Posted on 03/29/2005 8:58:34 AM PST by Long Cut
We, the Witness Protection Program For Freepers, aka the Wild Turkeys, aka the Coalition of the Sane, have through mutual discussion and rigourous thought, determined that:
1. The discussion threads regarding Terri Schiavo (hereafter referred to as "TS") have become too full of innuendo, rumormongering, hyperbole, hysteria, namecalling, paranoia, and general poor behavior to warrant participation.
2. Said threads have degenerated into "echo chambers", wherein the same, common thoughts are continually posted again and again, and the same old disreputable, unconfirmed and/or false urban myths are propagated.
3. Anyone who joins in said theads with alternative viewpoints to the most extreme posts are routinely driven away with slander, accusations, and vile namecalling.
4. No data or evidence contrary to the "prevailing opinions" are accepted, considered, or discussed; and in fact are rejected outright in most instances.
5. That the continued calls for armed insurrection, military or paramilitary involvement, impeachements of politicians and judges, and death threats are embarassing, stupid, shortsighted, doomed to failure, and contrary to most if not all conservative thought prior to this case, as well as damaging in the extreme to FR and the conservative movement as a whole.
6. That such emotional, hyperbolic, and propaganda-driven hysteria is in fact contrary to all conservatives USED to stand for.
7. That the holding up of swastika and other Nazi imagery towards the police and the Bushes, the use of children as political props, and the disruption of the peace at the Woodside Hospice can only reflect badly on conservatives in general, and should be discouraged.
8. That the pursuit of this issue to the exclusion of all others by the GOP has damaged, perhaps beyond repair, the pursuit of other important issues as well as the reputation of the GOP, FR, and conservatism.
The WPPFF is NOT of one mind as to the case of TS or its correct outcome. In fact, wide disagreement exists within our little group. However, we are united in our wish that reason and sanity be respected in the discussion, as well as the rights of all parties involved or participating. We wish to discuss this as adults and intellectuals, as conservatives and as FRiends, not as children screaming past each other on some playground of hysteria. We wish for facts and evidence to be provided, discussed reasonably, and considered fairly.
We reject all accusations of Naziism, "death cultism", or other slander as methods of debate. We reject the practice of "spamming" multiple threads, of posting unending vanities, and the posting of propaganda and calls for violence. We reject, in fact, all unseemly and childish behavior which has come to characterize this case on FR.
We DO invite others to come and reasonably discuss the issue. We have no problem with FReepers who wish to debate in a rational and fair manner, and with due respect for their fellow FReepers. We have NO problem with those whose views are formed by religion; however we reject "preaching" or "being beaten with a Bible" as legitemite debate tactics. Not all of us are Believers, and such tactics only cheapen the source.
If a FReeper finds this an acceptable meansd to discuss this and other issues, they are welcome to join in and participate. Those who find pleasure in attacks, flame-baiting, slander, stalking, and personal atacks will be ignored, and their egos will go unfed.
We assume this thread to be a zone of sanity in an overheated atmosphere. Thus, a general amnesty is in effect. If posters conduct themselves within the guidlines above, we will be happy to discuss and debate with you. If a poster wishes to apologize for past slips of the tongue, or for possible "over-the-top" statements to another, it will be graciously accepted, and your company welcome.
Please bring a sense of humor; we feel that too many have been taking themselves too seriously lately.
Let the discussion begin!
Signed,
The WPPFF, aka The Wild Turkeys, aka the Coalition of the Sane.
Absolutely.
Hmmmm. I'm sure it often has a lot to do with evil doing.
So, having soccer leagues for children where no score is kept..where there are no winners or losers is the right thing to do?
Whose "agenda" are you speaking of, Howlin?
You got that straight. There are some subjects that one can be appropriately lighthearted and even darkly humorous about. The Schiavo situation is NOT one of those. I am straining to remember the last time there was a topic that obsessed America this much that late-night comedians wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Perhaps it's because it's so universal -- we all have to face our own demise sooner or later, we most likely will be incapacitated for a period before that occurs, and, if we aren't terribly unfortunate while we are able-bodied, we have many loved ones that will weep many tears when that time arrives.
Presuming, beyond the sea, that you have actually read what cyncooper and Howlin responded to, can you tell me what you believe is "misguided" about it? I hope you can pick up the slack for randjuke, the original addressee of that post, who responded to my challenge with a variation of the well-worn dodge, "Well, if I have to explain what I mean to you, you aren't open-minded enough to understand my answer, so I just won't answer!"
zogby should be deported !!! And his polls are $h!T !!!
Zogby sure is a dimwitt
I POOP ON THIS POLL... :D
Any Republican who hires him should lose for sheer stupidity.
Zogbys polls are crap
I care not about any Zogby poll.
Zogby is wrong,... again.
Why doesn't Zogby get a life? His political bias aways makes his polls inaccurate
If you're looking for a dispute, look elsewhere.
By the way, as I quoted Billthedrill in post # 4973:
******
We would all be better off if we would ask the other party what he or she thinks instead of telling them. It's almost always a mischaracterization, and it brings more heat than light.
Even though you posed your incorrect supposition as a question, you would have avoided being wrong if you just simply had done what was suggested by Billthedrill above.
Too many people here are just looking for a disagreement. That's not cool or beneficial to the site.
huh?
As much as "All" is constantly maligned, I find it problematic that he or she never replies.
I am trying to say that I see no games being played here. And as you say, this is much too serious a matter to be "playing games". As I tried to suggest to some of these more angry posters, I was not around for what many of them are calling name calling about Hitler, Nazi's, whatever. Calling posters names like that because, after assimilating all they could on the story, they may have felt that Michael should have the right to do what he did, calling names and that sort of stuff I did not see. But that seems to be what everyone is angry about. Well, I guess they should be. Just because some posters felt that "it was Terri's time" and that Michael had the right to end her life, didn't make those posters evil. I certainly never felt that or said that.
Personally I just looked at this whole Terri story in one way and one way only........... I felt the husband was a bad guy... for a very long time he was a bad guy, and I wanted Terri to have a chance, a chance that she progressively got less of over the years of neglect and lack of stimulation.
I just looked at it as a thing between family members, no religion in this story for me (I am not into organized religion although I see it's benefits to some), so I feel far from where I believe all the torment was caused. The religious folks may be the most upset, I don't know.
I told you I might explain this poorly. It's hard to write about all this in the middle of the day when I should be working.
Suffice it to say that I think we should all settle down, and as those damn Democrats say, move on. No damage has been done to FR if everyone just drops the personal angers. The story, imo, was about a girl, Terri, and some forces that got together and subsequently ended her life. Everyone can attribute any characteristics they want to those forces who ended her life. I have my own. Michael I believe is dirty, and Felos and Greer are complicit, imo. But that's just my opinion.
But hey, that's over. As I said I don't know much about all the Nazi name calling or whatever that took place. But FR will be as great as ever, imo, if we all just quit looking backwards. I'm sorry, my back hurts the longer I sit here, and I hurry my words. I hope this helped a little to answer your question(s).
You know that crazy liberal softie idea........... "don't keep score because it will hurt their self esteem."
;-)
You are very welcome...The reason I posted this, about the lurkers, is because of an experience I had on FR several months ago, perhaps even a year ago...
The subject of the thread was about potty training the kiddies...now, to me anyway, with such a subject, one would have thought it would have just people giving their experiences, their thoughts, whatever on the subject...hardly seemed a subject where one could get bashed or flamed...boy, was I mistaken on that score...
When I posted my thoughts, and my experiences on this matter, boy did I get flamed...I was called names, and my fitness as a mom was even questioned...after I tried to explain myself, as best as I could, I still saw that I was getting nowhere...after being called a really, really nasty name, I just stated, that, being a lady, I was not going to get into this mudfest any longer, and left the thread...enough was really enough for me...
I was really quite disturbed, to find folks so very vicious on this particular subject...I figured it was just best to leave and forget it...but I received a ton of private Freepmail, from 'lurkers'...these lurkers obviously were signed up to FR(hence they were able to send me private Freepmail), but rarely, if ever posted...
The lurkers private FReepmail to me was encouraging...they said, that what I had stated, was also the way in which they had potty trained their own children, and found it to be the best way, and they were also rather shocked at how badly I was treated on that thread, and at the names I was called...I wished that they had been more supportive of me on the thread itself, but, perhaps, they just did not want to get into the fray...but in private Freepmail, they felt more confident, and it was encouraging to me, to realize, that what I had said, struck a chord with so many...
When I went back to see if any of these who had sent me private Freepmails, had ever posted on a thread on FR, I was amazed to find out that they had not posted...they were lurkers, here on FR to read and to learn..
So, I have always tried to remember that when I post anything...the lurkers are indeed out there...
And your articles on military matters, have been informative, and very helpful, and interesting...so even if a particular thread you might begin, dealing with military matters, does not draw a lot of posts, just remember there are those out there who are lurking, who are reading, who are learning, and who are grateful for your informative articles...they may not say a word to you, either on the thread, or in a private Freepmail, but they are there...
OH i see, well that is not at all what I was talking about! Wonder why he/she didn't feel it necessary to ask before pontificating?
I visited this thread on-the-run...in between appointments this morning and saw the exchange between yourselves and obviously the smiley face didn't register.
The stupid liberal ideas of not grading tests...playing games without keeping score...in order to not tamper with a little one's sense of self sprang into my obviously coffee-starved mind. ;^)
It reminded me of a Rush commercial, so I got a good laugh :)
Btw, I played a ton of sports all my life, and if they ever stopped keeping score I wouldn't have played. And I would not have learned the lessons from losing, about working harder, and the positive consequences of practice and discipline. It's good for the character to get your *ss kicked every once in a while, and all kids should from time to time, imo.
One time I could have used that 'no-scoring thing' was when my Steelers lost to those great Patriots this past pro football season in the AFC Championship game. ;-)
It was understandable. I'm sure we've both gotten flamed worse these past two weeks.
Yes, it's been a barbecue of which G.W. would be proud.
Hey, who wants to be #5000 on here???
Along those lines, I ran across this a few days ago written whimsically by another FReeper:
"Post as if you are talking to the thousands that will read you, not one numbskull." :-)
Pretty funny .......... and true.
;-)
Wow, that's pretty concise.
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