I drove up Harbor Blvd. from the 91 on Easter afternoon and noticed the first signs of spring.
Not, I mean, the first signs that we’re warming up after winter — those happened long ago. I mean the first campaign signs: several in the orange-and-indigo theme of the Fullerton recall, a few for Travis Kiger (who is competing primarily with Glenn Georgieff for Dick Jones’s seat) and one way up high on a pole for Chris Norby.
This is not a popular sentiment in the pages of Friends for Fullerton’s Future, the blog owned by Tony Bushala that deserves most of the credit for provoking and promoting the recall, but at some point one might expect voters’ calculations regarding the recall to involve not only how much the incumbents deserve to retain their offices, but also who is likely to replace them. At least four candidates for the three seats have been associated with (and at least three of them largely lionized by) FFFF. Three are Republicans: Planning Commissioner Kiger, Parks Commissioner Barry Levinson, and Greg Sebourn. Opinion among FFFF commenders about one of Sebourn’s opponents, Jane Rands, seems to be a mixture of respect for her criticism of the Council and disrespect for her being part of the Green Party.
(Disclosure statement: I’m a Democratic candidate for the State Senate district including Fullerton, volunteering with the campaign of Council candidate Paula Williams, and had an absolutely hellacious go-round with FFFF commenters, beneath a column where Sebourn noted the “irony” that there was a water main break last month on the street of a “water reformer,” as he described himself in the headline. Luckily for me, I suggested long before my recent blow-up that I thought that FFFF would itself become an issue in the election, as it might be thought to give some clue into the temperament and support of those candidates who might replace the incumbents. This insight is not some brainstorm, it simply comes from my talking to many voters outside of the FFFF orbit. And while I suspect that this story will inevitably be depicted as a hit piece — comments on which will probably be part two of the series — I don’t intend it as such. I find FFFF to be a mixed bag, partly admirable, partly abominable. It has a serious record of discovering, reporting on, and badgering over issues that others have given short shrift –combined with a fire-breathing, take-no-prisoners, jarringly un-self-reflective spirit. Decide for yourself!)
So, I just want to comb some of the recent FFFF comments sections for some examples that seem to represent the ethos of the group that, as soon as two months from now, could end up with its denizens controlling the entire city government. (They generally align with with incumbent Bruce Whitaker, who works for Assemblyman Chris Norby, against whom Fullerton Mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva is running in the new AD-65).
Here’s some excerpts from this past weekend’s notable comments (all of which appear to be from regular commenters and/or ones who support the FFFF position on its main issues):
(1) [About the “water tax”:]
First step is to hire a “more” COMPETENT CITY ATTORNEY!
CITY COUNCIL GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO DRAFT A PLAN TO RETURN EVERY CENT THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED SINCE THE STATE DECLARED THE COLLECTION OF THESE FUNDS TO BE ILLEGAL.
…
Do like the IRS, no receipts=no deduction
The water fund had no expenses, refund all the collected funds as a penalty for staff and management incompetence.
(2) [Regarding Mayor Quirk-Silva:]
I have seen you at ribbon cuttings, you lady ( i use the term loosely)…suck, bad, but go ahead and continue- to pal around with loosers, like Loretta….and who ever told you to wear that red scarve, please tell me it wast raul, loretta’s fag hag boy-wanna be stylist…it puts on 13 pounds, to your already ruebenesqe figure…see Im a giver, I just told you something apparently your freinds have a problem doing..you look stupid with that scarve- stupid.
(3) [Regarding the gay student who was yanked from speaking at a FHS Assembly by an Asst. Principal, note that at least one commenter challenged this regular commenter:]
If the kid wants to be a butt-pirate, it’s his choice, let him do it in the privacy of his home and leave the rest of us out of it. … I’m not running around telling everyone my choices. Why does he need to do that? The question had nothing to do with his sexual orientation. He wanted to make a statement and you’re feeding into it.
(4) [Regarding the promotion in rank of FPD spokesperson Andrew Goodrich from sergeant to lieutenant:]
Dear me, I see what is happening, Like the ex theif, I mean cheif….
Andy is being promoted, or he will spill the beans,meaning- give him his promotion, so he can garner that amount of money for his retirement, its a ploy, he isnt staying, he too the chubby troll spawn from the human troll SYL,will leave with his monies in hand, poor fat fuck andy- will never be accepted, ANYWHERE, your a stupid goober, who has managed to, obviously learn how to do hand jobs on his bosses…no other reason, would make sense, none, other than he is the dept NEd beatty in Deliverance…and he doesnt have a pretty mouth- you go figure….hand job? who is with me.
I don’t want or expect people to take my word for it regarding how representative these comments are of discussion on FFFF; the RSS feed is in our right column, so go check it out yourself. (I’d hate for OJB to be judged by our worst commenters, but we tend to tell our worst commenters to stuff it. Is this the custom on FFFF? Check it out. My sense is that I didn’t have to look hard for these, and that there was plenty of support for all but perhaps the “keep the gay out of my face” one.) Of course, these comments are not necessarily reflective of the views of Fullerton’s potential new overlords — and, if they’re not, the FFFF-community candidates have the chance to say so.
First, I don’t own FFFF. That is an error promulgated by the anti-recall side, and now, by you.
I’m sorry you are so offended by some of our commenters.Of course you don’t have to go to the website and be offended either, except that apparently you have plenty of time on your hands.
You appear offended, too, by our unwillingness to delete or spend a bunch of time disavowing comments you find objectionable. Too bad. Dumb, insensitive, racist comments stand out for what they are and need no excision by hand-wringing, pear-clutching censors.
FYI, FFFF has had almost 100,000 comments since its inception in late 2008.Thanks for sharing four of them.
Whoe does own, FFFF, Tony?
The comments you allow to stand are a reflection on you, and it isn’t a pretty picture.
No, comments are a reflection of the people who write them – one way or another. If some of the comments bother you don’t go to the website. It’s still a free country. Sort of.
I have to go to the website, Tony; it contains lots of important information (and some interesting perspectives) about local politics.
It also gives some insight into the people who support the three candidates from within the FFFF community — and therefore what might be expected if two or three (or one now plus one later) candidates associated with the FFFF community take control of the Fullerton Council.
This is true whether you like it or not. “Free county,” as you say.
It’s a rough-n-tumble neighborhood over there, comrade. You have to remember these are REPUBLCIANS and other rightwingers who are misbehaving anonymously, you and I are gonna be extra irritated at them. I was happy to see that the “butt-pirate” comment got a lot of pushback immediately. It’s a sign of progress.
And Sharon looking “reubenesque” in her red scarf? That’s to laugh at, dude. These snotty-nosed boys WISH their girlfriends looked like Sharon.
Well, as I recall one commenter pushed back. Still, 1 > 0.
I went through this exercise prompted by reading that last comment about Mayor SQS — which I expect that non-FFFF readers may think that I made up to parody them (which I did not.) None of this is about my personal sensitivities (and as you know I can smack it around just fine.) It’s about FFFF — which is potentially the dominant force in Fullerton over the next two, four, etc. years.
Like it or not (and I think they generally like it) what I think of as the Bushala slate has a decent chance at taking over City Council this year, and maybe even in two months — and after years of being on the attack that means that they have to expect to come under enhanced scrutiny, meaning learning how to play defense. You know, vetting. Do they plan on imposing a “Costa Mesa del Norte” here? How close to it might they come? What are they willing to pledge not to do — and with what consequences, if (like Wisconsin Guv Scott Walker) they just flat out break their pledges?
We know that FFFF knows how to go on the attack (and you and I agree that at least important parts of that attack are well-grounded.) But aside from (1) doing __________ to reform (or replace?) the FPD, (2) eliminating the water tax and therefore fixing the budget by __________, and (3) waging some sort of unspecified offensive against public employees, which could mean anything from imposing pay cuts on top brass to bankrupting the city for the purpose of voiding all union contracts and pension obligations, what do they plan to do?
We’re less than two months away from the recall election. Tossing out the three Old Incumbents means replacing them with someone new. If the FFFF crowd has not come prepared to play defense — even against pretty basic sorts of questions like “do you plan to declare bankruptcy?” and “do you agree with people who are apparently part of your base leveling largely uncommented-upon homophobic attacks at opponents from the site that two of you help run?” — then they had better be prepared to step up their game. So far, I’m only asking fair journalistic questions. Ackerman’s out there — and he won’t be fair.
“Well, as I recall one commenter pushed back. Still, 1 > 0.”
Really, only one? I just remember looking quickly at the story when it was new. Thought there was more than that. I’ll go see if *I* need to weigh in!
No. doesn’t look like my help is needed there. The article and the vast bulk of the comments are sympathetic to the gay kid. Fullerton Watcher is a homophobic prick. Fiala is a crazy anti-semite misogynist from the last century. I am glad we can all observe them.
There are anonymous scumbag commenters who follow in the wake of the Liberal OC’s grudges, Art & Sean’s grudges, and the FFFF’s grudges. It’s like swatting at mosquitos and gnats, but still it’s worth the freedom of being outside. Just how I feel.
“It’s like swatting at mosquitos and gnats, but still it’s worth the freedom of being outside”
hop mal king shoe!
[Editor’s Note: certain characters redacted from suspended user’s comment]
No, you don’t have to go, you just have a compulsion to go.
If you want information you could always just read the posts and ignore the comments.
I don’t even now what “reubenesque” means, but that comment was made by a woman.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Paul_Rubens
In Yiddish, it’s called zaftig.
Well then this “woman” wishes she looks like Sharon. Should be Rubenesque of course – and I doubt you don’t know what that means – I’m just copying her goofy spelling. Maybe she was dying for a sandwich. Probably she needs one.
Tony, I have to read it if I want to be well-informed — which I do.
You seem to believe that the only important things that happen at FFFF are in the posts rather than comments. I think that this is wishful thinking on your part. Profiting (politically) from the roiling furor in comments while distancing yourself from it is a contradiction.
The commenting community at FFFF is your (let’s make that a plural “you”) monster, without which your political activities would be much less effective. (Do you disagree with that?) Why do you think you get to say “I get to reap the benefits of the howling fury in my blog but not pay the associated costs”? I can’t tell whether you actually belief this.
“I don’t even now what “reubenesque” means, but that comment was made by a woman.”
mmmmm
[Editor’s Note: certain characters redacted from suspended user’s comment]
“In Yiddish, it’s called zaftig.”……… mmmmm
[Editor’s Note: certain characters redacted from suspended user’s comment]
“abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw”…….. mmmmmmm
Vern,
In the thread I referenced within comments to this story — http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2012/gay-kid-hauled-off-stage-at-fhs/ — only Nonya B took on “The Fullerton Watcher” and she did an admirable job of it. Later, “Fullerton Lover” also criticized him/her/it for being rude, so if you include that then it’s 2.
I see a big difference between our rough and tumble here — which you and I actively criticize generally without censoring (except now for Fiala when he’s suspended) — and what one sees there. It’s part of how they seem to keep up the community spirit, so I see it as a fair target.
erupsio
[Editor’s Note: certain characters redacted from suspended user’s comment]
… H
Soy roulette? up ych!
[Editor’s Note: certain characters redacted from suspended user’s comment, though not by Vern.]
[Editor’s Note: certain characters redacted from suspended user’s comment, though not by Vern.]……. Moon on go?
You didn’t answer the question: who owns FFFaf?
I’m happy to correct any error regarding your site ownership. I’ve heard that from, I think, all sides; friend and foe to you, whom I’ve heard refer to FFFF as “Tony’s website.” (It may be an inference from your “having put up the money to create and maintain it,” if that part is true.) If you’re willing to clarify, please do.
Since your second paragraph begins to get snotty, I suppose that I should back up and explain the issue again. You (or … whoever) have formed a community of (my guess is) several dozen boisterous activists who, in addition to attending Fullerton Council meetings, engage in all sorts of online discussion. It’s impossible to determine the numbers because of the anonymity, pseudonymity, and apparently extensive sock puppetry, but I think it’s fair to say that as a group you punch well above your weight — enough so that it is entirely plausible that those associated with FFFF could control four of five Fullerton City Council seats by June and all five by November. To some extent, this could be a “Potemkin Village” constructed of a strong online presence and lots and lots of campaign signs (which I think we can agree are your material contribution, right?), but I would not make that presumption.
For anyone seriously interested in politics, that would raise the questions: “Who are these fabulously politically successful people? What are they like?” (A relatively small segment of the local population does go to your site to check on its own, after all.) If you, like Sheldon Adelson pushing Newt Gingrich or Foster Friess funding Santorum in the Republican primaries, actually have the opportunity and inclination to install the council majority of a fair-sized city, then of course voters will naturally wonder about you, what you want … where you’ll stop. (I presume that this isn’t news to you.)
I suggest that a good indication of the spirit and mentality of those supporting you can be found on FFFF. So I’d like to send you — well, the owner, whoever it is — readers who are interested in understanding this political force, knowing what sorts of discussion goes on in its online base, and perhaps haven’t realized all of the information that is available to them.
I would not say that you or anyone at FFFF has to disavow or censor comments regardless of whether I find them objectionable. In fact, as the election approaches, I hope that you don’t — it gives people a clearer idea of the mindset there (which, as I’ve said elsewhere, strikes me as admirable in some ways and not so admirable in others.) The interesting thing is whether you want to. Apparently, you don’t. Even more interesting, the Fullerton Council candidates who participate in and help to run the website don’t seem to want to do so. You apparently think that this doesn’t even bear mention. Maybe not. I find it striking and unusual, though. My guess, honestly, is that before too long Travis and Greg and Barry will decide that a little hand-wringing and pearl-clutching is politically wise — unless they are really, really averse to taking on your commenters. And if they are so averse to that, while welcoming their support — well, that’s interesting too.
You’re welcome for my sharing four of the comments. I’ll share more as they occur. People want to know what the FFFF forces are made of, to get a hint of what the candidates they support are made of. If your argument is that they comments I chose (at least one of which I expect that you and the candidates would not even want to disavow, except for the excessive use of capital letters) are unrepresentative of the site — well, that’s easy enough for anyone to check, isn’t it? It’s all laid out there in a well-ordered archive for everyone to see.
Hi Greg,
Explain again how Jane Rands is “associated” with the FFFF blog? Because the blog has featured clips of her speaking to the Fullerton City Council and Planning Commission? Clips that are taken directly from the city’s official video record? I think your term is misleading here, particularly when you are openly backing one of her competitors in the race.
Fair question, Matt. I think that it would be more accurate to say that she’s been associated with the FFFF “crowd” rather than her participating in management of the blog itself. She is discussed in favorable terms on the blog, she made active common cause with what I see as the admirable efforts of FFFF people to protest the killing of Kelly Thomas and press for police reforms, and her comments before the City Council have, so far as I’m aware, been consonant with many (not all) of the themes that are repeatedly stressed in FFFF commentary. (I forget exactly what she spoke about at the last meeting, but it was along the lines of one of FFFF’s primary critiques — some of which, like her, I share.) I certainly don’t associate her with bigotry and homophobia of some comments. But associated with the FFFF group? I think it’s fair to say that she has been on their side on major issues where they conflict with the current regime (I don’t recall what her position is on public pensions), that she has sought good relations with them, and that she has welcomed the positive focus on her by FFFF writers (and video clip selecters.) Fair enough?
I don’t think that Jane has the same burden as the other three to distance herself from some of the most excessive comments on FFFF because she seems to be seen as an ally rather than as a true “member of the team”– something that was underlined when Greg Sebourn (like Bushala and Kiger, one of the few non-pseudonymous main movers of FFFF) decided to run against her for the Bankhead seat.
I’ve also said that as it stands I would be happy to see both Jane Rands and Paula Williams on the City Council by November, whatever happens with the Bankhead seat in June.
Greg,
Yes, both Jane and I know quite a few people in town who seek better governance of Fullerton’s affairs, including many of the other candidates in the upcoming election, two of whom write for the blog, and we know Tony, but Jane does not, and never has had anything to do with FFFF. I’m glad that FFFF sometimes features clips of Jane speaking out against wasteful spending, governmental obfuscation, lack of leadership etc., but she has absolutely nothing to do with these videos appearing there, so you needn’t point out that she also doesn’t manage the blog, and certainly isn’t responsible for objectionable comments posted to stories she didn’t write and hasn’t read.
Matt,
Yes, as I said in my previous comment, I don’t consider herself “responsible for objectionable comments” at FFFF. I won’t elaborate here and now other to point out that I had already said that.
Because you inferred a broader-that-I-intended definition of the word “associated,” I’m happy to have evened things up by giving you the above chance to talk about Jane’s virtues and positions. Are we settled at this point? If we’re not, then I’d want to pursue clarification of some of the statements you make above, but if we’re done, then I won’t.
I still support Jane, although it’s a somewhat forlorn hope now that she has a pretty well known Republican AND a Democrat going against her.
Who’s this Paula Williams anyway? I can’t find her online at all!
If Paula weren’t running, I’d support Jane too. Paula’s site is not up yet, so far as I know. She’s an African-American woman from SW Fullerton. Her story will come out in due course; I don’t want to preempt it here.
Jane’s up against Paula, Sebourn, and Planning Commissioner Rick Alvarez (of the more “traditional Republican” faction, who apparently hates Sebourn.) I have no idea how that’s going to play out. One possibility is that, against all odds, Bankhead gets retained after all.
Again, I think it’s more accurate to say “establishment Republican” for the Ackermanites like Alvarez and the Three Clogged Sinks.
Maybe — but here in North OC the Republican tradition is different from that of the coastal GOP libertarians.
Greg,
OK, but I don’t know why anyone else would be responsible for objectionable comments on FFFF either, other than those writing the comments. People write and say idiotic things everywhere, especially during campaign seasons. If FFFF was a radio show instead of a blog would Tony Bushala be responsible for things said by everyone who called in?
No one is responsible for writing the comments other than those writing the comments. However, others can become partially responsible for not objecting to comments. In a case where (1) the comments are very objectionable, (2) there is no general practice of refraining from criticizing each other’s comments (and on FFFF there is a strong tendency towards often vicious attacks on people who disagree with the FFFF consensus on political issues such as the appropriateness of a recall and the need for a purge of the police department), (3) others are failing to challenge the objectionable comments, and (4) the political efforts of the group benefit from having people saying objectionable things “on board” with the group’s activities, then I would absolutely lay blame on those who repeatedly let bigoted comments go unchallenged. I’d say that this obligation is stronger for people who manage the blog, and stronger for the people who stand to benefit politically from the objectionable comments, and very strong for people who do both.
If you really “don’t know why anyone else would be responsible for objectionable comments on FFFF either, other than those writing the comments,” then I am surprised to find you outside of the social justice tradition where I’d have expected to find you and Jane.
*As a dysporia Fullertonite..now living secretly in Newport Beach since 1960…..all we can say is: “Give Peas a Chance!” Find some folks to run that city that like a good taco every now and then. Dump the people that have been running the city since I was in High School in 1959. Refuse to support Quirk-Silva for anything but Mayor of Fullerton. Recruit a new Police Chief and City Attorney. Find a new City Manager too!
Clean sweep time folks…clean sweep time! A new broom sweeps very clean if you get one that is a professional model.
We have to be careful with words which have different meanings: Here is what we intended:
definition of DYSPHORIA
: a state of feeling unwell or unhappy
I was in court one day (as a third party) when the judge was tasked with discovering what FFFF was and who was responsible for it.
He gave up and sent the plaintiff back to the drawing board.
Travis, was that that time with that litigious Cheryl Sanders? I was proud of you guys for standing up to her, while my blogmaster Art Pedroza folded like a tent.
Yep, that was the one.
That’s a good story. I should tell it here some time. The fallout, many months later – about a month ago actually – was some poor Mexican maid got sued by this Sanders lady (who works for the city of Anaheim) because the IP address of her computer somehow matched the IP address Art handed over to her. I got contacted by a lawyer who was representing her pro-bono, who asked me for any exculpatory evidence I could send, but it was all deleted.
I felt like writing a story about the whole thing, and the lawyer asked me not to, until his client was exonerated, which she has been now. It all reflects badly on Cheryl Sanders and Art Pedroza.
Maybe Travis will answer the question that Tony Bushala is dodging? Who owns FFFF?
You’re a candidate now, Travis. You need to walk the transparency talk. You cite your role with FFFF on your campaign website as one if your qualifications to be a Fullerton Councilman. So you owe an answer to the question: who owns FFFF, if not the obvious candidate, Tony Bushala?
?
This is hysterical, all the posts are mine!!!! HA HA, ‘cept the butt pirate one. Mr Diamond, that is funny, you picked all mine, My mother had no control over me,why would tony? This IS ALLLLLLL ME< not tony…blame him, go ahead, you didnt seem to publish, all your spew…this is funny…YOU MADE ME FAMOUS, for nothing, your the kardashian maker…lmao
I won’t check, Citizen M, but I’ll take your word for it. As I said, I looked only at posts going back to late Friday, it’s not surprising one person did many of them.
I had thought that I might be done with this, but clearly I’ll have to keep going. Thanks for the head’s up. (My question is, do I work backwards in time, or do I wait for new comments like this to show up this week?)
As you’re already here, though, let’s have a little interview. (You may not be famous enough yet!)
– Do you have any hesitation about expressing your opinions like these in a forum composed of other FFFF commenters?
– Do you ever get nasty responses from others who you consider part of the FFFF group (as opposed to interlopers) telling you that they think that they are out of line? (I can point to lots of nasty responses to people challenging FFFF orthodoxy — and I’ll bet you can too.)
– Do you think that when Tony and others dismiss some comments on the blog as so absurd and offensive as to not require a reply, that they are talking about the likes of you? How does that make you feel, either way? For example, do you agree that your opinions are pointless jokes?
Thanks in advance for your answers!
we already had an interview sir, the first time, at a GA meeting in front of citry hall, then in occupy, then city council, dont dislike you, actually you have gotten some advice from me, re attacks on your family- that I found disturbing, I will take you to task if you work for me, you dont- so I can say what ever, if its true, about our politicians- they are fair game. And you- Sir, seriously if you knew how much fun we have reading your posts, you would mosey along to your juice blog, they seem to like you there..
I’ve literally spoken to several hundreds (and maybe even a thousand) new people over the past six months in Occupy, so I’m sorry that I can’t place you and those conversations, given your pseudonym. (I’m presuming that you’re the same poster as above, despite the different spelling.)
The only think I know about you for sure is that if you’re even getting near the topic of straying from the sexual straight-and-narrow, you’re definitely not involved with the Norby campaign.
I’m glad that you all on FFFF are having fun reading my posts. (I do get back some reports.) I don’t expect anyone there to agree with me in front of others, when they’re expected to join in the jeering. My comments are intended for them to think about when they’re alone, each quietly contemplating themselves and their place in the world, perhaps able in such privacy to feel the first tentative stirrings of shame. It’s a service!
Have a reuben sandwich you dumb skinny chick.
FFFF comments are a product of Freedom of Speech, nothing more, nothing less. Tony believes in this American Amendment so much he allows your rambling, arrogant gas filled comments that have nothing to do with the post story to remain on the FFFF blog.
Funny how you pick and choose the comments you wished to copy and paste.
Since you like to copy and paste comments from FFFF here are some more comments you “forgot” to add, King of Upper Obnoxiousville…so allow me.
#123 by Greg Diamond on March 25, 2012
“Come by Orange Juice Blog. Bushala cross-posts the intro to many of his stories there and we have discussions about them at higher than an eighth-grade vocabulary level. Ideologically, it’s a mix. We love having smart conservative voices there, too.”
________________
#126 by Greg Diamond on March 25, 2012
“I appreciate the mods here scrubbing out the homophobic posts (on which I’m getting copied before they go away); if they think that this is fine, that’s OK.
USA Today used to be said to be written at an 8th-grade reading level, but supposedly now it’s 10th-grade (as, sort of amazingly, are the NY Times and Washington Post.) Here’s a article from 2005 with a table: http://www.impact-information.com/impactinfo/newsletter/plwork15.htm.
Eighth-grade level doesn’t mean goats, blocks, and toothlessness; it’s a shade under the population median. Reader’s Digest is ninth-grade level. I think this blog is about there, so maybe I should say “ninth grade.”
Trust me, merijoe, you do not want to get into a “quoting each others’ comments from FFFF here” with me.
I stand by the two you posted, regardless. FFFF has some good and intelligent discussion — but yes, unfortunately, a lot of it is low-grade schoolyard taunting passing for intelligent criticism. The more people who get intensively involved in a discussion, the worse it gets. (On the positive side, at least you’re not one of Pedroza’s blogs.) Discussions here are generally at a higher level. Anyway, now that you have Fiala there, maybe you’re discussions will change. Haha.
I picked comments from late Friday through Sunday — and of comments of more than a few lines, there weren’t that many to choose from — as examples of things that, if they occurred here, I would try to challenge just to avoid letting people think that they were tolerated. You guys instead slam anything that goes against your local political orthodoxy and you leave the vicious bigotry untouched (with the exception of a few comments that get caught and censored.)
Tony has no responsibility under the First Amendment to allow any particular comment to stand, because he is not the government. (Not yet, anyway.) No one has any responsibility under the First Amendment to let offensive comments stand unchallenged, period, so long as they don’t shout down the speaker. You can look it up.
Welcome to the blog, at any rate.
Greg. Are you referring to comments such as this-
“Have a reuben sandwich you dumb skinny chick”.
or
“Well then this “woman” wishes she looks like Sharon. Should be Rubenesque of course – and I doubt you don’t know what that means – I’m just copying her goofy spelling. Maybe she was dying for a sandwich. Probably she needs one”.
Vern must be a lovely man.
Vern’s a great guy. Those were not his most temperate comments, true, but he was being provoked. On the FFFF Richter scale, I doubt that those even reach magnitude 3.0.
Precisely calibrated to the proper degree of nasty, I thought, and all based on and inspired by this female commenter’s nasty remarks about Sharon. (At least Tony says she’s female.)
Wishing her to eat a reuben sandwich is not hateful at all, it is a generous wish. It will also help her learn the difference between reuben and Rubens, and maybe become more Rubenesque as well, which is a good thing to my mind.
This chick, besides making rude rambling ill-spelled comments trashing a female politician who’s my friend, is also unhealthily obsessed with appearance and weight, which is a bad thing in this culture.