It does seem to get pretty nasty, often.
I majored in PoliSci and teach history, gov't and econ. Sometimes forget that people aren't discussing these subjects as openly or frequently as I do.
The list of taboo subjects also includes sex, money and your job, right?

Tangentially(sp?), I saw on AVS forum that posting links to discount retailers, or even saying how much you paid for a piece of equipment, is against the rules. That's ridiculous!
Once again I applaud the generally tolerant oversight of this forum. To censor the free exchange of info and ideas is far more repugnant, IMO, than the ugliest exchange I've ever witnessed.