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.
Hitler was a dog-lover and a vegetarian. That doesn't make all dog lovers or vegetarians Nazis.
Shouldn't that be Jim Robinson's call? You're certainly entitled to your opinion but then again so am I. If he really wanted to force everybody to stop using the term "Hitlery", he could easily do that. Its Jim's bat and ball; we just play in his sandbox, and I'll defer to his wishes on this matter. No offense.
Stopping the name-calling doesn't mean moving leftward. It means moving upward.
The name-calling is a tool that many here including myself use to deal with the frustration with the lies, calumny, and hate of the Left. While I appreciate your advice, I'll keep my own counsel on what sort of terms I choose to characterize the enemies of this country.
My profile sig was intended as a joke, a play on the old Reagan episode.
I remember the sound bite. But, just as all of us know that Reagan was joking around when he made the "bombing begins in 5 minutes" quip, all of us also know that referring to the witch as "Hitlery" is no more than a play on words. Sticks and stones and all that.
Perhaps, in all honesty, I should change it -- as it might give the wrong impression out. At least I don't quote that sig on 1000s of posts a day.
My (unsolicited) advice? Stand your ground - like all good humor, there is a grain of truth in it.
LOL!
you always have some funny crap to say(write).
At home here I just call her "that Clinton b*tch".
(After reading a questionable new post) "...hmm, lets see... who is this guy..'ElRushbo'... lets see when he registered.. 'Since 2004-08-31'!... just what I thought, another stinkin n00b. He's probably a troll, just like that 'AnnieC2004' we just zotted."
Welcome to FR
Thought about and decided ...... NO!!!!! You might want to try out www.CENSOREDrepublic.com. Currently your browser reads www.FREErepublic.com! Thanks for being the PC police pal, but I will just wait for the jack booted thugs to break down my door and drag me to the re-education camp for PC, if you don't mind.
"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."
She is just another in a long line of commies who have murdered tens of millions. Madamn Klintoon is just asking for one more socialist commie chance to get it right this time. Just ask her, she knows she can, if you will just give her unlimited power, for the children of course.
Big baby... must be from the Chicago Race... never trusted those Illinoisians... smell of corn, they do.
"I realize that Democratic Underground uses even more ridiculous terms sometimes. "
Why don't you go, get them to clean up their act, then you can come back and work on us.
Are these the biggest issues that bother you, that we sometimes poke well deserved fun at some Democrats?
I guess Kerry wanting to be president, after having accused his fellow Vietnam veterans of war crimes and mass murder doesn't bother you?
I think you have your priorities skewed, to say the least.
Dem'o'craps are virtually impossible to debate fairly with as they feel virtuous in lying. They are evil. They are truly evil, abortion is their holy sacrament, same sex sodomy is the testament of their faith, they loathe the country they live in, and they slaver with hatred towards sincere, heroic men and women.
They worship the earth so they can enjoy it themselves, and hate people. (Except other leftists like themselves.) They hate and fear God, the ACLU are their high priests. Hitlery wants to "do good" - and her good is the destruction of all that is really good, since she sees herself as holy and pure, therefore unable to do wrong.
If Hitlery had the presidency, we can't imagine the nastiness that would ensue.
I agree with you, but those names are pretty commomnly used around here.
I didn't know Rodney King was a Chicago Hebrew...
Oh my, How True.
Let met get this off my chest, here goes:
I think Hillary Clinton is the most dangerous person in the world regarding the security and prosperity of the United States.
You wrote:
[Entertaining graphic of kitten apparently scratching
in litter box.]
Given the graphic, should your ID by Cal-PURINA??
You're right. It is Jim's call, and I'd never suggest usurping his authority. My post was just MY opinion on what I think the moderators should do. They have every right to disagree with me, but it's helpful for them to know what the board itself wants -- opinions expressed somewhat less than artfully by various posters on this thread. My post then was intended somewhat as a feeler -- to see how other Freepers feel about such infantile attacks.
Hitler was a dog-lover and a vegetarian. That doesn't make all dog lovers or vegetarians Nazis.
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