"Politics suck buttermilk"

[rgfixit]

"Politics suck buttermilk!"

That's a quote from our oldest member here at the Shanty. It's never been more true.

I'm really tired of all the politically oriented treads this year.  I want ice fishing threads to view and add to. Things have changed here. We used to quietly shun the three no no's of confrontational conversation, politics, religion and the other one. In the past, political threads were relegated to an off topic forum where those who wished to debate could do so without cluttering up our means of escape, a simple ice fishing forum.

Most of us come here to put away the stresses of daily drudgery for a while and immerse ourselves in our passion for fishing. I have plenty of time and opportunity to ponder serious matters. I really don't like reading about it here.

I've put a lot of time into this site along with a small group of others. The impetus has always been, promoting fishing. 

I appreciate activists. I am an activist. I taught Hunter education in NY for many years and helped craft the Hunter Apprentice Program. I supported the NYCC through several shooting clubs to which I belonged. I've written many letters to our public Representatives voicing my support and opposition to proposed legislation. I worked in a gun shop as a gunsmith. I love hunting and fishing. I've been known to get on the soap box here as well.

Still, I'd like to suggest that we curb the political threads here and keep this site as intended. A forum for ice fishing and the exchange of ice fishing information. It's only a few members who continually start these threads and I'm sure that in your minds it's the right thing to do.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but, find a political forum to start your debates and stick to fishing here.

RG

[icedauber]

Agreed, and well said!

[ziggy6]

I also agree, I get enough of the politics thing in my everyday life.  I visit this site to get away from the stress of my work place.  Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives.....  I could care less, it's icefisherman that I want to hear from about icefishing.

[Chainsaw]

Not to crerate controversy here but we didn't even have ice-fishing 'till way late in the year. In the meantime there were political problems to overcome that supplanted the topic, such as, whereinell to get bait, and such as that.

'Nuff said.

[Chainsaw]

Just because you are not interested in politics do not for one moment assume that politics is not interested in YOU.

[JJ]

I don't think important political issues, until Grannis and VHS, have received very much attention in the past. I really can't think of a better "forum" for discussing issues important to sportsmen than an ice fishing message board. That being said, topics should be limited to those directly related to fishing.

[rgfixit]

Don't confuse me for some whole other person. I seriously care about the political impact bad legislators have on my passions. I am perfectly able, however, to make my own decisions and react accordingly, without being bludgeoned by endless threads and topics on the subject. This is an ice fishing forum.

Show me your jigs, your tipdowns...share your techniques...show us your inventions...your pictures. Tell some good stories, lie a bit if you're creative and humorous.

Oil prices are high.....burn your soap boxes for firewood.

RG

[JerryofWNY]

The "political threads" were important to ice fisherpeople because they pertained to anyone who has a love of the outdoors in NYS. They weren't simply candidate bashing because of party affiliation, liberalism, conservatism, yada, yada, yada. Once you have opened a thread you know the context of it. If you don't want to participate, simply don't open it again but please don't deprive me of a good source of information that enables me to be involved in the future of our outdoors in NYS.

[adkRoy]

Without people bringing up "political threads" such as vhs and Grannis' nomination, I would not be as informed as I am. I am glad that such topics come up. Especially the contraversy over Grannis. We have to watch that one carefully or we may not have the "right" to ice fish any more. 

[PCB]

why not start a shanty or discussion board within iceshanty.com that promotes the discussion of political issues... in many ways it affects many fishermen and outdoorsmen, so it's not as if they arent important, but I agree, I got tired of seeing 3 or 4 new messages postings about Grannis and New York State politics every time I logged on to Iceshanty.

[1TIGGER]

why not start a shanty or discussion board within iceshanty.com that promotes the discussion of political issues... in many ways it affects many fishermen and outdoorsmen, so it's not as if they arent important, but I agree, I got tired of seeing 3 or 4 new messages postings about Grannis and New York State politics every time I logged on to Iceshanty.

I think that's why it was put into the GENERAL FORUM , as stated earlier if you are tired of reading it , simply don't open it !
Both the VHS and Grannis threads are directly related to fishing weather it be open water or ice fishing .
I also agree with adkRoy ,I am glad the are both where they are because many of us weren't and still aren't fully aware of the repercussions of either subject .

[rgfixit]

Poorcollegeboy ( I like that name by the way) has a good idea.

I think I'll check into that.
RG

[kayak2fish]

I don't know how else sportsmen are supposed to stay informed about issues that directly affect them other than message boards like this. The mainstream media sure isn't doing their job. And if you see Grannis or any political jargon in the topic header and if you don't want to read about it, don't click on it. Having said that, maybe there should be a special board within Iceshanty.com  New York for political topics. We need to stay informed people....our lifestyle depends on it. In case you haven't noticed, the balance of power in the state has shifted to favor New York City, suburbanites and suburban transplants from neighboring, less-sportsmen friendly states. These people love to pass nanny laws. And they more often than not, do not understand the issues of hunters, fisherman, trappers and gun owners...yet they have the power now.

[TheManInBlack]

rgfixit,

I hate politics too, but I'm glad that there are people who get so involved to protect and promote our rights, so that hopefully your little guy and my little guy will be able to enjoy the NY outdoors like we do right now.  And that is why I read them and support them.

I guess I just don't understand what the whole big deal is.  If you don't want to read about it, then SKIP OVER THOSE THREADS AND DON'T READ ABOUT THEM!.  There are hundreds of threads on this site that I ignore because I am not interested in them.  I simply skip over them.

[SPARKYICE]

i'm guilty as he!! of getting all wrapped up in the heat of the debate, as are a lot of other folks here.
i love it. it's very useful and informative, and these issues do maatter.
i can see how it is a distraction to the core value of strictly fishing.
as someone suggested, how about a forum topic of "strictly politics" or some such?
grass roots activism is the best most effective way of influencing policy. it is worthy of supporting.

[theozon]

Poorcollegeboy ( I like that name by the way) has a good idea.

I think I'll check into that.
RG

YEA CALL IT THE MUDSLINGER PAGE OR POLITICAL WITCH HUNT PAGE

[doctariAFC]

For a very long time, we as sportsmen and women have tended to sit back and enjoy our sports, then when actions happened we all gripe and complain about it.

If that is your bag, so be it.  But if you truly desire to keep your rights and freedoms we had all better speak up and get a bit active.  Doesn't take much, a couple letters and some phone calls.

But in order to act in a timely fashion, we must be made aware of these happenings.  Much of the info concerning our love of the great outdoors does not get reported in our local media.  If we don't know, we cannot fight.

We are at a crossroads in NYS.  We have some very disturbing activity in Albany, and if any of you doubt they have the ability to restrict hunting and fishing and trapping and snowmobiling out of existence, you are dead wrong.  If you desire your children and their children to love the great outdoors as much as you, then you had better take note of what is happening and get involved.

Look what happened when one man decided to not take this crap.  Had I not acted, we all would be lamenting moves made, and wondering how to stop it.  BUt we have seen far too many take a serious interest and mobilize for our sports.  If we're not protecting our sports, we have no need for any of what we do.

[adkRoy]

Look at california. They banned the hunting of mountain lions. Now mountain Lion attacks on humans have gone way up.

[dwayne]

I am with rgfixit on this one.  The New York general board and this whole site in general has gone downhill drastically in the past year or so.  A few years ago it was an informative site with 90+ percent of the material fishing based.  Now the top 4 out of 5 posts on the NY site are polititical arguements, you have guys using the website as their personal chat rooms (mirc), many of the clowns with the " inmate number" below their avatar stir up the pot like a bunch of school girls, good people have left, etc...etc...

The only reason I don't delete my account is because I keep hoping it will get better.

This was created by Scott to be a fishing site...leave it as one or just leave.  That is my opinion for what ever little bit it is worth.

[RLWagner]

I am with rgfixit on this one.  The New York general board and this whole site in general has gone downhill drastically in the past year or so.  A few years ago it was an informative site with 90+ percent of the material fishing based.  Now the top 4 out of 5 posts on the NY site are polititical arguements, you have guys using the website as their personal chat rooms (mirc), many of the clowns with the "  number" below their avatar stir up the pot like a bunch of school girls, good people have left, etc...etc...

The only reason I don't delete my account is because I keep hoping it will get better.

This was created by Scott to be a fishing site...leave it as one or just leave.  That is my opinion for what ever little bit it is worth.

Dwayne, you have made your point well, calling other members CLOWNS? The clowns you speak of probably share more knowledge and information with other members than most. They keep their chat confined by the most part to one area of the forum, and yet you take a jab at these wonderful resources of information? You have allowed yourself to be, one of those you chastise! You made a good decision to relinquish your account, but why come back only to talk down about fellow members? Speaking of a bunch of school girls, you sir, do not make this site better, but have lowered your standards of conduct to the same level you despise, prooving your no better than the rest of us.
I hope you consider long and hard next year weather or not to be on this site, and if you are, maybe you could cease name calling, and the be-littling of fellow members that enjoy being here and sharing knowledge and info.

[dwayne]

Dwayne, you ave made your point well, calling other members CLOWNS? The clowns you speak of probably share more knowledge and information with other members than most. They keep their chat confined by the most part to one area of the forum, and yet you take a jab at these wonderful resources of information? You have allowed yourself to be, one of those you chastise! You made a good decision to relinquish your account, but why come back only to talk down about fellow members? Speaking of a bunch of school girls, you sir, do not make this site better, but have lowered your standards of conduct to the same level you despise, prooving your no better than the rest of us.
I hope you consider long and hard next year weather or not to be on this site, and if you are, maybe you could cease name calling, and the be-littling of fellow members that enjoy being here and sharing knowledge and info.

My reference to clowns was directed to a small group of members, many of which have been ejected from the site within the past few months.  They were trouble makers and everyone who has been here for a while knew it.  Most of them were from NY and the rest of us NY posters got to know their MO pretty well.

I noticed you only joined this site in December therefore I don't really expect you to understand the frustration of my post. 

Like I said, that is my opinion and take it for what it is worth.

[mcboats81]

There is simply no way that the momentum to block the Grannis nomination (yep I said it)...would have recieved anywhere near the visibility and support needed if not for this website and forum.  Then where would we be...look at every other state and country/province that has buried their collective heads in the sand and let the anti's win the vote in some very disturbing legislation...The old days of the anti's being disorganized have long passed us by.  We have a very unique opportunity in this fight and in order to make it work and send notice WE have to stay united and stop the bickering and finger pointing.   So in my humble opinion if this is the best place to get information out that has a dramatic impact on everyone of us that enjoys the outdoors, no matter the activity, than so be it.  If you don't like it don't read, but if you don't read and don't get involved than you can't very well complain when your rights go away.  Just so you don't think I just joined, I had joined previously but had to change my name because of a deployment to Afghanistan.

[kayak2fish]

When they banned trapping
I remained silent;
I was not a trapper.

When they banned hunting,
I remained silent;
I was not a hunter.

When they repealed the Second Amendment,
I did not speak out;
I was not a target shooter.

When they banned fishing licenses,
there was no one left to speak out.

[irishjigger]

I also agree, I get enough of the politics thing in my everyday life.  I visit this site to get away from the stress of my work place.  Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives.....  I could care less, it's icefisherman that I want to hear from about icefishing.

Im with ziggy , he sounds like my kinda guy !!! 

[esox slayer]

I am with rgfixit on this one.  The New York general board and this whole site in general has gone downhill drastically in the past year or so.  A few years ago it was an informative site with 90+ percent of the material fishing based.  Now the top 4 out of 5 posts on the NY site are polititical arguements, you have guys using the website as their personal chat rooms (mirc), many of the clowns with the "   number" below their avatar stir up the pot like a bunch of school girls, good people have left, etc...etc...

The only reason I don't delete my account is because I keep hoping it will get better.

This was created by Scott to be a fishing site...leave it as one or just leave.  That is my opinion for what ever little bit it is worth.

I have a number under my name.....

[RLWagner]

I have a number under my name.....

It's OK, only Dwayne discriminates against numbers under names. The rest of us accept you as you are!
 

[flockshot]

personal chat room? lol. thats the essence of a forum anyways..and if it was sooo stupid..then why does it have its own area? given to it by the founder of this site. many of the members you call trouble makers were pushed to edge by the people who had nothing better to do then start fights (not saying you are one of them. im mainly referencing newbies). it had nothing to do with them wanting to start crap, esox is great example..he has this "number" to wich you feel is evil, yet hes cooprative and informative. its the people that pushed them...not the site or their vendettas. back to topic (drifted from so far) politics of this magnitude i feel are incredibly important. Being from a state that has just lost a precident setting vote that pitted antis vs. hunters (the dove hunt. prop.3) i have been watching and following the events of your DEC issue with grannis. what better way to stay informed then to watch, discuss, and share with fellow members so these things dont become tragedies later regreted....


i really wish more would have been talked about during the dove ban here in mich....maybe things could have changed or at the very least other state members could start watching there backsides.


(ps..isnt the essence of outdoors sharing, and bs'ing about everything and anything including politics that effect that love? )

[doctariAFC]

Look, I think we ALL AGREE that, as the title of this thread so poignantly states...

POLITICS SUCK BUTTERMILK!!

We get tons of it, every day.  We turn on the radio, its Dems say this, GOP says that.  We turn on the TV and its Dems did this, GOPs done that!  Left side, right side, taxes, war, money, education, budgets, religion, National, local, EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.  

I am with all of you.  I wish I could be more consumed by when will my favorite trout stream returning to fishable conditions, and will the steelhead cooperate?  I would like to get everything organized on my end so I can participate in our upcoming youth fishing clinics in June.  

The noise is defeaning, continuous and demoralizing.  And it often drowns out the real noise that could really free up my time by making my preferred obsession on gettin' out for trout suddenly a fond memory and point of depression, rather than my lifestyle and my love.

So I guess, because I am a sportsman, I believe I need to listen for that one noise, and make sure everyone else who shares my belief will hear it as well....  At least then those who are compelled to act, can do so before we miss the chance to act.  And we can all keep on obsession on when the new ice will form next season.

[doctariAFC]

personal chat room? lol. thats the essence of a forum anyways..and if it was sooo stupid..then why does it have its own area? given to it by the founder of this site. many of the members you call trouble makers were pushed to edge by the people who had nothing better to do then start fights (not saying you are one of them. im mainly referencing newbies). it had nothing to do with them wanting to start crap, esox is great example..he has this "number" to wich you feel is evil, yet hes cooprative and informative. its the people that pushed them...not the site or their vendettas. back to topic (drifted from so far) politics of this magnitude i feel are incredibly important. Being from a state that has just lost a precident setting vote that pitted antis vs. hunters (the dove hunt. prop.3) i have been watching and following the events of your DEC issue with grannis. what better way to stay informed then to watch, discuss, and share with fellow members so these things dont become tragedies later regreted....


i really wish more would have been talked about during the dove ban here in mich....maybe things could have changed or at the very least other state members could start watching there backsides.


(ps..isnt the essence of outdoors sharing, and bs'ing about everything and anything including politics that effect that love? )

You're talking of Michiganders losing the right to hunt Doves, through the efforts of the anti's and their victory to get it on the ballot, and their ranks caring more about it than the Michigan sportsmen and women did?   

I am well aware of it, as I am the banning of trapping in Colorado and the ceasing of cougar hunting in California.  And many more concerns across the 50 states.  I do not want to see this happen in NYS.  I hope Michiganders fight along with the farmers and get that dove season back!  Great time for kids to be introduced to the sports....

[flockshot]

You're talking of Michiganders losing the right to hunt Doves, through the efforts of the anti's and their victory to get it on the ballot, and their ranks caring more about it than the Michigan sportsmen and women did?   

I am well aware of it, as I am the banning of trapping in Colorado and the ceasing of cougar hunting in California.  And many more concerns across the 50 states.  I do not want to see this happen in NYS.  I hope Michiganders fight along with the farmers and get that dove season back!  Great time for kids to be introduced to the sports....

im afraid the last vote proved that which i had hoped wasnt true...sportsmen dont care as much as the anti's do. thats why i think talking about these things with other sportsmen is very very very important..i appluad your efforts to discuss and force feed the issue to the fellow members here doctariAFC.

when i heard hunters saying they would vote no on prop.3 at a ducks unlimited banquet last fall, i knew we would lose...the reason "i dont hunt doves,,nor do i care too. so why make a season!" lol. i kid you not...keep up the fight guys....if they can win by the margin they did here...they can do it anywhere.