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.
Forum rules: "Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts."
I don't think asking people to abide by the forum rules and basic standards of civil discourse is asking too much.
Thank goodness calling other people Nazis, murderers, the anti-Christ or Satan isn't an ad hominem attack!
If the Schindlers had gone along with Michael on removing the feeding tube, it wouldn't have received national attention, so no one else would know about it. This highly emotional subect would not have become fodder for public consumption.
A way to review cases in dispute that deal with life and death to make sure the cards weren't stacked would be nice. That I suspect needs to be done at the state level. Again, it has to be done by having legislation first.
And yes, I believe that it would be nice to find ways to be sure we have good judges. Complicated problem, I haven't figured out a good method for state judges that are elected.
sheesh ... ya can't open a door anymore without findin a sensitive one ;-))
If this helps ... if I had been an 'injun' back in the day ... I'd have been heep big cowboy killer.
Checking in from the People's Democratic State of Maryland (State motto: If you can dream it, we can tax it)
sorry, but I own the patent, having purchased it from ACME years ago . . .
I could go round and round with the rest of the folks here who are all basically saying the same thing to me, but it is clear that it would be a waste of time.
If anyone is actually interested in a reasonable, logical, civil, evidence-based discussion of the parallels between this case and the T-4 euthanasia program, ping me.
Some of these folks remind me of a Marine I had to bail out of the local lockup in 1990.
He said, "Sarge, I wasn't trying to start a fight when I called that guy a faggot."
The Federal Judges in this case were appointed. And engaged in a naked act of Judicial Activism by ignoring Congress explicit
intent.
The 2 memeber majority goes througha great deal of word games to get around Judge Wilsons dissent.
Eggs Ackley!
That's an interpretation of "personal attack" that has never ever been made in this forum. Never.
Back last week, it was hard to find a thread with a Terri factor greater than 10...
Welcome, and my sympathies for your state.
Dude, there you go again, stirring the pudding. Good luck, my FReind. Good luck.
Check my tag line! lol
Check's in the mail. ; )
Can you point out where, specifically, this "censorship of opinions" is called for?
See #118. This is all any of us are asking for.
You're baiting. Very, very funny, but baiting. Shamey, shamey.
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