Aug 7, 2009 -- 6:45PM, Dutch777 wrote:

You really need to grow up and learn to communicate like a mature adult.

Aug 7, 2009 -- 6:00PM, Bevo wrote:

 I asked Obama what Detention Center I will be sent to for exercising my free political speech.

Besides Dutch,

He's blabbing a State Secret. We are not supposed to know about the detention centers. How did he find out about them????

Seriously, we have lost the civility on both sides. I really could not stand Clinton and a lot of libs hated Bush with a purple passion. I think it's who that is NOT in power is the one who is being surly.In another 4 to 8 years, the Dems will be surly like they were when Bush was in. At least Obama seems to be faithful to his wife and he seems to have some brains.

Aug 7, 2009 -- 9:54PM, Theconfusedone wrote:

*looks around* Have I walked into the wrong board? I'm suddenly getting that wierd Twilight Zone feeling. Anyone else?

Is there a reason why politics is being so liberally (no pun intended) thrown around here with no mention to the religion of peace and tolerance that we all believe in?

I'm not going to cover it with a cough, polite or otherwise. I'm simply going to ask nicely, please stop with the name calling and the politics bashing. This isn't the place for it, nor the time. If you want to go bicker and fight over politics or the so-called ignorance of Southerners, I'm sure there are other places more appropriate than here.

Now... *makes shooing motions with her hands* Go outside and play nicely.

Theconfusedon,

I could not agree more,   and Welcome to the Board!

Bob,

Please do something about this. It's gone too far.

Aug 8, 2009 -- 1:30AM, Spokang wrote:

Bob,

Please do something about this. It's gone too far.

Please reread message # 32.

Confused: LOL!!!  Yer right!  We don't need a moderator, we need a Mom around here!  =:D

May I make a suggestion to everyone about how to handle trolls?  It works real well - slowly, but well.

Whenever you see the name of a troll on a post, scroll past it and go on to the next one.  Don't even read it.  That's the trick.  If you don't read it, you don't react to it and feed them.  It all about them - was then, is now, and ever shall be - about them.  Deny them the oxygen by ignoring them.

And don't fall for the old dodge that you're afraid of their ideas or won't respond because you can't.  Remember, they are trolls.

It is sometimes excruciating to do, but ignore them.  It's alot like stopping smoking - the first few days are the toughest.  After that, it's a cake walk.

On to the subject?...

Slu: GREAT post and GREAT thread!  This is a fascinating, and scary, political development in our country since the Obama election.  Essentially, it's a form of "beer hall putsch" going on in many circles, be they political, religious, even bureaucratic (think school boards).

From what I can deduce, it IS about the Obama election.  A small contingent of rightwingers lost the election, and they are besides themselves with fear.  And there are some of them who see this as a wonderful opportunity to fear-monger and organize.

I suspect that there are some who simply feel that "the nation is waiting for someone to stand up to the elitists, and they will swarm to the support of the brave to defend the country and defeat the elitists", or some such scenario.  But Pat Buchanan put it quite well in his description of the Goldwater Syndrome: Goldwater had a dedicated group of followers who would do anything for him, but his support would never approach an electable majority, so he would be relegated to a vocal, sidelined minority.

But then came Karl Rove and Co.

There is a group of people in the rightwing world who are more interested in "running interference" than actually engaging in democracy.  Slu's CNN tape is perfect example.  They know they have zero chance of winning, but they can prevent others from winning, as well.

We've seen it in our church with IRD & Co.  They've created a tremendous amout of harm, and helped nothing and no one.  But they really weren't interested in helping anything.  Only stopping.  Hence the beer hall putsch in TEC and TAC.

We are seeing the same thing here with the people in the town hall meeting.  They are the real world's version of our trolls here on the forums.  Back bench bomb throwers; hecklers; meeting thugs.

Solution?  Ignore them when possible, arrest them for disturbing the peace when necessary.  If we don't, they can bring democracy to it's knees.  Let's face it, they may have been raised in one of the oldest democracies on the globe, that doesn't mean they like or support democracy.

...PS: I also think there is more than a bit of racism involved in their mindset, too....