“Give it a chance.â€
That was the oft –repeated mantra of the folks on the old Sci-Fi board. Give the
new show a chance, don’t pre-judge it; watch it, see what you think. So we did.
We watched it and in the spirit of fairness, we matched words with deeds, here
at Colonial Fleets, and created a completely separate but equal sub-forum,
strictly for new show conversation. It seemed to be the right choice, at the
time.
Since then, we have been educated to the mindset of the author that the
offerings on this show, called Battlestar Galactica (2003), were to be a
reflection of society and we were challenged to “think about itâ€; that there
would be parallels to real-life events such as the Sept 11 attacks and told, by
the author, to “make your own judgments as to what they say to youâ€; and that
this new show would completely “re-invent†the sci-fi genre.
Well, we have thought about it and have spoken those thoughts on these forum
pages, for much of the past 2 years. Ever since the new series came about, this
fanbase has been in a tenuous place and Colonial Fleets was often a tension
spring within the fanbase for allowing and even promoting, at times, discussion
of the new series. Through that time, we made a concerted effort to separate the
comments from the commentator and to keep the debates focused on the issue.
Primarily, though, each of us has strived to employ our own personal standards
of morality and decency when presenting these thoughts.
An example of these standards of decency and morality can be witnessed by the
following remarks by our good friend, Malkyte, who very eloquently expressed the
thoughts of many members, here and elsewhere:
“Throughout the many years of human existence, there has always been a line. A
line that represented on one side, the best of human decency and morality, and
on the other, the pure animalistic and monstrous evil that humans can be. This
line has moved back and forth throughout those same years, and depending on
individual experiences, it has always been in different places.â€
“Society in general has appeared to become more tolerant of rude and
disrespectful behavior, to the point where it is celebrated when someone is
deviant or rebellious. It’s rather disheartening and disturbing at the same
time. But our society more and more rewards liars, killers and celebrity
deviants, who in some cases are only in the news because of the crap they do,
and not for any talent they may possess.â€
We share those same concerns about society and can see, for ourselves, the truth
in the remarks. In addition, we agree that the “line†has been shifting back and
forth with a decided tilt toward the less than desirable aspect of human
society. We also realize that the entertainment industry has “pushed the
envelope as far as they couldâ€, only because we have allowed them to do so.
We have allowed the entertainment industry to tell us that
it was "ok" to have a baby's neck snapped (the script originally called for
Number Six to drive her finger through the baby's skull);
it was "ok" to draw a parallel of sympathy toward the terrorists who carried out
the Sept 11 attacks - in other words, we got what we deserved;
but, the straw that snapped the proverbial camel's back was the use of rape as a
military torture tool in the "Pegasus" episode.
We will NOT allow the entertainment industry to tell us that it is "ok", at any
time, for a rape to occur. It does not "advance the story", it glorifies a
horrible aggression upon another human being.
After nearly 2 years of this “educational experienceâ€, we have reached the
conclusion that the movement of the line must cease. While we absolutely hold no
ill will toward our Fleets family members who are attracted to the show, we can
no longer willingly sanction discussion about a show which goes against so many
of our innermost values.
Mr. Moore, your show has had many events which have driven us away from its
potential enjoyment. The negatives have far outweighed the positives, and in
this case, the negatives have finally come to a head that cannot be ignored.
Effective with the posting of this announcement, the “New Battlestar Galactica
Forum†as well as all of its related sub-forums will be permanently closed and
removed from the Forum Index Page.
As mentioned above, the decision to close the "New Battlestar Galactica Forum",
etal, is done with no malice toward any of our members attracted to the new
show.
We value the contributions of all members of the Fleets family and will continue
our journey as a Battlestar Galactica artists' site as well as a discussion
forum centered on the Original Battlestar Galactica and, of course, the "fun"
areas in the Rejuvenation Center. The Original Battlestar Galactica is the show
whose revival this site was built to support and that is what this site will
continue to focus on and support wholeheartedly. The "New Battlestar Galactica"
series has shown it's true colors and it is time for us to bid it adieu.
The decision to close the "New Battlestar Galactica Forum", et. al., is based
entirely on the content of the show and is FINAL and IRREVOKABLE.
Signed,
The Owner, Administrators, and Moderators of Colonial Fleets
Titon
Warrior
BST
Dawg
Fragmentary
Gemini1999
Jewels
Martok2112
