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.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Deb]

On Guard!! (no tushy poking)

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Nah, nah, nah, it's DemonicRats.

Never EVER take Hitlery up on her offer of pea soup.

[kstewskis]

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

[KTpig]

LOL, guess I am not a "political vegetarian" just an "ewww its a cow, I don't mind what others eat (and yes the dog gets meat) vegetarian."

[christie]

.

Bravo your post about Hillary. She is underestimated at our own peril. I suggest people start reading up on this woman and her past mentors etc.

You are right. I've started to document her associations in my Hillary web site. Just the tip of the iceberg, but I'll keep adding. To repeat: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HILLARY.

.

[TheDon]

How about "she who shall not be named"?

[Wolfhound777]

My fellow Americans, I have just signed legislation to outlaw Islam. The bombing began in October 2001.--from your page.


Seems like you shouldn't be casting any stones here.

[cyborg]

yep!

[KTpig]

It wasn't me I just touched his neck once in Jr. High.

[cyborg]

hehehe!

[dbwz]

Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.

-- Margaret Thatcher

[asgardshill]

I never poke tuchi. And I insist on returning all luxated eyeballs to their respective owners if they get plucked out during the proceedings. Deal?

[familyop]

...not to mention Hillary's pro-abortion stance. And what of the word coined by Rush--"feminazis?"

BTW, the "DemocRat" play is in regard to an old Democrat complaint that a Republican political ad showed the word, "bureaucRats," or something like that.

IMO, most people have been overly sensitive for a long time. The public school weapon of over-sensitivity is often used in efforts against conservative parents and the occasional conservative school teacher. The extremes in pretended sensitivities are getting to be ridiculous.

[nutmeg]

I don't like the term "Hitlery" either (I prefer "Her Heinous"), never said anything negative about Sen. McCain, but I will continue to refer to DemocRATs as 'RATs!

[Lancey Howard]

Personally, I don't use altered versions of names or resort to name-calling when civilly discussing the lying Democrat scumbags and their coward, Kerry, but it sure doesn't bother me when other freepers do. So chill, bub.

[nopardons]

Listen newbie,FR has ALWAYS been sort of a rough and tumble place.

It has special terms and insider words/catch phrases.We've ALWAYS called her Hitlery and you missed the "Cintooooooooooon" ,etc. names.

You neither own nor run FR,so don't post silly vanities about "the way FR used to be",when you haven't been here all that long.

Just go with the flow and enjoy FR for what it is. :-)

[Cacique]

We will simply have to agree to disagree. I can understand Jewish sensibilities with H. I had relatives who were interned in concentration camps and some executed during WW II. However, the play on the fact that Hillary's name would play on H's name because of the similarities is something that is just natural. We need to try and take the edge off in some comedic fashion before we really start thinking closely to the ideas that these proto totalitarian collectivist buffoons of the left really represent.
Remember that people did not take H and his storm troopers seriously, nor did they pay attention to the Bolsheviks until it was too late. The would be totalitarians of the left cannot be seen as human in any way shape or form. to do so is to give them too much undeserved credit. An enemy is an enemy. Don't think for a minute that if these people had total power on their hands that they would not drag you out in the middle of the night as they did my grandfather and make you disappear with a bullet in the head.

[Hank Rearden]

Well, it's been real fun pounding on you tonight, but you can console yourself with this: the keyword collection for this thread is shaping up nicely.

And, just to be clear about it, your rules do permit calling others "a$%hole"?

[Deb]

You're a gentleman and a swell guy. I will allow you to buy me my next Manolas!! Unless you're female (DAMN THE INTERNET!!!)