Reply #89: Dear Blashyrkh, welcome to DU! [View All]

[keopeli]

Your comments today have put me off, especially when you have used profanity and name-calling to blast people who disagree with you. Since you have only been a member here for 2 months and are an infrequent poster, I thought I'd give you a little of my own insights. I suppose if you have not lived with the DU community for the past 6 years, you may be unaware of the depth of animosity Fallwell built up among this largely tolerant population. If you had been here, I think you would be less surprised and dismayed at the vitriol that has poured out as a result of Fallwell's seemingly-belated demise (to me, anyway).

As far as DU rules go, you are perfectly welcome to express your opposing opinion, even though your opinion ranks in a minority of DUers. However, when emotions become heated and disagreements evolve, we maintain our civility towards each other (which is about all we can do).

Personally, I have enjoyed today's debate. I enjoyed reading posts by yourself and others that run contrary to my own way of thinking. But, once you descend to name calling and other logical and rational fallacies (which I can't quote here because they've been deleted by moderators), you are likely to bump up against a wall.

The truth is that DUers do NOT share Fallwell's hatred of whole classes of people based on his own baseless beliefs. By and large, we avoid the trappings of the "hate class" that single out people based on erroneous notions.

However, people like me, who have lived with the consequences of Fallwell's firebrand sermonizing and demonizing, who have had friends die while he danced on their graves, who have fought tirelessly to counter his poisonous rhetoric, we feel a great sense of relief at his passing...even giddiness and joy. Although he would never admit it (he thought he would be raptured), we knew all along that one day he would die and the cancer that was his life would be at an end. This is not wishing him dead: it is acknowledging his death and the fruits that come with it.

I can understand how someone new to DU might be offended by today's Fallwell post-mortem party. I can see how, out of context, it seems petty, trite, even shameful. But, I believe it is the picture that Fallwell himself painted, the sum of his actions, and the sheer relief that he will never utter another hateful word that has caused this board to be overcome with untempered remarks. Perhaps in a day or two, like with a hangover, individuals will step back from their words today and temper them with more careful word choices. But, for me, I have let my mind revel in the knowledge that I will never hear from his forked tongue again, that he no longer can cause any pain to the living souls that he tortured.

I've taken the time to write this because you are new to DU and an unusual day like today deserves some sort of explanation. I hope today will not disuade you from continuing to participate in our discussions. I also hope you (and others) will refrain from name calling, which is always unbecoming.

You need not reply - but do know that you and your opposing views are welcome here as long as you are not a lurker or have other nefarious intents - and I don't believe that you do. I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future.

Peace to you.
Keo