What dont you like about this hobby

[Saltwater Cowboy]

I was reading this thread with interest partly because of the "politics" portion of it. Politics is an interest of mine because I love American history and my father was in state government and majored in political science so I guess it rubbed off a bit. Then I was trying to see how politics can interact with the model railroading community. I consider myself slightly left of center. I'm either a conservative democrat or a liberal republican I guess! I have strong views of U.S. politics in general and if people want to ask me about my opinions or congenially challenge me I'm all for having a discussion, but do it away from forums dedicated to other things! Like this one! On another site I frequent, there are folks who boldly proclaim their political views in such a way as to demean other peoples points of view. Either through their avatars, their signatures, politician's quotes on their endings or just plain through the comments made when posting. I suppose that's the main thing I don't like about the hobby. Some folks on that other site will even PM you with their extremism propaganda. (I suppose that's the word!) I know there are folks on the extreme left and on the extreme right who's views are set in stone and there is no way anyone is going to change their mind. And who knows! Maybe they'll turn out to be right! Maybe the person who chains themselves to a tree to prevent it from being cut down is correct in their notion that cutting down that tree will result in a cataclysmic ecological disaster that will turn our planet into dust. Maybe the person shooting holes through congressman's windows is absolutely correct in thinking that a government run health care plan is the beginning of the onslaught of communism and we're all doomed! After all that's what they said when the interstate system was being developed. It did lead to the downfall of many railroads didn't it?! (ducking my head here! LOL)
So, if you want to air extremist views, please for my own sanity, keep 'em off model railroad forums!
Thanks for the rant guys, now I'm off to open a new box of hydrocal!

Matt