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.
That's rather horrifying.
As a Christian, Pro-life conservative, I find it horrifying, too... America is a place that allows ME to worship as I choose, not a place for me to force others to worship as I do...
Wish more people could see that.
Interesting choice of words...
Barbara Olsen's book on HRC was called "Hell to Pay".
Uh-oh.
That has never been disproven in court. And it is logical to follow what the next of kin says. All of us, today, are subject to our spouses' pronounciations should we end up incapacitated at this very hour. Don't we accept that as FACT?
Whether or not this was "by the book", the result is clearly not justice. I am just taken aback that unmentioned Consitutional penumbrae guarantee a "right" to abortion and sodomy and other demented behaviors, but a mere statute seems to override explicitly enumerated and inalienable rights.
I just don't have the experience in these kind of messes to put my finger on what exactly is the problem, but I do know that it stinks to high heaven, and whatever the law may say, this woman is being slowly murdered in a horrific way that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and it doesn't at all appear that she wants to die.
So if your wife decides to murder you, I should butt out of that?
Certainly the last thing I'd want is for someone like Randall Terry making rules for how I worship, and how I should live, and claim that he's speaking for God. How arrogant.
< Jar Jar>How wude!!< /Jar Jar>
Seriously, I wonder how much damage this individual is doing to the image of Conservatives with this kind of crap.
"I'm also a former liberal, now turned freedom lover."
You know what they say: once a rat, always a rat.
Sorry, I know that last comment wasn't very helpful, I apologize.
It's just damn frustrating to see the tools of law twisted so badly that they can starve a helpless woman to death and it's all legal.
I'll fight to preserve your choices, help me fight to preserve peoples' lives.
What can we do to prevent the absence of a living will from being used as a license to kill?
Thanks for bumping the thread.
Again, that's what it comes down to - the Courts, all the way up the chain, disagree with you on this point.
And you've already stated that her wishes are immaterial - what matters is that you don't want her to die.
Wow. Let's all go to people's profile pages and use info there for personal attacks.
You are morally, and intellectually, bankrupt.
Have a nice day.
Over here, at 668. On a side note, I drew some inspiration for the idea from from our esteemed liberal relative. (I can just imagine him lurking through these threads, popcorn in hand, watching with wry amusement as FR self destructs) ;-)
You forgot to add: "and not very interesting".
You know what they say: once a rat, always a rat.
I'm also a former liberal. And I'll don't even like cheese. Are only genetically pure conservatives welcome here? I thought being a convert was okay.
There are quite a few converts here. It just shows that a lot of us grew up, and apparently, some didn't.
Thanks for bumping the thread.
Fair enough.
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