Ever since we strengthened our spam filter, leading a number of comments to be caught in our “Moderation Queue,” I have been astounded to discover there the number of comments of readers who have been banned from this site, many of them in the same tone which caused these individuals to lose their privilege to comment here.
I will never (fully) understand why those who so revile us spend so much time on this site, not merely reading (or claiming to read) our posts, but also taking the time to write comments telling how much they hate us, but failing to address the points we’ve made.
Some just attack us with one individual offering this comment: “why should anyone be surprised at the bigotry towards homosexuals expressed by conservatives. conservatives by definition are narrow-minded, living in the past and have a hard time thinking out of the paper bag of limited ideas they place themselves in.” It’s obvious this individual has not spent much time reading conservatives blogs — or otherwise familiarizing himself with conservative ideas.
Let me make clear, this does not hold true for all of our critics, many of whom make valid points about our posts and address weaknesses in our arguments.
What strikes me the most about our angry critics is what I call, their “entitlement mentality,” they feel they have a right to post on this site and that our banning them deprives them of free speech. But, the banning does no such thing. They are welcome to find other fora to vent their hatred of conservatives — and there are many such blogs which specialize in that.
Once again, I express the wish that those who disagree with us who take the time to read our posts, take the time to craft serious rebuttals to our arguments, understand that we put them forward in good faith and that we welcome serious discussion. It’s why we have a comments section. There are those who do that.
Then, there are also those who have a very strong animus against those on the right. And yet their very comments indicate how limited their understanding is of those they hate so much. Indeed, they frequently misrepresent the posts to which they attach their comments. And why is it, I wonder, that they spend so much at a blog whose ideas they understand so little but hate so much?
Its all about control. The Left has nothing if they don’t have control. Its no use being superior to everyone if no one knows about it! They do hate you. More than they could ever hate Osama. Like Fox news, you piss them off constantly with your ability to express your views publicly without their power to edit. You might infect the simple sheep that come across your blog and they just can’t risk it.
“…why is it, I wonder, that they spend so much at a blog whose ideas they understand so little but hate so much?”
LOL đ Dan, that’s a question I’ve had the pleasure of asking some of those people in the past. I believe their hateful attention to this blog was/is a twisted form of praise. Their answers were always evasive, but as near as I could infer, their motivation was a kind of jealous fear – which they couldn’t admit – that this blog’s ideas and principles might be right. Meaning that giant chunks of what they have founded their own lives on, is not.
C’est la vie. Goes with the terrority, of your being a (good) conservative blog with a public comments section, I guess.
sorry, TERRITORY – lol
To truely understand what drives the Left I think I finally found someone who has a valid theory. Trying to figure out why the Left is the way it is can drive someone crazy, so itâs a good thing heâs a comedian. Watch his speach:
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Events/ev030507a.cfm
To see how the Left operates as a mob and is anti-individual read Tammy Bruceâs âThe New Thought Police: Inside the Leftâs Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds â
http://www.amazon.com/New-Thought-Police-Inside-Assault/dp/0761563733/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5185531-7876761?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173892014&sr=1-1
And then finally, see the Left in action today in the face of our profound Islamic enemies.. see how no principal is too good for them to betray when it comes to hating thier own countries read
âWhatâs Leftâ by Nick Cohen (A UK Leftist)
http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Left-Nick-Cohen/dp/0007229690/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5185531-7876761?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173891951&sr=8-1
Armed with this information, you can see them for the bankrupt shock troops that they are.
Vera never could understand why some people consider anonymity an invitation to incivility. Things people wouldnât dream of saying to someoneâs face are somehow considered acceptable in an anonymous (written) format.
Vera is an ardent defender of proper manners (something that sadly, seems to have fallen out of fashion) and doesnât believe in putting up with rude comments from the misinformed, misanthropic, or Miss Mannerâs dropouts.
For the sake of civility and personal safety, Vera carries the cutest little tazer in her Jimmy Choo handbag, – and her trusty hat pins are always available to drive home the point.
Arguably, tazers and hat pins not the best weapons to run a civil blog, but a ban stick does comes in handy every now and then, too.
Cheers!
Vera: I think it is sad how low our civil discourse has become. That said, I’ve been fighting (or rather been the target of lefty gay’s who think I need to conform to thier politics) for at least 10 years now, and I no longer have patience for them.
TWISTED. LOL
VinceP
I am a proud lefty and liberal. I am one heckuva unique individual and appreciate individuality in others.
I see right-wingers as not encouraging diversity at all. Kicking people to the curb and telling them to fend for themselves is not exactly championing ‘individuality’. Conservatives don’t’ accept or welcome differences. You all have to be the same.
I see conservatives as the thought police, totally against Free Speech and Free Minds. I greatly fear what horrors the Republicans will think of next.
Elias-
You may “see” Republicans as all those bad things…but the facts are that dissent of opinion and forcing people “to the curb” by intimidation has actually happened by those on the Left — and increasingly so since Bill Clinton perfected the politics of personal destruction.
You may not want to “see” it, but many of us have borne the totalitarian tactics of the American Left for many years now.
Here, here Bruce!
As a gay, partnered monogamous Catholic GOP father of two living the American Dream, I can tell you the GayLeft despises success –loathes those who won’t suffer down on the Democrat Plantation– and is fast to anger when their usual bag of tricks no longer has currency for a gay male.
But then, it is also true of the Left… it’s no secret the intolerance is stronger toward one of your “own” you think has abandoned the pack for more fertile ground… or one who ought to appreciate that they are your natural political ally and you aren’t following the script, carrying the water pail, shoveling the coal as is your proper place.
Take a second and habit OutSports or DailyKos or BlogActive or any of the hundreds of other sites… it’s as bad or worse than you wrote earlier about PoliPundit.
Here, here Bruce. I ditto that… and I don’t even like the slob.
The reason I like to read blogs such as this one , Michelle Malkin and gasp even watch Fox news once in a while, is to better understand the other point of view. I am a proud liberal, although I believe in a balanced budget and hate taxes. How many members of your little clique hear read other blogs such as the one’s you described above. Because believe me, if they did they would learn that maybe they agree with some of what the other side is saying on a certain issues. Not all issues, but some.
Dave, has it ever occured to you that many in this “little clique” do actually read leftie blogs on a routine basis?
Dave: Name me a lefty anywhere that is worth reading? All you guys do is talk in the same 20 or so tired cliches. None of you stake out any positive princpals and then talk about how to achieve them..
Look at a site like Think Progress.. I used to go there to “engage”… well almost every topic is one where they are bashing republicans or calling attention to something the country did wrong. It was all reactionary. The leftists who commented all parroted one another and did nothing but spew hate and venom toward people. They had a field day with me when I told them I was gay.. got called faggot and worse… but it’s ok for “progressives” call people faggot.
The only folks more screw up in thier heads than “progressives” are Jihadis.
Dave: You had me, then you lost me. If you’re really here to expose yourself to other viewpoints (as you claim – would be nice, if true), then wouldn’t you leave the insults and little stereotypes at home? Bad try.
I’ve read blogs that leaned leftish, though seldom very far left. For some reason they’ve become “right-wing” over time, not so much because the opinions of the owner changed but because anyone who doesn’t conform to certain things is “right-wing”, supporting the war (or at least not calling for failure) and hating that Bush is stealing air are the most obvious.
The “kick to the curb” thing is rhetoric to end discussion. No doubt the “right” has similar phrases about the policies of the left. All most conservatives want (and the definition of *conservative*) is for the help given those who need it to actually *work*. Usually it doesn’t. Demand that programs deliver or die is “hating” or “kick them to the curb?” We want to help people but it’s *not* helping people to do things that don’t work, that don’t actually help them.
Why? Because we don’t delight in telling people that they’re special because they’re black, Hispanic etc. We see people as people and Americans. Liberals see blacks, Hispanics etc. as those that need to be pandered to and are incapable of doing anything for themselves.
Nor do we (generally) cave into threats by “special interest groups” who aren’t getting their way.
Who is it that wrings their hands because “Obama isn’t ‘black’ enough? Who is it that delighted in reminding everybody over & over that Tony Dungee and Lovie Smith were the “fist black coaches to reach the Super Bowl”? I could go on. THAT is not “encouraging diversity.
If I follow you, you’re complaining that conservatives believe that people are capable of doing for themselves. Well it’s true, in a way. If you teach a man to fish, he can feed himself for the rest of his life. If you take fish from others who did the work to catch them and give it to the man, you’re only going to piss people off. If a man learns to do for himself, don’t you think that encourages individuality instead of relying on others to do it for him?
As long as they’re intelligent differences instead of being based on feelings or “purple-plectic” rage, as long as it doesn’t require giving up what we believe in, higher taxes or handing over more power to somebody else, we do.
When I see Stalinist tactics by the left declaring that “the global warming debate is over” and threats to kill scientists who don’t support it, I gotta laugh at your comment. I can offer more examples, if you wish.
Disagreement with the general political bent of a blog shouldn’t be an exercise in masochism.
I tend to favor leftists who appear to discuss honestly and with a civil demeanor because I see the opportunity to get them to challenge their own convictions and/or conclusions and because it’s so refreshing to find a leftist of honest good will in an overwhelmingly rightist environment. If they’re brave enough to begin the conversation knowing they’ll face disagreement from all quarters, I’m more than willing to meet their civility halfway.
Nonetheless, it used to be that conservatives and liberals agreed re. what the general goals of the United States should be. Neither side questioned the patriotism of the other since we had common ends — only the means were questioned. Now and since the 1960s, conservatives and liberals no longer share common goals and both sides find it convenient and necessary to craft caricatures of the other in order to justify their suspicions. While liberals think man is incompetent, conservatives think man is immoral, but the irony is that by proxy, the goal remains largely the same: bigger government. This seems to be the only goal they still share, although in my estimation, liberals are by far the guiltier party.
HH: I have to take issue with you in one minor thing.
You are conflating Social Conservatives and Classic Conservatives. Classic Conservatives dont view individuals as immoral. Classic Conservatives view men in power as corruptable. I think for obvious reasons, you’re not going to find many social conservatives on this blog. I for one sure aren’t.
I would undoubtedly be classed as Liberal, lefty (or a ‘lefty gay’) and, similarly to Dave above, I’d also class my reason for reading Gay Patriot and similar blogs as one of the ways I get an insight into how people on the other side of the political spectrum, gay or otherwise, are either interpreting events or reacting to leftist views or blogs. Items of interest regularly are noticed and commented on first as well.
I don’t agree with a lot of the idealogy I read here, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m right (or that I’m wrong for that matter…). It allows me to strengthen, elaborate on or reconsider my position. It’s certainly not going to shake the bedrock of my life however I think that it may give me more depth idealogically. What I don’t like seeing on either side of blogging is the broad generalisations against those leftys, or the conservatives. Generalising fails often and while the post was very good at isolating it to specific groups of visitors, rather than all Left wing readers, some of the comments fail to make that distinction – either through lack of time or clarity when posting or by design.
Specifically – I don’t want to edit this blog… I wouldn’t do it justice. I don’t want that level of control in my life – I would think and hope that anyone who comes here has a certain level of strength of belief in their own personal idealogies, and that such ‘simple sheep’ wouldn’t be so easily ‘infected’. It’s amazing how things that are different are quoted as being so easily able to infect others now.
Another comment referred to the ability to see beyond labels, yet there still remains that huge distinction between the right and the left. I’m sure it will remain, but stereotyping everyone who considers themselves Left and/or Progressive (such as being screwed up in the head and comparable in some way to Jihadis) without due consideration of their individuality or personal perspective is always going to lead to further argument without any true understanding. This is just as accurate from the other perspective when one considers the rhetoric thrown at Right Wing and/or Conservative individuals – which is coming right back to the point of the post imo.
Well in a lot of cases, no individuality is demostrated. I suppose if one was sort of new to hearing thier arguments that one would appear to be more open to thier positions, however, I’m not new to their arguments and over the course the years it’s pretty obvious how monolithic thier positions are. There’s very little originial coming from that camp and you can prettymuch predict what thier view will be on any given topic by asking yourself , what would Geoge Bush think.. their position will be the opposite.. no matter if it was a “Progressive” princple to support the thing in the past or not.
Dave (#12) – I read lefty blogs every day. And all I see there is swearing, threats of violence, beating people that are down, insults to this nation, praising terrorists who kill or threaten to kill Americans and their elected leaders, and intimidation of those who comment with an alternate point of view.
I’m curious as to what lefty blogs YOU are reading??
“And all I see there is swearing, threats of violence, beating people that are down, insults to this nation, praising terrorists who kill or threaten to kill Americans and their elected leaders, and intimidation of those who comment with an alternate point of view.”
Sounds like al-Jazeera or Tehran TV to me.
Oh, wait, we were talking about liberals.
Never mind.
Regards,
Peter H.
Vince (#19),
I should have been more precise. By linking the term ‘conservative’ with a view that man is immoral or, by implication, that conservatives are obsessed with morality (and the politics associated with it), I meant social conservatives.
For further precision, I would also change my conclusion that the goal of bigger government is the same for both liberals and conservatives. I think the goals of morality and materialism are different, but the means of achieving them are the same: bigger government. So, whereas libs and conservs used to agree on the goals and differ on the means, they now agree on the means and differ on the goals.
Perhaps we need to invent a new term that describes the libertarian conservative, of which I’m one (and I think you are, too). (I would consider myself a classic liberal, but that is such a loaded term and implies brotherhood with those who have co-opted the term liberal that I hate to go in that direction. Too much esplainin’ to do, right Lucy?)
In reading the various posts, I think there are a few social conservatives here, although that’s anecdotal to just a few conversations. But you’re right, the homosexual nature of this blog would undoubtedly repel most of them.
# 22- It appears disagreement ferments your disgust. You were disgusted at Poli pundit the other day only because you disagreed with it. The same thing with lib blogs.
The blogesphere appears to be same on both sides of the pol. spect.
Bruce I read the Huffington Post, Americablog, Crooks and Liars, Joe My God, Pam’s House Blend, Towleroad , Michelle Malkin, Andrew Sullivan everyday. Not necessarily in that order, but I read this group of blogs almost daily. Do not read The Kos that much, I know it is the biggest left wing blog, but to me it is kind of boring.
HH: I think our views are very closely aligned. I would agree with either of the two labels you stated.. libertarean conservative / classic liberal.
Vera, tazers are fine, but I prefer my Glock .45ACP.
#27 – Same here, Vince! And I believe, for several others.
In fact: The classical liberal / conservative libertarian / libertarian conservative viewpoint is probably *THE* dominant / popular / safe viewpoint to have, on this blog.
The very few commentors who might (repeat MIGHT) be real social conservatives, get name-called and subjected to vicious personal attacks; not only by Gay Left commentors, but even by commentors such as HardHobbit. LOL đ
Having inhabited various message boards for a dozen years or so I understand the need to eventually limit access. It’s a fact of life and no one need apologize for it (though explaining the whys and wherefores is the polite thing to do for those who don’t already know).
Re: Reading liberal sites, I get plenty of that infuriating point of view through television, newspapers, radio, magazines, movies, etc. As someone suggested, it’s all the same parroted views (eventually down to identical wording) so I don’t believe I’m missing anything by skipping more of the same via yet another source.
Censors always censor out of fear, and then invent a more palatable justification.
Willy. you liberals must be very fearful then
I will never (fully) understand why those who so revile us spend so much time on this site, not merely reading (or claiming to read) our posts, but also taking the time to write comments telling how much they hate us, but failing to address the points weâve made.
++++++++++++++++
because their humanity is lacking…………..you can disagree with a life style and still be human………….
I am straight over 50 and born and raised in Texas……….politically I am a far right conservative….. The wife and I are friends with a female couple (one was a student of mine) and when we have gone out, the young lady that was my student and I will look the young ladies and at each other and you can imagine the comments between us. I may be Christian, but God made me a man……….and he made way to many pretty women in Texas.
Through the years, I have watched America slowly developed a live and let live attitude that becomes stressed at times.
Even though I do not agree with the gay life style, I have no animosity toward the gay comunity. There are times that I do not understand some of the stances that yall take…..especially in direct opposition to the Christian right. at times, it seems that the battle is more important than attaining the goal………..
the spectacle in SanFran between the costumed gays and the Christian kids did not earn the gay community any stars……………some times things just can not be controlled by either side…………..
the push for gay marriage is a losing fight for the gay community and has created untold friction between the gay community and Christians.
In spite of what many gays think, Christians understand the need in the gay community for recognition of your unions so you have rights to be considered a couple with the legal rights that this endows concerning medical treatment, legal affairs, loans……
the term gay marriage will never succeed in America for it is not acceptable to Christians that make up 76% of America.
there is an old adage that says: you can accomplish more by working with them than against them if the goal is the same………….
a better way to approach legal recognition may be to ask for help to establish the mechanism(s) for legal recognition of unions – partnerships to gain what you seek. this would be acceptable to sufficient Christians to allow the laws to be passed………….
what does the gay community truly desire to be “married” or to have the legal recognition of your union – partnership….which do you think can be attained????
occasionally we all have to step back to look at what we really desire and if there may not be better ways to obtain our goals instead of beating out heads against the wall.
The Texican.
Live free die free.
God Family America Freedom the only choice at any cost.
Texican: I”m gay and I oppose gay marriage (so-called).
1 – The American people don’t want it.
2 – The issue always loses when it comes to vote
So the only way this thing can get into law is through the courts.
I have been telling whoever will hear… Americans dont want law shoved down their throats via unresponsive courts. If gays think they’re going to run-around the Legislatures and go to the courts to get thier way, then they are going to create a huge backlash. Not because everyone hates gays, but because no one likes their political rights being trampled on by the courts.
If they keep pushing this issue, one day Congress is going to simply ban the Surpreme Court from hearing cases on the law for this issue.
They dont listen to me though.. they’re too wrapped up in themselves to care about things like democracy and Federalism.
Right on, Texican. You summed it up perfectly.
If and when we ever meet, the beer and shot of whiskey are on me.
Regards,
Peter H.
I realize this is
slightlystartlingly off-topic for the post, but following up on the thread of recent comments:Exactly! Federalism was the founding priciple of our government and the underlying priciple of the Constitution, and I, for one, have a bone to pick with anyone who tries to subvert this well-proven system.
I think that Republicans should use the whole “Gay Marriage” issue as a litmus test of a different sort for candidates, in that any person willing to throw our system federalism to the wind for short term political gain isn’t worthy of any Federal public office.