physical appearance, and that goes for Anne Hathaway too. If someone interpreted my critique of her as a personal insult, there isn't much I can do, because we all judge based on our own standards.

For instance, I have never once reported anyone for their posts, nor will I, because that’s just not how I operate. I respect everyone here and beyond. Behind these usernames are real, living people... but hey, if some people enjoy playing the moderator role, more power to them.

Is the purpose of this thread really to make sure we all think identically and bow down to one another? Not for me. I didn't come here just to be accepted or to have everyone agree with me...

It seems much easier to sit back and judge everyone else than it is to actually look in the mirror and acknowledge our own shortcomings...

Since I’ve been targeted out of nowhere—called out directly by one user and indirectly by a few others—
I’m stepping up with this post, even though I’m not exactly thrilled to be doing it, purely because the truth needs to be said.
I have zero interest in playing defense, despite being under fire,
because we’re dealing with nothing but insinuations and outright slander here.

I’ve always viewed this forum as a place for healthy debate,
provided there are certain ground rules that apply to everyone,
rules that really ought to be respected.
The Force thread on this board is open to all kinds of perspectives and viewpoints,
which are just as diverse as the people posting them,
and trying to read more into things than what's actually there is honestly laughable,
not to mention how some users can't seem to agree on the description of the main heroine,
(I didn't realize we were all required to share the exact same opinion).
Furthermore, joining a discussion or deciding to walk away from one is entirely voluntary.
So, seeing people lash out at the Moderator and other members over it just makes no sense to me.
It’s also equally baffling that some users are making such a fuss about private messages, claiming
that certain people are "getting heard" through them. That is an intrusion into completely private
matters that should never, ever be a topic of debate on a public forum.

All these accusations being thrown at me and my fellow forum members without a shred of evidence is nothing but pure
speculation, fueled by the wild imaginations of a few disgruntled critics.

I still live in the real world, and I don't feel the urge to attack someone just because we don't see eye to eye—
whether it's because I don't care for Force, or because I don't view her as a hero or a woman who serves as a role model for other women (or specifically, for me).

But using that as an excuse for personal animosity, "packing heat," or using language that has no business being used here is just ridiculous.
Hurting people or throwing lies at real individuals while defending a fictional character isn't how I live my life, nor is it my calling.

Everything Gerald Bailey88 has said about me, I’ll leave to her conscience... and her memory.
I have absolutely nothing to worry about,
and just like I told her once before, I'll say it again:

Let me walk my own path, you little underdog.

My opinions and my stances on people or things don't come from someone suggesting them to me; they come from my own observations, my life experience, my career, and my sense of being true to myself.