Posted on 11/09/2015 10:09:44 AM PST by Sean_Anthony
Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views
When leftists start talking about “civility,†watch out for your freedom of speech. This again comes to mind with reports that some media outlets are eliminating online comments sections in civility’s name. And while it’s not a First Amendment violation (these are private-sector actions), it is largely motivated by the same mentality spawning speech codes on college campuses and “hate speech†laws overseas.
And as with those phenomena, the nixing of online comments is justified with noble-sounding sentiments. As the AFP recently reported, “Last month, Vice Media’s Motherboard news site turned off reader comments, saying ‘the scorched earth nature of comments sections just stifles real conversation.’ It instead began taking ‘letters to the editor’ to be screened by staff.â€
That’s rich. What stifles conversation more than eliminating a comments section completely? As for “real conversation,†the content leftist media disgorge proves they haven’t the foggiest idea what that might be.
That old liberal media doesn’t want to hear uncomfortable truths so they close down comments.
What’s the Weekly Standard’s excuse?
They have become that old liberal media.
Yahoo tried that for like one day.
Then they realized nobody is going to click on their site just to read their Liberal and Kardashian articles, they need the comment sections to get hits.
Same thing will happen to other Liberal sites if they try,
Because only PC people are civil. You ingrates.
My local news outlet nixed their comment section because conservatives dominated it. In the past they would delete comments without explanation.
Another one (Mlive) is run by hard-leftists and their mods will gladly delete comments from conservatives while leaving tons of them from leftists.
This is all done under these rules where they claim they want to protect people from seeing “hate” speech, which includes anything critical of women, gays, trannies, or anyone that is a racial minority or Muslim.
Comments against Christians, Jews, whites, Christians, conservatives or anyone that believes in the 2nd amendment (routinely called “gun nuts”) or small government are left intact.
Sites with comment voting systems (Reddit) need not have leftist mods because they depend on “brigade” voting be hard-leftists to make sure any wrong-think gets buried.
I’ve found far more uncivil comments from ‘progressives’ in comment sections ... and of course far more calls for censorship.
Of course, there is far too much incivility overall and it is problem on both sides but I’m just making a comparison.
I wish even more conservatives would leave the incivility, crassness and banality to the progressives ... it would strengthen our case in every instance.
They are trying to suppress thoughts that they don’t agree with. They will never control how I think, and can go to hell.
I definitely noticed that. Most of the big lame streams don’t let you comment.
An old friend from Europe once told me—”You Americans always go too far.” We overdo it. That’s what we have done with PC—watch as the pendulum swings back and “free Speech” will be the watch word of the future. The N-Word will be common speach. PC will be the stuff of Jokes only. Remember how the USA was finding Communists under every bed back in the 1950s—Now it looks funny. It will be like that. I believe the 2020s will be more conservative—and look like the 1950s. Everyone will wear hats, women will have dresses and gloves and pears. The Hippies will be a sad footnote in History.
Saint Louis Pest Disgrace has no comment section for op-eds.
I think the real reason they nix comments sections is twofold, and Free Republic is great at both of these things while other sites fail at them.
1. Other sites don’t want to devote resources to moderating the comments, so the comments sections are full of garbage. There is no site with more stellar moderators than Free Republic.
2. Other sites don’t acknowledge the real position of their website, so they permit trolls and food fights to disrupt real dialogue, or they arbitrarily delete those disagreeing with their positions. Free Republic is probably the most honest site in that FR is unabashedly and unapologetically a small government conservative site. Free Republic realizes the need to have a clear conversation without diversion and distraction by anyone with a disruptive agenda.
"How do you like my pear, honey. I got it on sale."
Wow, beautifully stated, dearest xzins, and a very solid and valid endorsement of our home, Free Republic!
Jim tries every FReepathon and in between to explain the many reasons for keeping FR, self-supporting, totally independent and free from all outside influences, and actually, it’s all about protecting our FREE SPEECH.
sparklite2 said that Weekly Standard no longer accepts comments from its readers! LOL. Given its recent rash of pro-RINO articles and opinion columns, I can understand “why” WS eliminated readership feedback and commentary..LOL.
Thank you very much, xzins!!
FReepers are the absolute greatest!!
Well said, xzins. The Mods do a really good job of weeding out trolls and trouble makers but still allowing discourse and differences of opinion.
Onyx, the point you make about Jim keeping FR free of advertising is a good one and am always happy to see it explained.
Heston’s “manners” observation has long been out of date...
If it’s uncivil of me to disagree with your political views, why is it freedom for you to disagree with mine?
Yeah, funny...funny how right McCarthy was most of the time.
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