We want this site to stay a good place for regulars and all the new visitors coming by to be welcomed. 1) we’re off topic 2) emotions are running too high, and 3) it is not benefiting anyone.

If the parties interested would like to continue their debate, I am willing to help them set up anonymous email accounts and they can email each other back and forth.

By the way, Bluenote did not clear the chatbox, I did. As someone pointed out today in the chatbox – “it is a NEW day”. Please let’s try to leave this behind… and lets stay on discussing the topics rather than eachother.

Mr. and Mrs. Hogie. I think a whole lot of introspection has occurred as a result of this post. Its all you can hope for. Time to let it go. Besides this comment section is taking forever to load.

That Britney Spears info was crazy! But then again, she’s always been a few fries short of a happy meal.

Have a great day everybody!

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa2/ixmio/cookieshalloween.jpg

You are correct, Marcus, our civility is determined by the country we are born and raised in. Fortunately, we all share in common the heritage of the most civilized country in the world, the U. S. of A.!

Am I right, or am I right?

Therefore calling Brittney Spears a “retard” is my right, my guaranteed, given me by the constituion, my freedom of speech right!

Holy heck! And July 4th is all the way over, for this year.

So, Marcus, will the Halloween party be a costume party and will there be a band? How about a cover charge? Will you provide… escourts for those of us who are too… shy to provide our own?

ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, MARCUS!

You seriously contacted “law enforcement” because someone didn’t agree with you on an internet bulletin board?

Hells bells and milk shakes from mars.

So, cahs, how’d the law respond to your complaints? Did they keep a straight face and were they polite? I imagine they were nice, our peace officers are the best, and better than all the rest.

But if you really called them with said complaints, I’d bet they had one heck of a time NOT cracking a grin or two.

Yer a hoot, cahs, a real hoot!
And I do mean that in the best, and most sincere sense of the word.

You said: ” … like Easterner, I too know where the trolls reside …”

You have crossed a line here. I take your threats very serously, and law enforcement has been contacted.

Sincerely,
Mrs.

I did not make fun of gays in the chat box last night…or mock them. Your wife made some comment about Guest 3340 and I thinking that Matthew Shepherd getting killed was probably funny to us. That comment was out in left field. We were talking about Saving Grace and the Closer. IMO, you two are like peas in a pod….always baiting and ripping people new ones for the sake of arguing. His unprovoked and unwarranted slam should be taken off the board and this thread should be closed so we can start up a new one called: Agree with Hoagie or else…….

(Seriously Mr Eagle, Hoagie has called me a dork, stupid, a liar, and argues for the mere effect of wearing down his opponents emotionally. He should be counseled to cease violating the rules here….like Easterner, I too know where the trolls reside)

Guaranteed, if you put us all in a room with ample entertainment and good cheer, we’d all be having a grand old time…mainly because people don’t get all retarded over a silly joke in real life.

I think we need to schedule a gathering. I’ve got a hell of a Halloween party coming up this year and you’re all invited. Hit me up for address info. BYOB, some beer and liquor will be provided. If you’re a smoker when you drink, I’ll have load your owns available for 10 cents a pop.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa2/ixmio/yeah.jpg

Seriously, hit me up. This community needs to come together.

So we’re still discussing THAT word, huh? o, k.

By now you’ve all heard of and about the film “Tropic Blunder,” or excuse me. I guess it’s called “Tropic Thunder.” Although it remains at the top against other films being shown at the same time, many people have spoken against the film, it’s film maker, producers and stars. Why? Because it uses the word “retard” in it’s most derogative sense.

Young persons affected with downs syndrome and others who were developmentally delayed spoke out against the film, saying they were tired of being called “retards,” and tired of having their feelings hurt.

I was only surprised by the controversy. I’m surprised by the demands of adults, here, that other adults be just like them. What’s intelligent about that?

Adults have pretty much made up their whole minds about their beliefs, their conduct, and their general attitude. You want to influence people, and hopefully stop the future use of the word “retard” as it is used to describe human beings? Talk to your children. Talk to the schools that educate your children. Talk to the parents of your children’s friends. Are those parents and schools also instructing the children to be respectful, kind and helpful to those who are developmentally delayed? Do something useful.

Oh, and if there ever was an appropriate way to apply the word “retard” to a human being, it would reference Brittney Spears. On her blog spot, on August 14th of this year, she states:

“Know what? Starting now I’m gonna try to get out and see more movies, you guys. I’m funny like that sometimes; I’ll just decide to start doin’ something even though I don’t really know why I’m doin’ it. Last month it was shopping for goldfish and eating tons of baby food; this month it’s movies. It’s like I’m Siskel and Ebert or something, LOL!

I was thinkin’ I could maybe see Tropic Thunder, but now I’m hearing that this movie makes fun of retards, y’all. So I guess the movie people are all like “We’re allowed to joke about tards ‘cause this is like a satire or whatever.” But I don’t think satire is funny if it makes fun of stuff.

And anyway, the thing about retarded people is that you really don’t need to make fun of them; they’re already hilarious. Everyone knows that God put retarded people on this Earth to make us smile, whether they’re wearing those weird shoes or trying to eat balloons, can’t we just let them be funny in peace?”

Now that ^^^ is just retarded.

http://www.newsgroper.com/britney-spears/2008/08/14/people-who-make-fun-tards-are-real-retards

I’m thinking us wild wimmins could show those men a thing or two about civility…

I appreciate your response; I do think the “attacks” have been two-sided and it is time we all stopped beating this dead horse. Although I may not agree with you on everything you wrote, I do appreciate that you took the time to respond to me in a calm and civil manner.

Thanks again.

Perhaps he is part of the attack problem (I know I am), as are many others.

Hey, I’ve lived with the man for nearly 20 years. He’s a great guy and a formidable opponent in an argument/discussion. He know’s his facts (on most things) and backs up what he says. I’ve nearly always found him to be fair (if perhaps a bit harsh on occasion ), even when *I* don’t agree with him — and sometimes I don’t and I’m not afraid to tell him so. He doesn’t take it personally.

On occasion folks are put off because of his intellect and directness in expressing his views. He doesn’t tend to sugar coat things, nor does he have much interest in false politeness just to be liked.

You said: ” [he has] … insinuated, often, that people who don’t agree with his political views have low i.q.s and/or are conservatives who are the equivalent of being “sick human beings”.

Hmmm, well I’d have to see where he actually did that in the context you describe. He may have made comments about low i.q.s when someone obviously is being silly and defending a position that’s indefensible. Or he may have stated that someone is a “sick human being” — like the folks who were gay-bashing on live chat last night (I happen to agree they are sick for thinking it’s so cool that a gay guy was murdered on TV and it was called HOMO-cide).

Actually, my husband does not often get upset in any significant way that is detrimental to his emotional health or our life as a family. He has a very thick skin and others’ unfair criticism doesn’t usually stick. That said, when he screws up, he feels bad and apologizes.

For those of you who don’t know him and are judging him harshly, I think you’d be surprised. He’s a wonderful Father & Husband, defender of the underdog, and humanitarian. Oftentimes people are completely different than our preconceived notions of them.

OK, I’m quite sure I’ve embarrassed him enough, so I’ll stop now.

Disclaimer: I am Idahoagie’s wife and he DID NOT approve this message!

Can I ask you, do you think that maybe Idahogie at times can be part of the “attack” problem you raise? He has attacked and engaged in name-calling on this and other posts. He has acknowledged intentionally “baiting” people on another post and has insinuated, often, that people who don’t agree with his political views have low i.q.s and/or are conservatives who are the equivalent of being “sick human beings”.

This is not an attack; I have not posited a viewpoint one way or the other about the “picture” in this post, although I have supported fellow posters’ rights to express their own opinions.

Your husband is obviously very upset right now and continuing to argue this issue in the hope of having a “winner” declared. See post 208.

I am simply trying to head off any more “flame ups” on this post and possibly resolve the issue to the extent that it can be resolved: agreeing to disagree.

Thanks! Have a good day, all.

I really like this statement made by Boomer:

“The internet is a place where written words rule. Arguments on the net are settled by the forces of reason, logic, and the ability to write them concisely. The ability to read carefully is as important as the ability to write.”

As I share my thoughts on this, I’ll do my best to tread carefully and treat everyone with dignity and respect. It’s been my observation — and I’ve been reading IFT long before I decided to post — that the second part of his statement ” … the ability to read carefully is as important as the ability to write,” is all too often ignored. I would add that there’s a whole lot of value in evaluating the message rather than reacting to the messenger. In this discussion (yes, I know you’re all sick of it and so am I) there are lots of examples of a knee-jerk reaction toward killing the messenger whose message was simply “hey, you might want to think about the cruelty of this image and evaluate whether that’s the person you’d like to be — a person who finds it funny.”

And all over IFT there are many examples where logic, reason and good writing are ignored and discounted because folks became offended, dug in their heels, refused to evaluate the efficacy of their arguments and decided to attack the messenger.

Disclaimer: Before someone feels the need to point it out I’ll say “Yes, the messenger in many cases is my husband.”

I don’t need to come to my husband’s defense; he’s perfectly capable of handling that himself. And thank goodness he has a strong heart and very thick skin.

My point is that if the majority of folks on IFT are sincere in their desire to have a respectful, interesting, and intellectually stimulating and “on topic” place to come, it can happen. And it can only be considered a GOOD thing when people who see/ believe and think differently come around to participate and hang out. But THAT will only happen if the “group think” mentality (we’ll be decent to you as long as you don’t challenge or disagree or point out flaws in our logic and/or questionable character tendencies) is tempered.

So that’s my .02 cents for today and I really do hope it does not start yet another flame war. That’s certainly not my intention.

(Driving aggressively, cutting people off, and flipping off those who honk at you)

… is not equal to …

(Getting cut off, honking, laughing and waving at someone who’s flipping off you and your kids)

It’s kind of silly to try and make those two actions equivalent. Let’s apply that inequality to this thread:

(Laughing at a young Special Olympian labeled “retard,” then insulting those who point it out)

… is not equal to …

(Pointing out that it is rude to laugh at disabled kids and to use the word “retard”)

Or this:

(Being intolerant towards gays)

… is not equal to …

(pointing out intolerance towards gays)

Which side of the inequality are you placing yourself on, Weirdo? Do you really sympathize with the As?

Others are content to have an agreement that the As continue what they’re doing, and the rest of us should be polite and not “act agressive” towards the As – because we might antagonize them. Sorry, Weirdo – they’re already spoiling our community. Acting nice isn’t going to change that.

I say be polite until someone crosses the line, then point it out. If they attack you for being “hypersensitive,” then mock them. Maybe they’ll learn to be better human beings – or maybe they’ll just stop being so public with their rudeness. Or maybe they’ll just decide to keep acting like an A.

I’m getting slammed here for my aggressive approach to people who want to laugh at the disabled. Look at any of my comments on any thread. The As are modding them down by reflex, even totally innocuous comments. I’m getting repeatedly insulted out of the blue. That’s their only response to me – anger. It doesn’t bother me at all.

I’ll stand on my reputation – I don’t appreciate people who mock disabled kids (or gays), and I’ll defend them strongly. The As are creating their reputation here too, and it’s not very impressive.

It’s your decision: are you an A or a B?