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.
Also, there is plain rotteness. They cannot stand to have even differing MEANS of discussion exist, let alone differing discussion. It's like simply conducting an adult, flame-free discussion is treason itself.
I'll repeat...don't feed their egos. All they are here to do is stroke themselves and get "High-Fives" from their buddies. Every time a flame-baiter or troll is responded to, it only encourages them to stay, and continue. Let them be.
This thread , despite the beliefs of the Purists, is NOT and was NEVER intended to be, some kind of "Kill Terri" thread. It was intended to provide for a decent, adult, reasoned discussion of this and other issues that tend to get lost in wild emotions and hysteria. The manifesto makes no mention of any "preferred" stance; it only discusses the means of debate.
It has been quite civil here thus far. A few lapses on the side of the WPPFF's, and a whole lot on the "other" side. We are showing far more decency and maturity than the trolls ever can. Let us continue.
What strikes me about this whole thread is how much some people on it are similar to liberals. Many liberals were for starving Terri in no small part because of the people who supported her (religious folks, right-to-lifers, etc.) It appears that some freepers have fallen into the same trap, with a knee-jerk response to the whole issue. And this "coalition of the sane" stuff is condescending nonsense.
All we ask here, no matter WHAT your opinion is, is that ya keeps it calm, cool, and collected. No wild hysterical ranting, no flames. Ignore the trolls.
Enjoy!
I guess I'm a pariah.
Ironically, I was the one to coin the phrase "Freeper Witness Protection Plan".
Oh well.....
Pour yerself a shot and relax.
You stay here, you'll be ignored.
I'll read what you write :-)
Boy, this thread sure seems to really bother a lot of people.
If we're so unimportant, why the bother?
It's happened to me twice this week already.
The other night, somebody...I think it's the germ stalking me in here...pinged JimRob and flat out suggested that I be thrown out of here.
And I've been a loyal Freeper since 8/98.
If you and others on this thread are going to criticize others for being extreme, then it's also extreme to imply that anybody who supports Terri Schiavo's right to life is somehow not sane, as per the so-called "Coalition of the Sane" label. That's appears to be the clear implication of this thread.
Yes, I've made that point many, many times here. Almost dead, identical talking points.
Many liberals were for starving Terri in no small part because of the people who supported her (religious folks, right-to-lifers, etc.)
Yes, it's displays how mentally unbalanced some of them are. If these same groups (religious folks, right-to-lifers,) started a big protest against child molestation, the pathological enmity knee-jerkers would start defending Wayne Gacie.
And this "coalition of the sane" stuff is condescending nonsense
But you have to admit, after reading that, and then reading the stuff here, it becomes all the more funnier!
One other thing -- my intention was certainly not a matter of making fun of others, although that's very telling that you should use that phrase, as it appears to be a motivating factor for some in this so-called Freeper Protection Program thread.
This thread was created to seek refuge from the kooks and extremists who were not interested in facts, in questions, in discussion, but, instead called those of us who favored the rule of law "Nazis," "murderers", "killers." If we thought Jeb and George W. were doing the right thing, we were villified.
It's nutty out there, on the main threads. If you don't like the nuttiness, you're welcome to stay.
It's like I telling Daddy on you.
Either stand up for yourself or don;t post.
Inability to tolerate alternative opinions. Or even, as Long Cut pointed out, alternative means of discussion. With some of these people, nothing less than 100% agreement is acceptable. Its the Alan Keyes senate campaign, moved onto the national stage.
I am considering leaving the Republican party for a couple of reasons.
One is that they were too easily bullied and pushed into taking precipitous actions that damaged their opportunity to get anything ELSE done. It killed the "nuclear option" solidly dead. Such a huge expenditure of both political capital AND goodwill should have two things, IMHO...a quid pro quo, and a good result for all Americans. This had neither.
The second is a bit more personal. It's like this...the Congressional Republicans were able to call an emergency session over a weekend, pass a bill through BOTH houses, resolve the conflicts, and get it to the President's desk by Sunday night. So, some things occur to one...
1. Why can't they do this EVERY TIME?!? We damned sure pay them enough to work a few weekends a month. Lord knows I do. Why isn't, say, Social Security Reform, which affects EVERY AMERICAN BTW, not handled like this?
2. Why is Terri Schiavo so damned special, anyway? Okay, she had a truly tragic and sad end, but so do hundreds of people, some FAR worse than that. Why then did SHE, and she alone, rate such action from the government? We have literally THOUSANDS of young, healthy, intelligent, and motivated men facing death or maiming each day. Where's all this concern in the halls of Congress for THEM?
The GOP showed that it is perfectly capable of moving on an issue in fast time. Unfortunately, it will only do that, it seems, on issues that do not concern it directly, that have no relevance to the vast majority of Americans, and are questionable at least, Constitutionally. Plus, it will do this and get nothing in return except lower poll numbers and people denouncing them for not doing ENOUGH.
They got played, lost some great chances, and proved how lazy they really are.
I still have great respect for the President, don't misunderstand. But the party overall needs to pull its head out.
Looks like death threats are now a family value.
The reason I support the removal of Terri's feeding tube is to honor her wish not to be kept alive as a useless burden, the way her grandmother was. Most people understand the facts, and that's what we've seen in this thread. Now and then someone will come by talking about the cost of keeping her alive or the fact that the quality of her life sucks right now, but no logical person supports those reasons for ending a life, and that's not why the judge ordered the tube to be removed.
The only reason I see for people to want to leave the feeding tube in, especially since Terri herself said she would never want to live that way, is that they don't understand the facts of the matter so they need someone to tell them what to think. If someone comes by and shouts loudly that they want to "save" Terri because an activist judge is trying to kill her, that bandwagon is painted more gaudily than the black and white plain-facts bandwagon the majority of us are pushing down the street. We don't have multiple conspiracy theories made up to suit the moment, so it's easier to form up with the shouting mob that's following the Pied Piper.
And THAT'S a knee-jerk response.
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