I think this whole thing has got out of hand.
We need a solution that does not leave so many people hurt. Here are the facts as I see them:
1) Davem did something that the mods deemed against the rules.
2) Davem was banned
3) Davem now feels like he has been wronged and betrayed.
4) Many Downers have been affected and some feel hurt by this whole situation and
5) Argument will only fuel the malcontent and make things worse.
I've decided no longer to take sides in this argument as I think that both parties have got something wrong. (I'm not saying that I've got it right, by the way). The mods need to realise that they have hurt Davem and made him feel betrayed. Weather or not you think you have betrayed Davem is irrelevant. That’s how he feels. And Davem, the mods felt that you broke the rules. Again, weather or not you think you did is irrelevant. That’s how they feel.
The way this argument has gone on is shocking. It needs to stop now! The longer it continues, the more Downers will be hurt.
Davem was a highly respected member of the Downs and he slipped up. The mods have had a long and good career and have kept the Downs in order and they slipped up. The feeling of many Downers is of fear and betrayal and no amount of explaining your actions will solve this problem. Not now.
The Saucepan man* has given his reasons. The Barrow Wight has given his. Davem has also given his reasons. We could discuss who is right and who is wrong till Kingdom come and it won't solve anything.
We need a solution. We need to heal the wounds we've all helped to create with this ridiculous argument. Both parties need to admit that they've hurt each other. If we keep up the argument about 'was it right to ban davem' or 'would it be fare to bring him back' then nothing will get solved.
We need to put this whole sordid business behind us and move on. If there is any way both parties can forgive and forget then it will be most wise. If, however, you wish to say 'I'm not apologising until the other apologises', isn't that a little childish? One of you needs to make the first step and admit that the way this business has been handled has been rotten from the start. To use an old cliché, you need to 'kiss and make up'. Other wise, more people are going to get hurt and more division is going to grow.
The suggestion of a second forum is, I think, a bad idea. What will happen? There will be masses of malcontent thrown between them. If you're part of one, you must hate the other. How will it be when all the current members are gone and there are new members on both? They'll both hate each other and not know why. Is that what we want? If we don't solve this now, we never will. If we want to find out who is right and who is wrong we may as well have a dancing competition... Hmm... Maybe we should.
*By the way, this week’s episode of 'The Phantom and Alien' has nothing to do with this argument, as some people have thought. The preliminary sketches were made several weeks ago before I was aware The Saucepan man was involved in the argument.