Average Joe:
I respect your criticism, but let's be clear about something: I do
not guarantee anyone's 1st Amendment rights on these boards. That's especially true for anonymous posters who lash out at people who may or may not view these boards and have an opportunity to defend themselves. Anyone looking to fully exercise their right to free speech can get on soap box on Main Street.
What’s more, while the author of the offending post may know something to be true, I may not. As such, I’m in the unfortunate position of constantly trying to discern what’s true from what isn’t. Opinions, stated as such, are a different matter. That's not to say that I won't consider some opinions as attacks, but posters often state opinion
as fact. If a poster wants to link to another news source that supports the allegations, he or she may do so.
Secondly, while I agree that the targeted individuals are public figures, I don’t like being put in the position of having to defend a lawsuit to confirm I’m right.
I intended these boards to be forum for meaningful, robust discussion and not as a platform for insult or innuendo. As for the deletions, "I call ‘em as I see ‘em." That goes for both sides of the aisle.
If you’re looking for boards were you might be granted "wider latitude" for comment, might I suggest the Dunn’s forum here:
http://www.nj.com/forums/hackensack. In the alternative, visitors are free to start their own message boards and assume responsibility for the sites’ content.