. . . I think it's safe to say that if their is a thorn in anyone's side, it is Ethan who is the thorn in yours and the rest of GC's.

Dude, every anti in existence is a thorn in our side. Just like we are in theirs :-)

What I see here is that Ethan is a genuinely nice guy and is just offering an alternate perspective, for which he is constantly harassed, insulted and attacked by the pro-contacters.

Being the masters of rationalization, of course you see his subtle insults as being "nice." And as masters of insulting our intelligence as much as our personhood, of course you would actually claim the ridiculous notion that the anti-choice view is an "alternative" view for anyone who has heard it hundreds of thousands of times everywhere they look over the past 30 years, or every year of their life, whichever happens to be longer. Making a fool out of yourself by saying such disingenuous statements and pretending to actually believe them does you or him no favors. It simply reveals your credibility for what it is.

And if we weren't thorns in Ethan's side, since he has the mainstream view he would simply ignore us. We don't have that option, because his views are ubiquitous throughout society. But he can't ignore us. Just knowing there is some community where the mainstream view doesn't hold full sway irks him to the core of his being.

I don't claim to be a saint,

Considering all the other nutty things you have said in this very post, not to mention through the years, I'm glad you at least haven't convinced yourself of that yet!

so I can understand the flak I get and I can deal with it, but Ethan doesn't deserve most of crap he gets here. To my knowledge, he has never been anything but gracious.

Translation: He keeps his insults and digs within the veneer of professional civility. Accordingly, he is allowed to post here. But expecting him not to get challenged and refuted when he makes such an effort to do the same with our view is like expecting a chicken hawk to be warmly embraced when it approaches a group of chickens and constantly pecks at them. Important rule in this world, Markie: Nobody is so "nice" that they earn the right to peck others and not get pecked back. I think we're very tolerant of Ethan. And far nicer than him considering our graciousness extended to you over the years.

In case you don't know, it is largely because of Dante being a prick to Ethan that I finally made the switch to VirPed, and I am happy there.

And it's largely because of you being so hostile and prickish to us all the time through the years that we cast you out... wait, we didn't! We welcome you back every time. Real dicks we are here!

And of course you're happy at VirPed. You do not get seriously challenged there. They sing your tune and only your tune in their choir. You don't have to deal with any of us pro-choice pricks over there. Yet, as happy as you are there, you still like consorting with us rotten pro-choicers here who have the temerity to challenge the anti-choicers whom we allow to post here no matter their views. Obviously, you consider us family for how we have accepted you over the years even when you have repeatedly turned on us... the same license family would typically grant you. Let's see if the VirpEds would ever do that if you suddenly announced you went back to being pro-choice. You know, as you periodically do when the right mental state hits you.

It's where I belong, and it's where I would've been had it existed when I first started looking for a place to belong.

After you turned against the pro-choice side after years of being on that stance because of your own self-doubts, shame, and insecurities, of course. No way you could belong some place where people have accepted you repeatedly despite all of your "warts," huh? I guess you only belong someplace where everyone present accepts you because you have the same basic ideology that they do, and the only one they allow to be expressed there.

I settled for GC and compromised my own values to fit in here,

Maybe we compromised ours by being suckers for constantly accepting you back no matter how often you insulted us or turned on us, and then declared yourself the victim for being challenged, huh? Or maybe we aren't the bad people you think we are, which is why you continue to compromise your values by associating with us. Assuming you have any values besides what makes Markie feel best whatever state of mind he happens to be in at any given time.

And maybe - just maybe - some of us are pricks to you because you're pricks to us first, huh? Or maybe you will again declare that you're tired of fighting over these issues, proclaim a moratorium on doing so anymore, and then starting up again as soon as the mood strikes you. Do you go to VirPed when you need to vent on your own community? No, you come here, and then alternately buddy up to us, and then claim you compromise whatever you consider your values to be this week by associating with us. And you still get accepted and forgiven. Maybe that is the real reason you show us no respect, Markie... it's hard for people to respect anyone they consider a sucker. And it's hard even for de facto family to always be kind to the family member who acts out against them constantly.

but I was never really happy. Now I am. So no, I am not coming back to the pro-contacter side, and even if I did none of you would ever treat me as an equal, so what's the point?

Maybe - just maybe - we would treat you as an equal if you stopped attacking and venting on us whenever you were in a certain state of mind, and simply asked for support. I know going over to that side and claiming to be happy is your way of sticking it to us for past family squabble equivalents, but it's clear you still always want that acceptance here, because here you are despite claiming you were never happy here but have now find a place you're truly happy, and doing the equivalent of, "the only reason I left this house and moved in with them is because they treat me better! I'm never coming back here! You wouldn't treat me well after everything I did if I came back anyway, so what would be the point?" spiel.

And you know why you say you'll never come back to this house and are happy in the 'other' house while sitting within the very walls of this house yet again? Because like it or not, we've been here for you during some of your worst times, and we didn't limit that support to the times you were supporting pro-choice views, or when you were attacking us the most viciously. It's hard not to care about, and totally walk out on, people that you know care about you, even when sometimes you make them not want to.