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.
And, of course, the cowardly and self-serving legislators are more than happy to let the judiciary take the blame.
LOL! We've agreed to see other people. ;-)
sw
OMG! WHO, said that!!!?
What Right to lifer/CHRISTIAN, would think that.....let alone say it!!
Who would wish torture onto MS's little babies?
They are so totally innocent in all of this.
Yes.
i am hoping this will calm down, but i don't see that happening for another week.
It will errupt again after Terri's autopsy, and then again at Terri's funeral.
We could be in for another two weeks of this sort of thing we've been seeeing here.
We never thought to be battling other FReepers, including former FRiends. That in itself has been a depressing experience.
So true.
Can ya'll at least stick around till I get back from lunch? I'll start begging then if I have to.
Does everybody here use Yahoo?
We could start a Group..
sw
Darks, you always make me smile.
We are outnumbered.
I'll bet they would say the country deserves it. The POTUS fights for all of us, but he didn't "fight" for Terri (to their personal satisfaction), so he'll be the bad guy next time anything happens. Just watch.
Yep. I was basically not posting for about 2 months, then I come back right in time to be attacked and accused of all kinds of things when I dared state a contrary opinion. I'm not all that impressed with some of the people here, and I'm sure it goes both ways.
I'm afraid every thread for all eternity will be Tabitha Sorensoned.
Oh you know it. If there is one thing conservatives are good at, it's "eating their own", and too many FReepers are busy chumming the water...
cyborg wrote:
I agree. That's a good idea. Malakhi since it was your idea. How about you start circulating a freepmail and collect everyone's private email and we can all have a list. We will pledge to keep it private and not distribute it to any other site. It's just for contacts in case someone goes AWOL or gets suspended.
Cheers.
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