For what its worth

I have been an active member of Railbirds for almost two years now, and with out a doubt it is the incredible membership that has kept me here. I have come to consider a lot of you "friends" and I don't use that word lightly.
I have formed relationships with some of you that have far out grown the boundries of Railbirds, spilling over into many other areas of interest.
Many of you, and you know who you are, have truly become important parts of mine and my wifes (AceKickerca) lives.
I consider my self lucky to have stumbled upon a site with so many great members and would recommend Railbirds to anyone looking for a place to enjoy themselves and the game of poker.

Unfortunately with 60,000+ members we are bound to have more then a few that,how can I say this nicely? are less then positive additions to Railbirds.LOL ( see I am trying)
It seems to always be the same 1-2% that are responsable for 90% of the scams, cheating, harasment and abuse that we see from time to time here and at the poker tables.
Alot of you know that I am not exactly shy when it comes to speaking up and holding people responsable when their behaviour warrents it.
But a couple of issues that have come to my attention in the last week or two have motivated me to try something a little more proactive and a little less reactive.
1. Reading some very disapointing blogs detailing the completely unacceptable and horrible experiences some Railbirds have recently encountered here,and at the poker tables at the hands of fellow railbirds(that same 2%)
2.Having a debate on possible scenarios where violating the long standing rules of poker, and the poker sites should/could be condoned.
3.Hearing that members may have been scammed for as little as a few dollars by people they came into contact here.

So....For what its worth...

Respect
1. to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot respect a cheat.
2. to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights.
3. to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with: to respect a person's privacy.

“Men are respectable only as they respect”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“This is the final test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him”
William Lyon Phelps

“Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power.”
Clint Eastwood

"No man can ever be respected be others who isn't respectful of others"
Anonymous

"Common decency and common courtesy are the lubrication that lets any community run smoothly, without it everything breaks down"
Anonymous
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Integrity
–noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”
Chinua Achebe

“Integrity is the essence of everything successful.”
Richard Buckminster Fuller

“Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will.”
John D. MacDonald

"Integrity has nothing to do with what it looks like you have done, or with the things you may have done wrong, Integrity is doing the hard thing because its right, and the right thing even though it is hard"
Ken Gentry
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Honor
–noun
1. honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor.
2. a source of credit or distinction: to be an honor to one's family.
3. high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank: to be held in honor.

“Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honor, I lose myself.”
William Shakespeare

“Every act of dishonesty has at least two victims: the one we think of as the victim, and the perpetrator as well. Each little dishonesty makes another little rotten spot somewhere in the perpetrator's psyche.”
Lesley Conger

"Honor is not a sometimes thing,it is not an item of convience,either you have it, or you do not"
Anonymous
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I doubt any of this will actually make anyone choose to be respectful to others instead of giving into pathetic bursts of abuse and harassment, or deside that NO CHEATING means that if you have to ask or try and justify an action you simply shouldn't do it,EVER. Or keep some one from taking advantage of peoples trust for a few dollars personal gain.But at the very least I will know that I tried something positive towards those ends.


And to anyone who actually read all the way to this point, THANK YOU (I owe you 4 minutes of your life,LOL)
Ironman/Ken