I see these open forums as a radio station - If the topic is not my taste - turn the station, if possible.

As far as the left/right bent - It’s not always as it appears via the keyboard. It’s very challenging for a lot of us to read where some may be. I read that there is mix - and Im fine with it. My policy has been - When you strip others opinions from them, you may as well surrender your own.

I see now that you did not contribute to the hit on Petrena, and it was you that controlled the comment(s). We’re cool. Petrena didnt deserve that, nor did she earn to be personally attacked - it freaked me out to have read the words above about her. Thank you for the follow up and for the fairness you have shown me regarding her.

I find that troubling.

I will not sit back when someone that I consider a friend gets thrown under the bus for expressing opinions.

An admirable trait to be sure.

Exile sums it up nicely above in terms of the difference between Posters and commenters and the confusion it may cause-

My point was there is a different between commenters and posters. In no way did I think I attacked Petrena personally in the original post. I think one of our commenters did in the comment section and that wasn’t right.

My paint brush comment was trying to get to exactly what your were bothered by - the original post or the comment.

So - if you had an issue with a specific comment (the one about being a “dog groomer” comes to mind) - I think we are in agreement - if you had an issue with a post I wrote - that is a different matter.

Hope that clears things up.

I do think that it’s important to distinguish between blog posts and comments, though. Your objection was to a comment that I as a poster also objected to. I don’t think it’s fair to cast aspersion on our blog on the basis of a comment that others here also disagreed with.

As for the D&C bogs: quite simply, I think the D&C blogs are poorly written, poorly argued, and way to the right for the most part. I don’t think the paper should put that kind of thing out under their name. We wouldn’t tolerate that kind of posting here at RT and I would think that a professional outfit like Gannett wouldn’t either.

Thanks for dropping by and I apologize if you feel you’re being attacked. I certainly felt like your own comment was a bit of an attack on us, but that comes with the territory. My point here is that we don’t engage in personal attacks and that when a comment takes on a harsh edge we say so. But you can judge for yourself how good we are about that.

There appears to be a little of “us” and “them” going on around between the community bloggers and RT. Why, I have no idea, but my bet would be politics. I am quite capable of separating “personal” and “politics”. I would expect the same could be offered to me. That is where my comment came from as I know most of you read the blogs, know my party affiliation and what I support. Again, that should not make me the enemy. And if you have read at any length, I am not a basher - just a girl with very strong opinions and I reside in Irondequoit, not Chili. Mia is a childhood close friend of mine for 30+ years (please don’t do the math, ok?)

I support anonymity on these forums but do blog under my own name. I take that risk, perhaps it is but another move against my better judgement. I do not hide. At times it is no big deal to me (most of the time anyway) but there have been times that it hasn’t been on my side, and the cards have fallen all over the place since my participation in the past 2 years.

Not really sure if I really need to be so open, but I am making an attempt to allow you to learn what I am about and what my intentions are. There appear to be some assumptions (I feel that in the air here) that I am a painter with a brush that may not be suited for my subject. My focus is Petrena. She did not deserve to have been written about in that manner. It bothered me this morning and still does. Dig?

I will not sit back when someone that I consider a friend gets thrown under the bus for expressing opinions. I would expect the same from any of you, if the table were turned. And if I turned your blog into a chat house, it was not my intention - I’m just a little long winded at times.

I would caution against painting with a wide brush because it is coming across that you have an issue with this blog or this specific post rather than a specific specific commenter. A commenter who, I beleive, went too far with some mud slinging and has been redirected.

But terms like “you guys” or “And don’t stoop to slinging that “conservatism” back at me because I have run with the very best of you in my day.”

I’m not sure to whom you are directing your comment. If it is me, the post author, a specific commenter or the other Front Pagers at RT please be specific.

Whether or not she grooms dogs or whatever - I could care less. It is not pertinent to the conversation.

Frankly, the D&C blogs are an embarrassment as I have said many times. I don’t blame you or Petrena for this, I blame the paper. I also find it strange that Petrena is allowed to write whatever she wants when other, more liberal writers were constantly censored.

My issues here are with the paper, not with you or Petrena or any of the others. I find nearly everything written in the D&C blogs to be misinformed and illogical, but, again, I blame the paper for creating and fostering an environment in which illogic and misinformation rules the day, not with any of the commenters or posters themselves.

I hope I’ve made myself clear here.

Thank you for dropping by.

I have read here from time to time as I have found it to be informative, and yes, at times entertaining. This particular blog prompted me to sign on for the first time as I can sit on my hands no longer.

I have never been a fan of personal attacks on any any forum. From what I have read here this morning, I am saddened to learn that the words towards Petrena personally have been written. Till now, I really thought that you guy’s were above this. Today, you have proved me wrong.

Petrena is a dog trainer, not groomer - not that it would make a difference what her lively hood is, she makes an honest living. Would you prefer she sat home on your dime and collected a check at your expense?

And don’t stoop to slinging that “conservatism” back at me because I have run with the very best of you in my day. For me, this is not about that.