Sometimes it is easier just to be quiet....

Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable. Where men are not acquainted with each other’s principles, nor experienced in each other’s talents, nor at all practised in their mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business; no personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them; it is evidently impossible that they can act a public part with uniformity, perseverance, or efficacy.

‘Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents’ by Edmund Burke

I'm not some paragon of virtue, I don't hold myself to be better than anyone nor do I have some major ego where I believe I am important in the sea of voices out there. I don't champion every cause and there are times I probably should defend others or a principle that I don't.

However tonight, I came across a situation that I can't be quiet about so even though the impact of my not being quiet will probably not even be a tiny ripple in the Ohio blogosphere, I wrote the below on why I would no longer support or post on Buckeye State Blog:

I don't mind the disagreements, reading posts at times that I really can't agree wtih or think go to far in attacking someone; I rarely go into rant mode. Yet, seeing that Learn and Earn is paying to advertise here with my very strong feelings on the way they are not being open as far as disclosing what this constitutional amendment is about I can't support or contribute to a blog that is accepting money from them.

Posting at a place that is making money from this organization would go against everything I stand for. Seeing their slogan "A lot of good will come from this" knowing that personal reports of their volunteers purposely are not giving people honest information that this constitutional amendment is not a scholarship amendment, it is an amendment to allow slot machine gambling with a promised side benefit being scholarships to a limited number of children for at least 12 years isn't something I can support. Nor does Todd's promise on the barrage he did on my personal blog that more information on the gambling aspect will come later do I find reassuring after hearing from people here in Toledo who have been approached as well as others. I don't care if you support gambling, or if you think this is the way to fund college scholarships, my issue is and will be always with the way this is being marketed. Now I realize it appears that Russell knows a Todd Hoffman which I am assuming is the Todd Hoffman of Learn and Earn from at least back in February from a comment I read at Plunderbund:

Dave Says:
February 8th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Eric - Sorry I missed you. I was back in Todd Hoffman’s office talking with Todd and Russell from BSB early on and then I left right after Paul’s talk.

I don't know if this has anything to do with Russell supporting the idea of this amendment or not and I know this is his forum so those of us who are guests have no input as to our feelings on advertising. I know my impact here is minimal so my no longer participating will not be a huge deal nor is it intended as a threat, I do not over-estimate my importance. However, this for me is an important issue. We go on and on about how we want honesty, we want transparency, we want voters to have trust in candidates who will bring about change. Supporting Learn and Earn as it is named and as it is being marketed to me goes against those values. I can see nothing good coming from this.

I will miss the information that I have learned here and I wish you all the best but there comes a time when a person has to decide where they draw their individual line and this one is mine. I could have just stopped coming and not written this, that is almost what I did, that would have been easier because I realize what typically happens next. This to me is worth that possibility.

I'm not posting this here because of some ploy to get hits here, that's not why I blog but since I'm not going back there, posting it here gives those who want to comment the ability to, it would be rather hypocritical of me to write that then go back to read or discuss.