Posted on 03/29/2005 8:58:34 AM PST by Long Cut
We, the Witness Protection Program For Freepers, aka the Wild Turkeys, aka the Coalition of the Sane, have through mutual discussion and rigourous thought, determined that:
1. The discussion threads regarding Terri Schiavo (hereafter referred to as "TS") have become too full of innuendo, rumormongering, hyperbole, hysteria, namecalling, paranoia, and general poor behavior to warrant participation.
2. Said threads have degenerated into "echo chambers", wherein the same, common thoughts are continually posted again and again, and the same old disreputable, unconfirmed and/or false urban myths are propagated.
3. Anyone who joins in said theads with alternative viewpoints to the most extreme posts are routinely driven away with slander, accusations, and vile namecalling.
4. No data or evidence contrary to the "prevailing opinions" are accepted, considered, or discussed; and in fact are rejected outright in most instances.
5. That the continued calls for armed insurrection, military or paramilitary involvement, impeachements of politicians and judges, and death threats are embarassing, stupid, shortsighted, doomed to failure, and contrary to most if not all conservative thought prior to this case, as well as damaging in the extreme to FR and the conservative movement as a whole.
6. That such emotional, hyperbolic, and propaganda-driven hysteria is in fact contrary to all conservatives USED to stand for.
7. That the holding up of swastika and other Nazi imagery towards the police and the Bushes, the use of children as political props, and the disruption of the peace at the Woodside Hospice can only reflect badly on conservatives in general, and should be discouraged.
8. That the pursuit of this issue to the exclusion of all others by the GOP has damaged, perhaps beyond repair, the pursuit of other important issues as well as the reputation of the GOP, FR, and conservatism.
The WPPFF is NOT of one mind as to the case of TS or its correct outcome. In fact, wide disagreement exists within our little group. However, we are united in our wish that reason and sanity be respected in the discussion, as well as the rights of all parties involved or participating. We wish to discuss this as adults and intellectuals, as conservatives and as FRiends, not as children screaming past each other on some playground of hysteria. We wish for facts and evidence to be provided, discussed reasonably, and considered fairly.
We reject all accusations of Naziism, "death cultism", or other slander as methods of debate. We reject the practice of "spamming" multiple threads, of posting unending vanities, and the posting of propaganda and calls for violence. We reject, in fact, all unseemly and childish behavior which has come to characterize this case on FR.
We DO invite others to come and reasonably discuss the issue. We have no problem with FReepers who wish to debate in a rational and fair manner, and with due respect for their fellow FReepers. We have NO problem with those whose views are formed by religion; however we reject "preaching" or "being beaten with a Bible" as legitemite debate tactics. Not all of us are Believers, and such tactics only cheapen the source.
If a FReeper finds this an acceptable meansd to discuss this and other issues, they are welcome to join in and participate. Those who find pleasure in attacks, flame-baiting, slander, stalking, and personal atacks will be ignored, and their egos will go unfed.
We assume this thread to be a zone of sanity in an overheated atmosphere. Thus, a general amnesty is in effect. If posters conduct themselves within the guidlines above, we will be happy to discuss and debate with you. If a poster wishes to apologize for past slips of the tongue, or for possible "over-the-top" statements to another, it will be graciously accepted, and your company welcome.
Please bring a sense of humor; we feel that too many have been taking themselves too seriously lately.
Let the discussion begin!
Signed,
The WPPFF, aka The Wild Turkeys, aka the Coalition of the Sane.
She's a liar until she shows where I've disparaged anyone on this board.
well, you are still egging on and that is no lie.
I don't know what got into me thinking that if I stayed away for a few days, things and folks would calm down.
I also thought the impending passing of the Holy Father would have brought people closer together.
Guess not.
I'm trying, in my way, to live up to the manifesto. That means I watch not only for trollish behavior, but I also try to maintain civility by ALL.
Post 3718 said I was "off and away to disparage nonetheless".
Show me where.
Silly, optimistic you.
Silly, right?
I always try to look on the bright side of life.
How about here?
"I think you may be a bit loony toons."
Ya know, far be it for me to talk, I've dispareged people myself, but then again, it seems, so have you :0)
No no silly. You have to find the prior disparaging remark.
Great, now I have a "Life of Brian" earwig...
She is not a liar and did not address a post to you that called you a liar.
Are you like so many on here of late who cannot read a post without deciding that it is about YOU personally? If you think there have been no disparaging posts on this board, I urge you to go take a tour of the threads.
There are many threads you can visit wherein you and your friends can backslap each other. Get off this one, please.
Think what you will of the WPPFF, but we do police ourselves.
Katnip, you may dislike us or what we stand for, and that is your right. You may argue with us all day about it, that's fine. The spirit of the Manifesto, though, enjoins me (because I wrote the damned thing) to defend you, too, so long as you respect it and us.
I do not want this thread pulled for flamewars. It isa to all our advantage to see that they do not develop. That means we ALL must watch ourselves, and remember that we are both adults, FReepers, and fellow conservatives. We must conduct ourselves so.
See 3948 ;0)
See post 3697, where you basically disparaged everyone here, even though cyncooper was trying to tell you that you needed to look at the whole thing before passing judgement on everyone based on one post you didn't like. Now play nice.
I'm not much of a backslapper. I got called out here publically for basically making one public pleasant remark to one pleasant Freeper.
Get off this one, please.
No.
Most here would call that disparaging.
;-)!!
FWIW, I despise Ann Coulter. I think she is a xxxxx xxxxx who does our cause no good.
So just what is the clubs cause?
And again, I kept it private.
I say we all quit for now and get hammered. The Eagles are flyin and the bars are breakin' out the rum!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
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