I think we all would do well to occasionally remind ourselves that people's opinions only have as much weight as we decide to give them.

I really feel bad when I read comments from people that they don't spend too much time on the forum any longer because of the "high number of posts" that make them feel that they don't have the right to wear the kilt, or at least not to wear it in the way they choose.

I feel bad because I do spend a lot of time on this forum, and I try to keep up with most of the threads, at least those that interest me, and I have to confess that I often scratch my head at the above sort of comments, wondering what horrific posts I must be missing -- because I don't recall reading anything like that!

Maybe I am not reading things as sensitively as some. Or maybe all that is going on in the threads that I tend not to read (which I doubt because most of the threads I skip tend to be in the contemporary/modern kilt sections).

But I think what is likely happening is that posts that I might be reading as one man sharing his opinion, or maybe even just expressing what he feels to be the common opinion of others (which he may not even share himself), is being read by others as the "Kilt Police" laying down the law.

So at the same time as we are all reminding ourselves of the need to be polite & respectful in expressing our opinion, I think we should also remind ourselves to be kind and charitable (and perhaps a wee bit forgiving) when we read the opinions of others. If something upsets us, perhaps we need to read it again and ask ourselves whether it is possible that we are reading too much into the post. Are we looking at what has been written assuming the writer has the worst intentions or the best intentions at heart?

For myself, I prefer to always assume people have the best of intentions until they prove to me otherwise! It helps keep a smile on my face and my blood pressure at an even keel. :-)