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.
libertarian (Note the lowercase "L").
I'm still looking for the silver lining. This issue has led to the mending of the rift between myself and Peach - which, as you know, got so bad that the Man himself had to step in a couple of times.
There's nothing wrong with having enemies on all sides. It's like Chesty Puller used to say...
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time"
I think I'll tackle the redecorating projects I have planned. It's a good time to take a break and with spring arriving I can paint with the windows open, etc.
It's just good to know it's not "just me".
I've been at school mentoring most of the day and then preparing the house for rental next week to a corporate group during Masters Golf.
It is terribly disappointing to see the tone, which one night I had thought was softening and changing on FR, has not changed.
And never forget the new rules. Facts do not matter.
Good one! Gotta remember that.
Ahem. You are supposed to ping me when you mention me, dear one :-)
This has led to an interesting shift in alliances, certainly. But I have, as I mentioned privately, long felt badly about being so rude to you some time ago.
Peach, you forgot. It's not Facts. It's "facts".
The loudest and shrillest supporters of Terri Schiavo's right to live on this board have engaged in a scorched-earth campaign against those who disagreed in the slightest with their agenda, be it the embracing of dubious characters such as Bo Gritz, Randall Terry, or Jesse Jackson, the abjectly inept legal work by Gibbs (who, IMNHO, should be disbarred), or the complete abnegation of federalism and limited government when it suited these so-called "conservatives."
Furthermore, when things didn't work out (because of the dubious folks involved and their ineffective efforts), turned against those Republicans who, at the expense of critical elements of the Republican agenda such as getting the nuclear option in place, intervened at their demand, based on false and misleading information provided by the Schindlers' legal team and assorted hangers-on. Until the FBI made some arrests, posts advocating violence against Michael Schiavo, Judge Greer, and Pinellas County law enforcement were allowed to stand.
The utter rejection of basic standards of civility by those folks have permanently tainted Free Republic.
sounds like the fighting illini...whoops, been watching too much basketball.
You'll have to color me clueless on the diff.
Eeegads...it's never going to end now. Is it April in Rome yet? I'm just thinking...if they died on the same day.
The original post had "facts" in quotes in the sentence, which kinda gives it a questionable flavor, as in perhaps the facts aren't really the "facts".
Oh my. Now freepers want to boycott ALL bookstores, because that's how many will surely carry any book MS may write.
Sandy Berger plead guilty...misdomeanor of mishandling docs.
Oh, yes. I had forgotten that little tidbit. LOL
Now those Keyes threads were fun LOL!
The ones most likely to boycott bookstores probably don't read anything except WorldNutDaily.
And, it's going to be awfully hard not to mention that post the next time a Democrat lies and someone gets righteous about it. Since the "facts" don't matter and all.
Actually, it has been very instructive - in hindsight, I think that 98% of our feud originated over one issue - that country that borders India that I promised I wouldn't mention to you. As a result of our disagreement over that issue and its spillover to related ones, I think we both got the impression that the other was firmly esconced in a stereotypical 'camp' with which we bitterly disagreed. When I saw your posts on the threads leading up to this one, I was very pleasantly surprised - and your reason and attention to facts made me realize that I had been unfair in applying a stereotypical prejudgment to you in the past. That was my error.
Your hard work on this one has been very helpful to us all. Thank you.
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