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.
It's a good thing he has a big freezer. This whole fiasco at FR could take months to calm down.
Las Vegas.....hunkered down in
the trenches.....til this case
blows over....& it's safe to
come out.
Boilermakers!
Okay....I'll play along.
First, definitions. Nazisism--> Engaging in, and supporting conduct, and programs enacted by Third Reich. Let us be clear on that, because THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM ASKING
1. How, is what George Greer doing, any different, except in scale than what Eichmann did? They Both after all, claimed to be following the Law....(Without Conscience or morality).
2. I thought conservatives were disdainful of Judicial Activism, which is what this turned into when Whittemore decided to pretend that Congress' Teri's Law did not exist. (The merits of Congress doing what they did is a separate matter.)
Note from the dissent.
Reading comprehension issues.
I read Prager's column and it says nothing of the sort. No one is calling you murderers. However, it is correct to say that you are justifying murder.
sure thing!!!
I remembered the pitchers - I'll get the shot glasses!
If not, I'll be over....
Snow is a 4-letter word to me.....I'm in Las Vegas.
LOL
You should have enough shot glasses for all with your cool collection of them!
No snow now, at least around the house and yard. Most of it's gone. The only snow left is whatever is piled up in the shade. :)
Well, you participate in several threads where that is true also, but I don't see ya complaining on those... Perhaps you dislike alternative viewpoints?
The name calling already on this thread is proof that this coalition of yours is anything but what you claim it to be.
By name-calling, I guess you mean in post #2 where YOU called names, and had it pulled, or were you referring to something else?
Yeah, I'm not into WT either, are the kegs Red Stripe?
; )
Ella, I had some nice talks with people last night; even people who didn't think we should ever remove a feeding tube from anyone under any circumstances.
I heard a man call on the radio the other day who was disabled and was worried that he and other disabled people would be next.
He was serious and frightened and alone. And my heart just wrenched for him.
I understand the emotions govering this, on both sides. When I first started investigating this, my husband, who knows all too well how opinionated I am, was shocked that for the first time in 25 years, I didn't have a strong opinion either way. I just didn't want to see FR become a dumping ground of conspiracy theories.
But you know, this country has such a history of valuing life. All life. Remember the little girl who fell in the well years ago? I think people lost their lives saving her. We do so much to save people in this country. More than any other country on earth.
I don't want us to develop a policy where we discard people. But I think we should have the absolute right to self determination and decide how we are going to live and how we are going to die.
And so I don't like Congress getting involved because sure as shootin', they will pass something hastily without having a full conversation with their constituents, and something will get passed that will take some right away from someone somewhere. They always muck stuff up.
I want my husband to decide this for me with the advice of doctors. Not Congress. Not anyone else.
But when I hear stories about how some people are frightened they will be next and think for a moment that a family in America is truly concerned that "they" might be coming for them next like that man on the radio, my heart bleeds.
And our leaders aren't doing a good job discussing this issue. I think they are frightened. It's a big issue.
But we all need to keep talking with each other and not AT each other and name calling, etc. I'm not pro death and most of the freepers are not pro government interference or endorsing anarchy or violence, I'm sure.
Only if it makes the Grave Dancers Union uncomfortable.
Not his column ... his show which is on now.
So every time the tube is pulled today, estimated to be in the low hundreds, it is a murder?
I think that is an absurd contention.
It's not the case, it's others calling freepers nazi's, the civility of discussion has been pretty much been absent throughout this story. If someone asks a reasonable question for verification, posts something that is not the prevailing thought, they are immediately labeled a nazi and pro-death ghoul, which is for most of us, not the case at all. I've pretty much refrained from posting my position on this because most of you would be shocked. So, I'm labeled satan's spawn because I chose to post on a thread that hasn't degenerated into a flame war.
I apologize for posting my flame.
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