I have no problem with people poking fun at Senators Kerry, Clinton, Michael Moore, the ANSWER brigade, Sex Workers For Kerry, et al. Those people and groups are part of the world of politics, and as such are fair game for ridicule on the basis of their words and deeds.
On the other hand, the act of making fun of individual people outside of the direct political line of fire (especially women) on the basis of their physical attributes or other factors over which they have no control is uncivil, rude, and not in keeping with the knightly spirit of conservatism. For example, Mrs. Edwards' weight has precisely nothing to do with the issues facing our country, and the Kerry daughters inherited those noses — they didn't choose them. I understand that it's a free country and feelings can run high, but I fail to see how coarse behavior on our part advances the cause. The DUmmies often ridicule the President's long upper lip, which sometimes makes him look like he's smirking — does their riducule make their ideas look more attractive, or are they actually driving people away with such adolescent antics? Are they the example we want to follow?
One of the many things that originally attracted me to FR was the atmosphere of civility that pervades this site. During the Clinton years, for example, those posters who occasionally made fun of Chelsea Clinton's appearance, dress, etc. were regularly admonished by other posters on the basis of honor. As long as she was a minor, or was simply supporting her folks out of family loyalty, she was off limits to the sort of roundhouse insults that her parents (rightfully) received. It wasn't until Chelsea Clinton was an adult and placed herself in the public eye that she became fair game. The restraint shown by Freepers regarding the then-President's daughter had nothing to do with political correctness or new-age "tolerance" or "diversity" or any of that crap; instead, it was motivated my the ancient and very conservative idea that Christian soldiers do not make war upon innocent noncombatants. This air of chivalry did much to convince me of the soundness and consistency of the worldview presented on this forum, and led in part to my decision to join it some six years ago.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy lambasting Mecca al-Moor and the rest of the scurvy crew as much as the next guy. I'm not saying we have to be prima donnas or oversensitive Casper Milquetoasts here. All I'm saying is let's keep our eye on the real battle, which is the battle of ideas. Legitimate criticism of our opponents' ideas, beliefs (or lack thereof) or policy proposals is one thing; schoolyard heckling of individuals or their family members solely upon the basis of their nose size or the width of their ass or whatever is stupid and counterproductive, not to mention uncouth. The more stupid, uncivil, and uncouth we are, the more like the DUmmies, MoveOnners, and the naked idiots running riot in the streets of New York right now we become. I personally don't see how that's going to help us get rid of abortion or close the borders.
Sermon over. My two cents, and worth what it cost you to read it.
MUCH AGREE.
Excellent post.
I think you made a far better case then CH did.
You stayed with the civility issue.
CH got sidetracked defending McCain ( a conservative Republican-who can't wait to bad mouth fellow conservatives-a useful idiot for the Media) and Hillary (she really isn't a Nazi-very debatable-how about Bloody Mary?)