Thank You to a service man or woman in any branch.
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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.
I hope you're right. But I think that these people feel that they have been given the go ahead. Which seems to be something no one wants to say. Forgive my grammar, it's late.
Can't argue with you there.
You don't have to answer my last post. It was really more rhetorical than anything. Enjoy your bourbon. I think I'll have a small glass of wine myself. Got to work tomorrow.
I have to work tomorrow to, so I'll keep the bourbon consumption to a minimum. Enjoy your wine.
What has been allowed to be posted, these past 2 weeks,is the MOST disgusting thing I have ever seen here. There have been almost NO suspensions nor bannings and the worst posts have not only been permitted to stay up, but tacitly encouraged.
The prolife radicals, at the LAST hours, began a huge letter-writing and email campaign to influence Congress to act when they lost in Florida for the umpteenth time. Since prolifers and religious conservatives are part of the base, and they were being LOUD, Congress took that to mean that THIS si what that base faction wanted to expend its political capital on. Thus, that capital was spent. Unfortunately, such capital is finite. This means that, to save Terri, the radicals had to give up something else. That was the "nuclear Option" (and the judicial nominations) and Social Security Reform. Those are now off the table, probably never to return.
Oh, and since this expenditure of capital is actually a LOAN, it must be repaid in the form of votes delivered by the recipient...in thi scase, the radical prolifers and religious right. To make up for this mess that they led the GOP into, they have to provide AT LEAST a gain in the Senate in 2006, no losses in the House, and help hold the White House and COngress in 2008. All the evidence, however, indicates that these groups have no idea that they owe anything for the trouble, and in fact are talking of boycotting the GOP! This indicates a fundamental, and fatal, lack of knowledge in the political process.
You see, if they do that (boycott the GOP), or even if they fail to deliver votes enough to pay the debt (as they failed in 1996), their creditors will asume them to be "deadbeats"...and will never do business with them again. In fact, no party would. Deadbeats at Macy's are not popular at Gimbel's, either.
So, to sum up...we've lost the judges we wanted, lost SS reform, possibly lost the Senate at least, and pretty much killed tax reform. So much for the President's second-term agenda. What did we GET for it?
What we got was for the President and the Governor his brother to be compared to Pontius Pilate, denounced for NOT provoking a COnstitutional Crisis or a gunfight between LEOs, and declarations of intent to LEAVE the GOP. Oh, and poll numbers dropping like a stone.
Not to mention the fact that we shot all of our principles in the head.
All for one woman who was FOUND to have wanted to be let go by a judge; whose condition was the result of her own bulimia; and whose parents called in the radicals.
The ONLY way the GOP could have avoided this fiasco was to refuse to be steamrolled into precipitous action. They failed at that simple task of leadership. Look what it got us.
Actually, I think we all know that. But I was just being discreet. Have a good night.
Bingo. Far from thinking they owe anything, they actually think they are owed.
Excellent post.
'Night. Enjoy your wine! :o)
Thanks anyway.
Well done, VERY well done...both of you.
Prove it.
A rather dire view. Let's hope you are wrong!
We got a lot of apolitical security moms to think long and hard before they turn their personal lives over to the GOP next term.
This is an oversimplification, but here goes: Political parties have factions. The factions in the Democratic party merely argue with one another. OTOH, the factions in the GOP are really more like separate parties and they hate each other. IOW, the GOP is a coalition party. Sometimes they do unite on issues. It's been this way for a least half a century. What you have in FR right now can be described as a microcosm of this phenomenon. Sometimes it's better to stay and fight. Sometimes not. I'm staying, for now. I'm also going out of town for a few days and I have no laptop. Sometimes that's all that's needed. :)
The emperor's new robes [Ann Coulter on the death of Terri Schiavo]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1374179/posts
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"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."
I hope we have seen the last type of these posts!
This gives Free Republic a very bad name.
Just makes me REAL glad I've always been a lifelong Registered Independent!
"Rush said ABC, today, interviewed DR Kavorikn (sp?) in prison
to get Dr Death's view on Terri.
The culture of death has gone insane!"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1370047/posts?page=1112#1112
"Jack Kevorkian is the last man I'd want to hear from."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1370047/posts?page=1113#1113
"I'd rather have him as my spokesman than Randall Terry."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1370047/posts?page=1118#1118
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