Posted on 08/30/2004 10:05:23 PM PDT by 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.
Or SpongeB**** Squarepants?
...and who appointed you to be the "Gate Keeper of proper speech/expression anyway ?!"
Your point is well taken. I shall exercise more self-control on namecalling. It is frustrating at times that Democrats can play fast and loose with the truth and civility and we have to take it. The high moral road is the correct way no doubt, but keep in mind they are having fun at our expense.
Since she is royalty, she should be called Her Heinous.
She Who Wears the Pantsuit!
You are correct, of course. There are undoubtedly a few surviving Schicklgrubers who object to having any implied connection to Her Heinousness.
Sometimes I'm too lazy to read all the posts.
Call me when you're sincere about your "call for civility on Free Republic".
I'm just starting to use Sir Hillary, but I've also used the Wicked Witch of Chappaqua.
"Shut up you jew bastard!" Hitlary to Dick Morris.
Are you aware she hates Jew bastards?
What a weak post.
Agreed that some of the posts are a little over the top, including some of mine, but this is a political forum, with people who are by and large conservative, but who have varied beliefs. For me at least, FR is a way to let off a little steam at what I see going on with the likes of Bill and Hillary and Kerry and protestors and DU trolls and such. From what I have seen and heard from sites such as DU, we're really pretty mild.
If those who visit don't like it, well, I guess I would say that's fine, go somewhere else.
oops....my reply was supposed to go the OP.
Newbie=Doesn't have the official Freeper Dictionary memorized
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.
Vince Foster 1994
I like to use the term b*tch when referring to the Jr. Senator from NY, it's much more sensitive than the "other" word. I'm thinking of changing my Freeper name to "Pig from Hymietown"
I recognize what is going on. I know she's trying, but she's not there yet. If she were actually President, rather than having been so vicariously through her husband, it would have been much different.
"civility for thee, but not for me"
Let's see, hillary and hitler:
Both socialists.
Both for gun control
Both used the government to go after their political enemies
Hillary: For socialized medicine. Hitler: Don't know specifics, probably close to hillary's plan.
Hitler: Killed millions while in power.
Hillary: Never held power directly, but dozens died a fiery death in waco, all over a $200 tax stamp. Hillary reportedly was upset they were making bill look bad, and wanted 'something' done.
Both wrote best-selling books full of lies that appeal to different groups of raving loons.
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