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.

[MeekOneGOP]

The Democrat Party bear little resemblance to the Democrats of old; might as well christen them with a new, abreviated name.

Absolutely! Here is my rant regarding what they are .....

I got so tired of Pelosi's hateful remarks that I did a little research on her a while back.

Scary stuff, folks, imho ...

Exposed: Pelosi's Socialist Ties

Pelosi leader of 'Progressive Caucus'

Click here or on the pic to hear
the Socialist Pelosi Pig squeal !

From those links, these excerpts ...

"DSA/USA, the 'Democratic Socialists of America' are the U.S. arm of the Socialist International. They share the symbol of the fist holding the rose, and they share the tasks to be accomplished — in our case, an altogether different America ...

"Some time ago — the date is missing from the descriptions — 58 members of the U.S. House of Representatives formed a subdivision of the Democratic Socialists of America and called it the Progressive Caucus. Their statement of purpose, as well as their membership list, formed an integral part of the dsausa Web site (www.dsausa.org ). The membership list appeared on the screen with the continuous background of the fist holding the rose, should anyone have missed the connection with the Socialist International."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the likely [she is now] new minority leader in the House of Representatives, serves on the executive committee of the socialist-leaning Progressive Caucus, a bloc of about 60 votes or nearly 30 percent of the minority vote in the lower chamber.

The Democratic Socialists of America's chief organizing goal is to work within the Democratic Party and remove the stigma attached to "socialism" in the eyes of most Americans.

"Stress our Democratic Party strategy and electoral work," explains an organizing document of the DSA. "The Democratic Party is something the public understands, and association with it takes the edge off. Stressing our Democratic Party work will establish some distance from the radical subculture and help integrate you to the milieu of the young liberals."

Progressive Caucus

[Stopislamnow]

Bobo says "Honk me!"

[sport]

I understand that calling a democrat is an insult to rats everywhere and compared to a democrat a rat is a noble animan but "demorat" is the closest one can get to describing a democrat on this forum and not be banned.

I vote to continue the use of "demorat" and "hitlery"

Political correctness be damned, we are in a fight for the future of our children and grandchildren.

And as for civility, a hocky coach once said, "If you can't beat them in the alley, you can't beat them on the ice."

P.S. If you think "demorat" and "hitlery" is bad go to d.u. and the language they use in describing us.

[eskimo]

Calling a group of people "rabid party groupies" is logically no different than call a group of people "DemoRATS", which is what this thread was all about. You need to get a dictionary, or something, all the words I used are there and they have very real meanings.

rabid: fanatical, overzealous

party: political group

groupies: fan, devotee

Perhaps your problem is that you are insulted by words you do not understand. That would be your problem.

If you are insulted by generalizations such as "crazy people", "criminal element", etc. to describe some of society then you come across as an emotional misfit because everyone knows that these elements exist.

Calling a group of people "rabid party groupies" is logically no different than call a group of people "DemoRATS", which is what this thread was all about.

There are names for everything; that is what language is all about. I did not invent any stupid play-on-word names. Your emotional diatribe here is completely ridiculous.

Good names for you would be hypocritcal and -- stoopid.

Anyhow, you don't seem to practice what you preach and you certainly do not spell well.

[True Republican Patriot]

Obviously as I read Our 564 replies so far, we do not agree with you AT ALL!

[OregonRepublican]

I like Hitlery, I also like DEMONRAT because there nothin but evil rats!

Politcally Incorrect and proud of it!

[Publius6961]

What's up with that link?

Is there no way to get into the discussion forum?

[George Smiley]

My apologies. I clearly mis-linked. It's http://www.democraticunderground.com

[Sprite518]

Lighten up a bit. You are too up tight. I think we are pretty easy on the Liberals.

[DTA]

>>>>>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. <<<<<<

You should do some reading first. In 1941, Adolph Hitler bombed Belgrade on Easter Sunday April 6, without declaring war on Yugoslavia.

In 1999, Hitlery advised her husband to do the same, without declaring war and without UN approval. Belgrade was bombed continuosly, from March 24 to June 10 1999. Including Easter Sunday April 4, even after The Pope complained.

Bloodthirsty B*tch is cut from the same cloth as Hitler.

Perhaps only Hitler had nicer looking legs.

[Nebr FAL owner]

Right instead of Hitlery the junior Sen. from NY will be known as obersturmbannfurher Hillery

[claudiustg]

How about Terry McAwful?

[Cindy]

HI Chicago Hebrew.
I've been linked to FR since 1998 and actively posting since 2000.

I'm not noticing uncivil behavior for the most part.
I'm a very active FR poster and reader, so....

[Smartass]

HITLERY is a BITCH, and a TRAITOR

[OXENinFLA]

She's a PIT VIPER!

[MeekOneGOP]

She's a PIT VIPER!

That is SOooo true! Check out this JPG from a Museum site with a sense of humor!:

http://www.las-cruces.org/museums/natural-history/images/hillary.jpg
Click here or on the pic !!

---

The minister of disinformation .....

[Smartass]

THE DEMOCRAT PARTY PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

I pledge allegiance to the White Flag of surrender for America, and
to a country of Socialism for which we stand, one nation without God,
divided, with ACLU justice, and high taxes for all.
so help me Carl Marx!

FROM THE DEMOCRATS/SOCIALISTS PLAYBOOK

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."

-- Joseph Goebbels,
German Minister of Propaganda, 1933-1945

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[Happy2BMe]

Wasn't it Tereezuh who gave a speech about how lowly politics has become to only a few hours later when confronted with what she meant by "UnAmerican" told the inquiring reporter to SHOVE IT!!?

This Land is My Land, This Land Is My Land From The Callie Queerland, To The New York Spyland From The Red Commie Party, To The Gulping Interns, This Land Was Made For Me and Me

[Smartass]

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