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.
A call for rational discussion is "flame bait"?
Me too. Well said.
Still justifying your inflamatory speech, ey?
Every time someone is forcibly starved to death because it's a cost-effective way to end a life deemed too expensive or high-maintenence by the family or the medical establishment, yes, it's absolutely murder. Pure barbarism.
This thread seems like a self-help group for people who have done that very thing to a loved one, quite honestly.
That's for sure.
I think they are frightened.
Frightened b/c they never should have touched it.
It was the third rail.
It's a big issue.
Much too big. That' why they dropped it like a hot tator.
I will remember that when I get flamewars on the email lists I run (not likely to happen, but I will remember!)
Don't have any of those, thankfully! LOL
I do have nearly 336 hours of music files on the big desktop hooked into the surround speakers. :)
Now, you are a member of the Death Squad until you repent, agree fully with them, and begin demanding that Jeb send in the National Guard.
Yeah!
Aw, come on. Just a couple? ;)
Do a google search, there's lots of links there.
Sure you did. I believe you said we should call ourselves "The Good Germans".
Saying you were'nt namecalling is mere sophistry.
Again you prove my point. For lack of any difference in their reasoning and the reasoning under which Terri Schiavo is being deliberately starved to death, all that can be done is to call me names and lodge innuendo that I am unreasonably fixated on Nazism.
But that argument falls apart when you are armed with the knowledge that I rarely if ever draw parallels to Nazism, on any issue. Here, it's a valid comparison. Just because others regularly abuse the comparison at totally inappropriate times does not mean it is invalid here.
And if there was any reasoning or logic in the kill-Terri crowd, this would be immediately apparent and we would have entered into some discussion with regards to the similarities and differences between the two.
Ella, I didn't mean to post that thread to just you or to sound preachy. LOL
There's nothing you've said about this that makes me even know your position, just that you are reasonable and a valued member of the WPPFF!
Can I bring my cats?
I'll accept your premise when you admit that what has been done to Terri for the last ten years is torture.
I guess I'm just a cowboy. When I come upon one of my compadres out on the range that has been tortured to near death by the 'injuns' and there's no hope of saving him ... I just do what needs doin.
Ummm, How about Judges that administer to those Laws, with the conscience and morality that a proper society requires....? Or is that too much to ask.?
Does anyone here seriously think that if Greer, or Whittemore had called in some Independent experts, to make a sufficiently well informed decision about the propriety of their decisions, that we would be going through this?
Of Course not. And they REFUSED TO DO IT, After Congress Legislated just such a course. Therein lies the heart of this matter.
I responded to a question about the article, which does not contain that statement. I made no mention of a show I did not listen to.
Sounds good. I once tried a bottle of 60-year old Glenlivet. I cannot remember a finer whiskey on my palate.
You can bring your cats too, there's no problem there. :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.