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.

[familyop]

"They are also both homosexual."

Hey, LJ.

BTW, did you see where someone recently called homosexuals, "turd burglars?" ...just awful, terrible! ...had to close my eyes! Oh, the insensitivity...!

[JoeSixPack1]

oops

[nopardons]

Nope,newbies are still newbies;even Rush or Ann,should they post here as newbies. :-)

[hole_n_one]

Where did you go?

I'm curious to see how someone of such obviously higher intellect than everybody else at FR explains engaging in such "horrible and immature name-calling" as you did here.

[BJungNan]

I have to agree that calling her Hitlary is not appropriate. She is far scarier than that.

[Guard Dog]

Thanks!

[asgardshill]

LOL. I'm male but engaged to the female wrassling champ in the 160-170 pound class of South Hogsplash AR. She can spit baccy through her teeth, cuss like a sailor, and break wind like a Frenchman.

And she's going to break my spine if she ever gets a notion to read FreeRepublic.

[Slings and Arrows]

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."

Well, you're not alone in that belief:

[MisterRepublican]

Hitlery Clinton and John McInsane are Deomrats. Don't try to CENSOR me.

[vetvetdoug]

I got banned from Juicy Lucy.com for typing that statement over here. They banned me before I ever got over to her site. How's that for censorship?

[avant_garde]

Next time you post, you might want to keep a fire extinguisher handy!

[onyx]

What's this?




To: Clemenza
I hereby declare Keyes's official FR nickname to be...
Obi-Wan and/or Alan-Win Kenobi


11 posted on 08/09/2004 10:23:18 PM PDT by ChicagoHebrew




I perused your forum and note that you seem to
gravitate to the religious threads.... My advice,
stay there, and leave the rough and tumble politics
to those of us who understand that a little comedy here
and there is a GOOD thing.

[Libertina]

If you think that Hillary Clinton would start murdering millions of people if she had the chance, or try to conquer the world, you are either a maniac or an idiot
ROTFLOL The civility didn't last long, did it?

[1_Inch_Group]

Crustfrau the Terrible?

[nopardons]

GREAT catch! :-)

[stands2reason]

Sir Hillary

I like that. :-)

[little jeremiah]

I know, I know. My delicate sensibilities get bruised daily. The horror!

(The nasty acts are fine; using indelicate language about them is so mean spirited!)

[Arizona Carolyn]

I sure agree.

[onyx]

Wrong.
Hillary is a democrat, as are Dashole, Kerry, Edwards, Boxer, Leahy, Feinstein etc.


John McCain is not a democrat.

[GaretGarrett]

Chortle.