Talked to the Founder

Got an email back from the founder of the 501st. This is what he had to say...

1 - People are initially drawn to the 501st out of a fascination with 
the stormtrooper armor or some other costume related to the Empire or 
the 'bad guys' of the Star Wars universe. We get a lot of current or 
former members of military or law enforcement groups who click with the 
organized and professional cadence of the Legion. Some are just Star 
Wars fans who make the switch from 'casual' to 'fully committed' fan, 
something that wearing a costume requires. Most people stay in the 
Legion because of the camaraderie that is formed among the members and 
the meaningful and fun activities we have to offer in our hobby.

2 - Non-members cannot comment in the private forums for that very 
reason - they're private areas reserved only for members. This is not to 
say these areas cloak some nefarious practices going on, they're just 
concealed from the public to offer members a forum in which to discuss 
Legion affairs, both serious and lighthearted. As high-profile as the 
Legion is today, it makes sense that we would want to conduct our 
conversations in something of a discreet environment. But we do have 
public areas attached to most of our forums for non-members to 
participate in and ask questions.

3 - Yes, unfortunately, there have been members removed from the forums 
for one reason or another. Like any organized group, rules come into 
play and sometimes those rules require some form of censure. The Legion 
tries to keep its rules simple and practical, and so we try not to allow 
social politics to play a part. But no one is perfect, and so sometimes 
corrections happen.

I hope this helped you with your paper. Please let me know if I can be 
of further assistance

AL (Tk210)