yes, I too abhor having to be politically correct, having to moderate my own speech. however, the membership here has shown in the past they don't have the latter capacity. so I reluctantly agree that it's necessary to be politically correct here, to avoid cliques and lynch mobs, in order to make this place welcome to the maximum number of people, regardless of race, nationality, or religion. privately we might harbour prejudices or misconceptions about the world as we perceive it, but nobody profits from expressing those negative feelings. there are some other poser-related sites where such behaviour is allowed or encouraged, so those places are always an option for the like-minded. they make a good argument for those who have no other way to work out their feelings than from the safety of the computer keyboard.