Veterans Discussion Board

This is a project of the "Veterans Group" . The purposes of this group include honoring veterans and their service and faciliting communications about veterans and military life. This page is in furtherance of those broad goals.

You can post comments, experiences, opinions, words of encouragement, and any other matter related to veterans or military life.

This is a "18+" (meant for readers 18 years of age and older only) rated forum, so your posts should adhere to that Writing.Com standard.

Topics are not limited to any particular nation or branch of service.

We do expect your posts will conform to the purposes of this page and will adhere to our standards of conduct. We have ten standards, but the quick summary is be kind, be respectful, be helpful, and don't be a jerk.

Moderators may delete posts that, in their sole judgement, violate these standards, the purposes of this page, or Writing.Com rules for "18+" ratings.

This forum is open to any member of Writing.Com. You do not have to be a veteran, active duty member, or military family member to post here.

You do not have to be a member of "Veterans Group"  to post here, although you are welcome to join.

When posting to group items, members will abide by the Group's standards of conduct.

We have ten standards, but the quck summary is be kind, be respectful, be helpful, and don't be a jerk.

1. Treat others as you wish to be treated. First of all, this means be kind, be patient, and show empathy. It means be honest as well, but also be respectful. It also means to follow Writing.Com rules and, in particular, the rules on ratings. This forum is rated "E," so your posts should conform to that Writing.Com standard.

2. The forum is a "brave place," where people are free to express thier views. It's also a "safe place" where people can be their authentic selves.

3. Assume the best in each other. Recognize the difference between intent and impact. Get clarification before assuming what another person meant or intended. Reflect before pressing enter on any forum post, review, or email. Don't respond in the heat of the moment.

4. Interact with others actively, with openness, and with empathy. Recognize that we are all here to learn and grow, including learning from each other.

5. Value diverse perspectives. In most things there is more than one valid truth. Give others space to express their views. Seek out others with different points of view.

6. Be aware of your own biases, check your blind spots, and be mindful that we all have different experiences that inform our points of view.

7. Do not personalize disagreements. Obviously, this means no name-calling, but it also means using "I" statements and avoiding "You" statements. It's certainly okay to disagree with the substance of what someone is saying, but it's not okay to make demeaning personal comments.

8. Work collaboratively and show support to others.

9. Be your authentic self and give space to others so they can do the same. Giving space means that everyone enters the forum on an equal basis, without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, or status as a veteran.

10. Strive to diffuse tense situations. Do not meet incivility with more incivility. Do not let hurt feelings linger. In any discussion, disagreements are both inevitable and healthy, but they should be resolved amicably and directly. Resolution doesn't mean winning or losing but can consist of agreeing to disagree.


Note: These were originally written by Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈 and simply edited by me. All credit and many thanks go to Max.