Community Rules

1. Be excellent to each other

Though this may sound a little 'out there', we couldn't phrase it better than our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln (captured on VHS circa 1989).

Websters defines excellent as "unusually good" or "much better than average". Our goal of welcoming all gun owners means you're likely to find a diverse group here. Going above and beyond when interacting with others you may disagree with is not easy, but it is a condition of your membership. You don't have to be warm and cuddly, but you do have to be courteous and respectful. When things get heated, simply avoid using the word you.

How you treat others here is a direct reflection on all gun owners, and believe us, people are watching. Opting for the high road is always the best choice, and arguing on the internet is pointless. Since we don't have time to babysit, we don't care who started it; most heated discussions result in both parties receiving a reminder. Continued friction between members is best dealt with via the ignore button.

This rule is purposely vague to inclusively prohibit a wide variety of rude, malicious, catty, sarcastic, hurtful, hateful, spiteful, barbed, and ornery behavior within the Southwest Firearms community including:

• General rudeness and disrespect (as outlined above).
• Epithets, labels, and generalizations against another person or group of people, whether they are members here or not. These serve absolutely no purpose other than to divide us, directly opposite to our goal of uniting gun owners. This is especially relevant in regard to political labels (such as 'the liberal media', 'those right-wingers', and even 'left/right'). Pro-gun and anti-gun are the only labels that should be applied here, as we are a single issue community. This rule also applies to but is not limited to epithets, labels, and generalizations pertaining to race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, ethnicity, nationality, occupation (such as law enforcement), and every other one you can think of. Disagreement over what constitutes a religion, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etcetra is not a legitimate excuse.
• Using someone's affiliations as an ad hominem means of dismissing or discrediting their views regardless of whether said affiliations are mainstream. An example could be "you're a vegetarian, so what would you know about hunting?".
• Linking to external attacks, harassment, or other material, for the purpose of attacking another member.
• Comparing members to Nazis, dictators, or other infamous persons.
• Accusations about personal behavior. If you believe a person's personal behavior is questionable, on or off the site, please contact a moderator.
• Giving out personal information about another member, such as name, phone number, address, etc.
• Threats, including, but not limited to:
• Threats of legal action.
• Threats of violence or other off-site action (particularly death threats).
• Threats of physical or electronic vandalism.
• Threats or actions which deliberately expose other members to political, religious or other persecution by government, their employer or any others.
• Threats to give out personal information about another member.

These examples are not exhaustive. Insulting or disparaging another member is prohibited regardless of the manner in which it is done.

2. Religious and non-firearm political content is prohibited

We are a single-issue organization, focused solely on bringing people together in support of the 2nd Amendment. Religious and political content is inherently divisive, working against the very goals of our organization. This includes news-related content that our staff believes may cause division. This rule applies to the site in its entirety, including the Off Topic section.

It is important to note that firearm-related political content is not prohibited. However, clear attempts to fabricate this relation may be considered a rule violation.

3. Divisive, negative, offensive, nonfactual, or inappropriate content is prohibited

This is the guideline which sets the overall look, feel, and tone of our community. As a public organization with clearly defined goals, we must do everything we can to establish and maintain a positive, welcoming, family-friendly environment. Per our Terms of Service, it is the responsibility of every member to act accordingly.

This rule is all encompassing, including threads, posts, images, videos, language, innuendos, insinuations, suggestions, intimations, implications, hints, overtones, undertones, allusions, and references, or links to content which would be considered divisive, negative, offensive, or inappropriate if posted here. This also includes causing discord by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages, either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking others into an emotional response, or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion (aka Trolling).

Examples of nonfactural material include:

• Content from one of the well-known nonfactual traffickers (Natural News, Alex Jones, Before it Was News, Zero Hedge, Sorcha Faal, etc).
• Content related to conspiracy theories (chemtrails, HAARP, alien abduction, water fluoridation, etc).
• Content that violates the known laws of physics.
• Content which is deemed totally implausible.

Hiding or masking this type of content, such as attempting to avoid the language filter (d$#@!) or through vague wording, will be considered a violation of this rule.

4. Posting copyrighted material is prohibited

Copyright infringement is a very real legal threat to online forums, even causing some to shut down indefinitely. Though we see it often across the internet, we have to insist you do not re-post articles, emails, or other content found elsewhere on the net. Remember that non-firearm political content is not allowed here.

Because they cannot be linked, please do not re-post emails.

5. Commercial advertising without Supporting Vendor status is prohibited

To cover costs associated with operation and maintenance, this site relies on support from members and advertisers. Without this financial support, this site would not exist. Our Supporting Vendors are reasonable to expect their competitors are not getting the same benefits without cost. This rule extends to business-related usernames and profile information as well. Also prohibited are non-business members repeatedly using the classifieds to turn a profit (for example, buying cheap ammunition at Wal-Mart then reselling at higher prices). If you're interested in becoming a Supporting Vendor please use our Contact Us link at the bottom of the page.

6. Farewell threads, posts, etc. are prohibited

Members may cease participation in our community by simply no longer visiting our site. Threads, posts, conversations, and other submissions announcing your departure will be removed. Exceptions may be made for life events, vacations, etc.

7. Discussing staff issues in the open forum is prohibited

If you have a problem with a staff member or a reminder you have received please use the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page to. We will review these submissions as soon as possible.

8. Mass removal of content is prohibited

Removal of content causes numerous continuity issues for forum-based communities such as ours.