A call for civility on Free Republic

Vanity | 08/31/04 | ChicagoHebrew

[ChicagoHebrew]

I enjoy this forum, but lately I've noticed a troubling tendency for posters here to descend into horrible and immature name-calling. Such name-calling, and extremism without reason does nothing but harm our cause. It turns off casual lurkers and readers of this forum. It provides fodder for this forum to be demonized and non-respected elsewhere. Below I provide a few examples. I call on Freepers to stop using such terms voluntarily. If that doesn't work, I call on the moderators to warn, if not censor, posters who use such terms. I realize that Democratic Underground uses even more ridiculous terms sometimes. However, your opponents' choice to frolack in waste does not provide an excuse to do likewise. Rather, it provides an opportunity to rise above, and show one's intellectual and moral superiority. Without more, I present a few examples of the type of garbage I'm talking about. I call on fellow posters to add their own.

1) "Hitlery" -- I dislike Hillary Clinton's politics, and what I know of her personality. However, nothing she has said or done (including her love-fest with Suha Arafat) justifies comparing her to one of the worst monsters in all history. Doing so not only demeans the Holocaust, and all the war dead of WWII, it makes a mockery of this forum to allow it to be posted.

2) "Demorat" -- This is just stupid. Calling your opponent a rodent does nothing to promote conservatism or libertarianism. It does everything to make posters and this forum look like intellectual infants, prone to tantrums and incapable of rational debate. We disagree with Democrats. We should not dehumanize them, or think them so below us that we need not engage them in debate and triumph.

3) "McInsane" & etc. -- John McCain is a conservative, loyal Republican. Indeed, in some areas -- such as controlling spending -- he's far more conservative then Bush. However, he is also a mavarick who doesn't tow the party line -- and, in my opinion, sometimes perhaps puts his principles below his desire to win applauds from the media. That being said, his ACU rating is strong, and he has put legitimate personal disagreements with Bush behind him to support what's best for his party -- and, more importantly -- his country. Feel free to critique McCain. Feel free to disagree with him when he criticizes fellow Republicans or takes an odd liberal stand. However, do not resort to petty name-calling -- especially not name calling that implies he lacks mental faculties, and/or is evil. It's just not right.

So I have written. I hope that a silent majority of Freepers agree with me here.

[cyborg]

No the freeper is quite serious, Hillary endorsing wholesale slaughter through abortion notwithstanding.

[Deb]

I like Cankles Clinton.

[KTpig]

Thanks, what a relief, I am a vegetarian and a dog-lover.

[TomasUSMC]

GIRLEE MAN ALERT

[Darkwolf377]

Exactly... and I'm just expressing my view... which is my right.




Well, yes--but your view is that others SHOULDN'T express their views with the freedom you use to express yours.

No one's telling you how to express yourself; have the courtesy not to tell them how to express themselves.

[Danette]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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That just about says it all.

[asgardshill]

My post then was intended somewhat as a feeler -- to see how other Freepers feel about such infantile attacks.

Before I started posting here, I lurked for quite a few weeks. Amd believe me, this is not the first time that a poster has suggested that those who use certain words or phrases to describe the opposition are "infantile" and/or do it in an "infantile" manner. The upshot is that posters here will pretty much continue to post the way they wish to, and you will receive a certain amount of abuse for your principled stand.

But not from me, not today. Good luck in obtaining your goals on FreeRepublic.

[John Lenin]

Eat your heart out.

[k2blader]

Oh. I thought you'd be referring to those posts calling Keyes supporters "abortion doctor shooting followers" and Pat Buchanan "Taliban".

[cyborg]

So tell us how you really feel! LOL

[Deb]

A vegetarian is a Korean with no dogs.

[LiberalBassTurds]

That just about says it all.

Sure does Danette.

LBT

-=-=-

[hole_n_one]

Care to explain this.........

You don't know your facts as*hole.

[Hank Rearden]

I suppose s#$%head is out of the question...

Not if used in conjunction with a proper name.

My problem is that I can never remember if "S#$%head" is Klowntoon's first name or his title.

Oops, I said "Klowntoon" - is that still derogatory?

[Defender2]

Here's one you should really get a kick out of!!!!:-)

CNN = Communists News Network!!!!
MSNBC = Matthews Sucks Nothing But Communists!!!!
CNBC = Communists, Nothing But Communists!!!!
NBC = Nothing But Communists!!!!
CBS = Communists Bull Sh*t!!!!
ABC = ALL Bullsh*t Communists!!!!
BBC = Bill's Bullsh*t Communists!!!!
TBS = TASS Bull Sh*t!!!!
PBS = Pravda Bull Sh*t!!!!
C-SPAN1 = Communists-Socialists Aided Network #1
C-SPAN2 = Communists-Socialists Aided Network #2
Al Jazeera = Global Terrorists Media Outlet Network

Fairweather whichever way the wind blows(like kerry, o'reilly) FOX sometimes rocks!!!!(See now, All of You, O'Reilly has been giving lessons to kerry in how to stick his finger in the wind before they do or say anything, all along.)

The Mighty Maja Rushie, Rush Limbaugh RULES the Airwaves!!!!

D2

P.S.

Some real creeps who are behind kerry are listed below

http://www.cpusa.org/

http://www.dsausa.org/

(DSA is a major financial supporter of C-SPAN and alludes to it on their website. They both(including CPUSA are likely financial supporters of the major media outlets.)

DSA's "Progressive Caucus" Links below:

http://bernie.house.gov/pc/

http://bernie.house.gov/pc/members.asp

They are the Enemy Within!!!!

[ChicagoHebrew]

Well, I'd add the "Taliban Pat Buchanan" to my list. I personally detest Buchanan, who is, IMO, a Jew-hater, a socialist, and a foreign-policy ostrich sticking his head in the sand and ignoring global threats to the US. He doesn't support the Taliban though, and he doesn't support theocratic rule in the US.

[Vision Thing]

Do you know you're in America? Do you know you can start your own internet forum for people with your own sensitivities and sensibilities?

[John Lenin]

[familyop]

Hillary's policies and devised perceptions against men are very reminiscent of Adolf's early policies. The allusion, "Hitlery," is used in an effort to prevent possible, eventual new mass murders of millions. Unconstitutional imprisonments of men have already begun against innocent fathers as a result of Hillary's policies (VAWA, Child Support Act, etc.).

It fits.