Since I am the custodian of the offending comment, let me make some remarks.
1. It's out of line, no question.
1a. My own father died (as I made inferentially clear in my original post) of colon cancer when I was 14. No, I don't want or need anyone's pity. But I do get why the comment is out of line. I get that at a very personal level.
2. I'm not going to censor it, because the marketplace of ideas is already dealing with it.
3. Nobody has complained to me about it.
4. Warren had not complained to anyone about it, doubtless recognizing it for what it was, and the author for who he is.
5. Those who started the complaint chorus are riding uninvited to the defence of Warren Kinsella, who is clearly more capable of defending himself than half the bloggers out there combined, and has his own blog and his own high profile in political circles with which to do so.
6. The ensuing controversy, wailing and gnashing of teeth is giving the commenter in question exactly what he wanted; in fact I would say it was force feeding the troll to the extent that he'll end up as foie gras before we're done.
7. Dignified silence, which is what Warren himself was observing, would have been by far the best and most effective response, as well as displaying the most character.
It's a stupid joke from a well known troll. Period. It doesn't say anything about 'the right'. It certainly doesn't say anything about the Conservative Party, and I don't even see it as saying anything about me.
I now return to my regularly scheduled birthday
8 comments:
Happy Birthday.
I would make a joke about old age but I might end up the subject of a blog post somewhere labeling myself and the CPC as ageist.
Happy Birthday to you!
Looks like "Christian Conservative" has further endeared himself to his soulmate warren kinsella by demanding the imprisonment of anyone found guilty of thought crimes by the state.
I submit that one would have to go back to the Spanish Inquisition to find support from similar "Christian Conservatives".
Freedom Fan. That is not what was said by CC at all. CC had a reasoned response, but one I happen to disagree with. I applaud the commentators requesting an elevation in the dialogue.... may not happen in the Commons but it can happen here.
Hey Clive, I hope I didn't rain on your Happy Birthday! ;-)
Just to be clear, my comments were in no way directed at you. While I didn't really agree with your post that spurred this whole thing, I didn't not in any way mean to lump you in with the "troll" who started this whole thing.
For me, it was just the last straw... as Conservatives, we need to bring the level of debate up a couple of notches, and that's all I was trying to say. Sorry if you got caught in the crossfire. ;-)
Clive -- I left a response at COTM to say, just like CC did, that it was not my intention to point my finger at you. We all -- me included -- have to work at improving the tone of our dialogue.
Hey, you couldn't be a nicer guy. My birthday was yesterday. From one Aries to another -- Hope you had a good one today.
Fergs, here is the quote in case there is any doubt:
Interestingly enough, I find myself pretty much lined up with Warren on this whole issue. Moron's (sic) like white supremasists (sic) should be arrested on sight... their ideas are like a cancerous filth that should be cut out of our society.
-"Christian Conservative"
Here is my paraphrase:
Looks like "Christian Conservative" has further endeared himself to his soulmate warren kinsella by demanding the imprisonment of anyone found guilty of thought crimes by the state.
I will allow our readers to decide whether this characterization is accurate.
A real Christian believes in the Golden Rule, and I would certainly be outraged at someone attempting to censor my speech, so I must allow others the right to their speech, however offensive.
In the Conservative world view, freedom is paramount, because it enables the individual to exercise free will, which is the essential characteristic of being fully human.
Accordingly, a true Conservative would never embrace censorship of free expression, beyond the limits established in the courts. On the contrary, censors like the CHRC are the 'cancerous filth' which must be excised from society.
"clive said... It's a stupid joke from a well known troll. Period."
exactly. if i had a nickel for every idiotic remark some trolling dumbstick left at my blog... i'd be able to buy myself that bulldozer i've been coveting.
some dickhead wants to wipe his shit all over the walls... that's not on clive, or anyone else for that matter.
*
Post a Comment