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.
My husband took me to Death Valley Saturday, I could not believe all the flowers there. Nothing but yellow all over. Poor man had to keep stopping so I could take pictures of the different flowers. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Hallelujah! I was going to bid FR goodbye after all the Terri insanity on here. Glad to know there are some still intact with reason and logic. Keep me on the ping list!
"Add me to the WPPFF."
Another Whiny Progressive in a Perpetual Fugue of Foolishness? Welcome aboard sir!
Nannyism isn't what's wanted. Preventing people from putting down the helpless is what is wanted. Please contribute what you can to coming up with a better solution.
I've seen a few bloggers report it, plus Boortz. But I've not seen an exact quote in print.
"Nannyism isn't what's wanted. Preventing people from putting down the helpless is what is wanted. Please contribute what you can to coming up with a better solution."
I like living wills just fine. That's why both my wife and I have them. You said you thought they should be abolished. I disagree.
For you to tell me that my living will should not be honored is nannyism at its worst. Go deal with your own stuff. Leave my decisions to me, OK?
Thanks for bumping the thread.
KAC - If you want to be a more effective advocate, you should be arguing how it is bad legislation, why it shouldn't be a piece of legislation, and how it can be abused, rather than taking a stance that it is illegal to do something that it is legal to do.
These two arguments are the bottom line of this issue. Do you have to support law you find to be immoral?
I know people that do not support the use of their tax dollars and the reputation of the United States for the death of innocents. But your money and good name are being spent right now on just such an endeavor.
In Iraq.
Is the intent to kill innocent people? Not at all. It's a side effect of an otherwise important and necessary cause. But it does happen, because it's a human endeavor, and those are never perfect.
We expect liberals and moderates who oppose a war who they find immoral and wrong to do so in a legal manner. Tens of millions of Americans are appalled that their tax dollars are being spent on bullets that end innocent life. But we tell them 'You had your chance, and your candidate lost'. Now we expect to be able to pull out the 'moral high card' and break the law ourselves? How is that fair?
We have elections, legislators make law, and the courts enforce it. It's not a perfect system, and people do suffer injustice until bad laws are fixed. But they will be fixed. We must keep in mind, though, that it does us no good to change the laws if we become a lawless people.
I note that I have post 666 in this thread. Surely that has some significance, right? I mean, really....
Randall Terry, on America:
"Let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good.... If a Christian voted for Clinton, he sinned against God. It's that simple.... Our goal is a Christian Nation... we have a biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want Pluralism. We want theocracy. Theocracy means God rules. I've got a hot flash. God rules." The News Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Aug 15, 1993
Got a better idea?
The ugly face of a movement. Thanks for the quote, Chad.
Thanks for feeding my ego.
And now we have Randall Terry and the good Rev. Jesse Jackson on the same side in this Terri affair. Strange bedfellows, indeed. I would enjoy sitting in on a meeting between those two...
Ping to 668. I quoted you, then accidentally posted it before adding your name.
"I promise you that if she dies, there's going to be hell to pay with pro-life, pro-family Republicans... who have used pro-life, pro-family conservative rhetoric to get into power, and then when they get into power, refuse to use it," Terry said.
"Got a better idea?"
You bet. My idea is that you keep your nose out of my affairs...completely. Same goes for the government. The moment you come in saying that Living Wills should be abolished, you take my choices from me. I don't tolerate that, you see.
I don't have to have a better idea. I have a Living Will, executed under the laws of the State of Minnesota, and in a form that will be legal there.
My idea is that you butt out of my decisions. How's that?
Like I said...
he's crackerpuppies.
The American way is to work to fix broken laws, protest some to draw attention, but try avoid chaos.
Sometimes we don't realize how bad some laws are until they are put to use in ways we think are immoral if legal. When that happens, it's back to the drawing board.
Nice thing about our system.
It'll never be perfect, but it does give us a chance to do the right thing as we see it.
Excellent! I'm saving that one too. Thanks so much, Chad.
On Saturday night Mort Kondracke cracked me up.
He said "Maureen Dowd is to the left what Randall Terry is to the right". LOL
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