SmokinBandits - 2022-07-15 8:15 PM

I think it's because of the politics. I'm even afraid to say that, lol. I stopped coming regularly because everyone was at everyone's throats. People DO spend a lot of time on Facebook but it's hard to have indepth conversations like we used to have here. I really miss the old Barrel Horse World. I wish the moderators would ban political and religious threads and let's just talk horse. I see a while back a different category was created for this reason but obviously that didn't work. I come on once in a while and hope that maybe someday it will get active again. 

Bear - 2022-07-21 11:45 AM

I see it differently.  It's not because of "politics".  Scroll down the list of threads.  What percent of them are political?  
Most people started using this forum because it was comprised of a group of people with a common passion, very similar values, and similarities in lifestyles.  "Barrel racing" was the topic that brought people here, but almost instantly we found a camaraderie that opened up a wide range of activities and discussions.  Friendships and relationships began here.  Families began here.  Help for people in need began here. You get what I'm saying.  
We talked about horses, barrel racing, rodeo, ranching and farming.  We talked about business and finance.  We talked about marriage and divorce.  We talked about raising a family.  We talked about death and the loss of friends and loved ones.  We shared jokes and recipes. Basically, the topic of "barrel racing" sprouted into talking about our lives.

And yes, often, we talked about politics.  Many of us believed that political topics and political trends had a direct impact on everything we hold dear.  I don't think it's necessary to point out how political trends and politics in general can make our lives better or worse.  In my opinion, nothing has generated more spirited debate and passion than politics, because unless you live in a bubble, or choose to bury your head in the sand, politics is having a big impact on our lives, whether we like it or not.

People who can't accept or handle the truth want to isolate themselves from this reality.  They want to silence, minimize, or control political discussion.  That's why this forum has tried repeatedly over the years to find a "happy medium" by creating isolated political forums, and it has failed miserably over and over again. 

I still ride 2-3 horses a day.  I still drive a big pickup that sucks fuel like a thirsty camel. I have a few cows.  I buy feed, hay, supplements, and medicines.  I still love watching the sunsets and sunrises from my porch. I still like learning training tips.  Politics effects all these things, and we are bearing witness to the fact that our nation is in rapid decline.  All these things we love are in jeopardy.  We are looking into the abyss.  But for heaven's sake, we mustn't talk politics!  We must control the discussion and keep it limited to "the horse".

Bear - 2022-07-21 11:45 AM

I see it differently.  It's not because of "politics".  Scroll down the list of threads.  What percent of them are political?  
Most people started using this forum because it was comprised of a group of people with a common passion, very similar values, and similarities in lifestyles.  "Barrel racing" was the topic that brought people here, but almost instantly we found a camaraderie that opened up a wide range of activities and discussions.  Friendships and relationships began here.  Families began here.  Help for people in need began here. You get what I'm saying.  
We talked about horses, barrel racing, rodeo, ranching and farming.  We talked about business and finance.  We talked about marriage and divorce.  We talked about raising a family.  We talked about death and the loss of friends and loved ones.  We shared jokes and recipes. Basically, the topic of "barrel racing" sprouted into talking about our lives.

And yes, often, we talked about politics.  Many of us believed that political topics and political trends had a direct impact on everything we hold dear.  I don't think it's necessary to point out how political trends and politics in general can make our lives better or worse.  In my opinion, nothing has generated more spirited debate and passion than politics, because unless you live in a bubble, or choose to bury your head in the sand, politics is having a big impact on our lives, whether we like it or not.

People who can't accept or handle the truth want to isolate themselves from this reality.  They want to silence, minimize, or control political discussion.  That's why this forum has tried repeatedly over the years to find a "happy medium" by creating isolated political forums, and it has failed miserably over and over again. 

I still ride 2-3 horses a day.  I still drive a big pickup that sucks fuel like a thirsty camel. I have a few cows.  I buy feed, hay, supplements, and medicines.  I still love watching the sunsets and sunrises from my porch. I still like learning training tips.  Politics effects all these things, and we are bearing witness to the fact that our nation is in rapid decline.  All these things we love are in jeopardy.  We are looking into the abyss.  But for heaven's sake, we mustn't talk politics!  We must control the discussion and keep it limited to "the horse".

SmokinBandits - 2022-07-28 4:42 PM

Bear, I talk plenty of politics. But I don't want to come here to do it. To each his own. I'm just saying why I stopped coming. And many of my friends. Too stressful when I want to talk about how to get my horse to bend properly around a barrel....