You're overreacting. You shut the TV off when you're tired of that, don't you?
Don't go, you're just cranky.
Posted on 04/01/2005 4:26:00 PM PST by Poohbah
First, this is NOT an April Fool's joke.
I am leaving Free Republic.
Over the past two years, civility and thoughtful discourse has vanished from this site, replaced with demands for ideological conformity that are straight out of Stalinist Russia or China's Great Cultural Revolution, and unrelenting uncivility if said conformance is not forthcoming. This trend began with the California recall election, where certain posters were allowed to flame the living beejezus out of those who didn't wholeheartedly support Tom McClintock, or thought that he wasn't running a campaign capable of winning. It extended into the Keyes campaign last year, where any critique of Keyes' campaign strategy was shrilly flamed, despite the obviously flawed execution of his campaign.
(Aside: one person who flamed me during the Keyes mess later said that he hadn't intended to start a fight with his remarks that accused me of homosexuality, pedophilia, and other evils; I was instantly reminded of the time I had to bail one of my Marines out of the local lockup. "Honest, Sarge," this Marine told me, "I didn't mean to start a fight when I called that Army Ranger a faggot." My response was not [and still isn't] suitable for public consumption.)
Since then, the Terri Schiavo case has pushed FR over the edge. We had posts calling for people to ensure that "accidents" to befall Schiavo and Judge Greer. We had posts praying that Iran would soon develop nuclear weapons, so that they could destroy the United States. And until the FBI started making arrests, those posts were allowed to stay up, completely abnegating Free Republic's standards.
We had people on both sides of the issue point out that the Schindlers were associating with some people of extremely low character, and that our uncritical embrace of these parties would not rebound to our favor. Rather reasonable attitudes to take, actually; but the loudest of the loud were in no mood to think.
My personal favorite was the following exchange:
The issue is not legality, but public opinion. Which will not be helped in this case if the pro-Terry side becomes associated in the media with Christian Identity, white supremicists, neo-nazis, racists and/or anti-semites.
Diva Betsy Ross made a valiant attempt to...ahem...whitewash Christian Identity, but it didn't work.
To top things off, we had people embracing as some sort of conservative icon, to the extent of posting a fundraising link.
I always thought that conservatism valued thinking over feeling, careful contemplation of facts over wild-eyed repetition of every damn rumor to come down the pipe, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. For a while, Free Republic met those criteria in spades.
Those days are long gone, and I have serious doubt as to whether or not they're coming back.
I know that many of the usual suspects will cheer this on, as their longtime nemesis is leaving them the field.
Be careful what you wish for; you are in the process of getting it. You may succeed in driving the folks who disagree with you from the site; but you will end up being just another collection of shrill voices in Bedlam. When everything is an over-the-top scream, no one will be heard.
Farewell.
If I provide her email address will you explain this concept to my wife?
It's April 1st. Lighten up.
You aren't going anywhere.
I think it's funny that people think you 'can't hang'. I've known more than a few Marines, and for whatever else you can say about them, they're no strangers to rough language. But rough language aside, Marines are basically good people, and you can forgive a lot because of that.
To a certain extent, I can forgive a lot of roughness here, for the same reasons. But when peole start calling for 'accidents' to happen to people we don't like, and the Nazi Holocaust becomes a cheap photoshop prop for the fight of the day, you start to feel the need for a shower that trolling at DU brings? And this is the place that brought Dan Rather to his knees! He must feel doubly burned now.
Either FR is temporarily broken due to this issue, or it's fast tracking to the abysmal depth of DU. I hope it's the former, because if not, the conservative cause will have lost a great institution.
That's patently absurd. I was going to call up a few thousand examples for you, but then I realized you're in your own little world. (Goodness, I hope I didn't hurt your feelings!)
Maybe you should ask yourself why this is happening, instead of taking unprovoked shots at people.
I'm not quite the long-timer you are, but I've noticed the same thing since I joined FR back in 2000.
I did see a little of it, and it was shameful. I do understand the passions the Terri situation created, but it doesn't excuse the mob mentality that went after everyone who didn't fall in line immediately.
You're part of the problem, dirtbag.
You and your knuckle-dragging cohorts are not going to dominate this forum.
Nobody supported starving anybody; it's just that you, and others with shoe-sized IQs, have such a limited mental capacity to make distinctions and to support the rule of law, that you had to characterize those who didn't roll in the dirt as "murderers."
Relish your sanctimony. It's all you've got.
You had better not leave. I always enjoy your posts.
;)
Maybe 40 today. It stunk. We get used to it.
Click on the name, then the "in forum" link. The URL in your browser will have the ID #.
I believe if you put that in proper context, you should of also said "it is wrong to kill her".
Actually, people have been saying that since I got here: "It's not as good as the marvelous old days." Wrong. It's always been a mix of great and not-so-great, civility and smashmouth. Get a grip.
LOL!!
Ahh there's all that self proclaimed "reason" and "civility"
You're overreacting. You shut the TV off when you're tired of that, don't you?
Don't go, you're just cranky.
I also am waiting for the .... APRIL FOOL'S !!
BTW, oh man, today was rich, I mean rich. True story, and I nearly dropped to the floor.
A strict, traditional lady I have known for years told me on the phone today that she was leaving her husband. I mean, this woman is SQUEAKY CLEAN in almost everything she says or does. I mean, my jaw dropped through the floor.
Then she pulled the April fools BS and laughed at my shock and awe and horror. I was shocked. She thought it funny.
I have other stories from today. Oh man, is there a full moon or what?
I love the apology linked on your webpage. Thanks. I am "sorry" for all those things too.
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