Replies

Thank you for your comments. You may very well be right about the welcome, but the post looked much more like a troll post than a lurker who finally got up the nerve to post for several reasons:

1. There have been numerous threads posted about Judge Moore and the Ten Commandments Monument, and it would have been much easier for a lurker finally getting up the nerve to post to post a comment to one of those threads rather than creating a whole new thread.

2. The title of the thread included such a gross misspelling that it appears deliberate and even mocking -- I was more than half serious when I said it looked like Molly Ivins' writing.

3. The body of the "article" written by the poster didn't just contain errors, it was pretty much one continuous error for which the only plausible explanation to me appeared to be a person deliberately trying to appear ignorant and trying to stir up a conversation in an attempt to make Judge Moore's supporters also appear ignorant. To illustrate, let me dissect the original post:

Ten Comandmints (1)
In the constitution (2) it says we have freedom to worship whatever we want (3), (4)that doesn't hold true in Alabama. I support Judge Moore who shoudn't (5) take the monument down. I want your oppinion (6)

(1) "Commandments" spelled "Comandmints" - I seriously doubt this was an accidental misspelling.
(2) Lower case spelling of "Constitution" when referring to the U.S. Constitution is wrong. (I'll admit that's a nitpick, but around here the Constitution is revered - or at least should be - and the use of lower case seems disrespectful).
(3) The characterization of the first amendment as saying "we have freedom to worship whatever we want" is just too juvenile to even warrant serious discussion. Again, this sounds like something Molly Ivins would say. The First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor restricting the free exercise thereof..."
(4) The incorrect sentence punctuation and run-on sentence may simply be carelessness, or it may be another attempt to portray Judge Moore's supporters as ignorant and to bait others into a discussion to reinforce that errant notion.
(5) Another spelling error. It just seems contrived.
(6) Another spelling error. Again, appears contrived.

Anyone who has lurked for over five months would have seen plenty of indications that we like to razz each other for misspellings (I'm series, this is hugh...) and other goofs, and should also have seen that posts like this one will be challenged and the posters had better be prepared to discuss and defend their positions, especially on hot button issues. Your point is well taken, and I'll be cautious in accusing people of being trolls. If wwalk is indeed a lurker interested in discussion, rather than just a troll, I hope he/she will post again so we can discuss.