... in response to A bit unsettled, posted by Locii on Jan 2, 2004I think Calipro really skirts the same topics as Batman did, but thus far he has never pushed things over the edge. While I don't agree with Calipro on many things, I believe the board has benefited from his presence here, particularly the newbie, looky-lous because it helps present a more well-rounded idea of what is possible and to expect if you pursue a Latin partner in Colombia. And probably just as importantly he has been respectful to people on the forum and to the rules of the forum itself. Batman, went over the edge, because first off he blatantly advertised for his website and services in Cali which is one of the no-nos of this board, and secondly, the website was unacceptable to Patrick the board owner which is also a no-no.
Calipro has really come close to crossing the unacceptable line, but so far he has never crossed it. I actually am proud of Patrick for not banning Calipro because it is so easy to just decide not to deal with a risky situation i.e. Calipro, and much harder to reasonably consider what is fair. I have occasionally reacted in anger and outrage to posts on this board and could see how Patrick could have banned me for causing or encouraging trouble if he were to take a hard line on things, but he didn't ban me and I am more comfortable to speak freely without concern with what I say. Calipro should feel that same freedom.
I guess I could sum up my feelings with an analogy. Imagine trying to have a partisan discussion on a message board composed of just Republicans or Democrats. Any liberal would likely feel inhibited to speak freely on the Republican board if he felt he was going to be banned for speaking that way. Likewise a conservative might not speak freely on a Democratic board (assuming he wasn't just trolling and running off, but actually wanted to be an active participant on the board).
I consider this Planet-Love forum to be similar to an unpartisan political board. While there will be plenty of people who will vociferously disagree with each other, if they are willing to stay within prescribed boundaries of behavior, real objective discussion can occur instead of just one philosophy being the only one present.
I think there is one thing we all can agree to about the Latin women experience, and that is that the more information and education you can get on the process, the more likely you are to make good choices and find the right woman (or women in Calipro's case LOL). Objective discussion breeds knowledge and Calipro provides a counterpoint in many discussions and helps present a more informative picture.
