DU is mentioned in a Reuters article today

[EarlG]

Trump blasts his trial judges. Then his fans call for violence

In a review of commenters’ posts on three pro-Trump websites, including the former president’s own Truth Social platform, Reuters documented more than 150 posts since March 1 that called for physical violence against the judges handling three of his highest-profile cases – two state judges in Manhattan and one in Georgia overseeing a criminal case in which Trump is accused of illegally seeking to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.

Those posts were part of a larger pool of hundreds identified by Reuters that used hostile, menacing and, in some cases, racist or sexualized language to attack the judges, but stopped short of explicitly calling for violence against them.

(snip)

A Reuters examination of websites catering to the left revealed dozens of hostile comments attacking the competence and credibility of conservative jurists. The targets include U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who has issued a number of rulings favorable to the former president in his ongoing federal prosecution in Florida for misappropriating classified documents after leaving office. On Democratic Underground, a liberal site, posters have attacked Cannon as “corrupt” and suggested she be tried for espionage.

But a review of comments on those sites did not reveal the sort of violent language that Trump supporters use in their online posts, including suggestions that judges be beaten or killed.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-threats-courts/

I know we're not always perfect, but I'm glad we have standards here, and I appreciate you all for doing your best to stick to them.

[ms liberty]

1. I had just a tiny moment of fear there, after I read your headline!

But corrupt and should be tried for espionage is actually pretty tame, comparatively

[Irish_Dem]

51. I know, I said Jebus what did we do now.

Right the worse stuff we say here is damn tame compared to Magas.

[rpannier]

130. I want Shot Out of a Canon

Technically I can argue it's not promoting violence as they have done it safely in circus' and carnivals for many years

[madaboutharry]

2. This reminds me of when my grandmother

once told me that I was her favorite grandchild. I responded “Grandma, the bar is low.”

[Irish_Dem]

52. I am laughing out loud....

Poor grandma. A smart ass in every crowd.

[unblock]

103. Mrs unblock tells me I'm her favorite husband

I tell her she's my favorite wife and that actually means something

(my second marriage, her first)

[Beartracks]

108. I'm in my spouse's top three.

==================

[NBachers]

110. I can claim a more favorite ex-wife and a less favorite ex-wife. That's about as far as I've got so far.

[PatSeg]

3. That's pretty cool

[2naSalit]

4. Says something about...

The divide in values and morality between a political party and a cultish faction. DU is the one place where I feel like there's a sense of fairness and a lack of violence among comments and have access to a wide range of information.

Congrats, EarlG, you're holding the reigns to a good thing and it's getting favorable notice.

[Irish_Dem]

5. We get praised for not being vicious murdering thugs.

A sad commentary on societal norms.

[kpete]

6. exactly.

a review of comments on those sites did not reveal the sort of violent language that Trump supporters use in their online posts, including suggestions that judges be beaten or killed.

[mountain grammy]

7. Oh crap. Maybe I should delete my last post.

Nah.

[Celerity]

14. lololol

[mountain grammy]

27. opened DU as I sat down with my coffee and bagel

and I see "Do you ever think the 2016 election might have been rigged?"

well, duhhhhhhhhhhhh....

I was in DC on 1/21/2017 along with a million of my best friends. My sign said "Putin is president now" we listened to speech after speech after speech, none promoted violence, but I wasn't the only one advocating to bash heads.

[Irish_Dem]

54. I better clean up my act.

At least my cussing.

[mountain grammy]

55. Oh yeah. Been meaning to talk to you about that

[Irish_Dem]

61. Jebus God. I grew up in an Irish Catholic military family.

You don't want to hear all the bad words I know.

And when we were posted overseas we learned all the foreign bad words too.
I can cuss in a number of languages.

[mountain grammy]

78. As we age

That is such an important attribute 🤣🤣🤣. I pretty much have to stick with Yiddish. 🙄

[Irish_Dem]

79. Yiddish bad words are the best.

My family is multicultural with Jewish close family.

I think Yiddish is the best in terms of how it sounds, the tone and body language.
They put their whole body and heart into it.

[mountain grammy]

105. So true and what great memories you just triggered

Thank you so much..

[niyad]

87. My response to some who says, "You can't swear at me like that", is

"Dear heart, I swear in six languages, and I haven't even started yet." Dead silence. . .

[Irish_Dem]

93. I love that response.

A few years ago there was a Japanese family living in my neighborhood.

The father was a chemist in a Japanese owned company here in the US.

I was good friends with the wife.

Their little boy was a real pistol and one day he started cussing out his mother in Japanese.
He did it clearly because he thought I would not understand what he was doing.

But for four yeas as a child (military kid) I had lived in Japan and one of their territories.
I understood every single word he said.

I admonished him for his bad language. I was tired of him pushing his mother around.
He didn't pull that stunt again and he was careful about what he said in both English and Japanese
in front of me.

[soldierant]

106. My husband's first wife was Nisei,

and when their son was about five, his grandmother asked him if he wanted to learn Japanese. He was excited, and the first thing he wanted to learn was "God damn." She said there was no way to say that in Japanese (at least not exactly that, - I have no doubt actual Japanese words are many and colorful.) He responded, "Well, what the hell good is it then?" and that was the end of that.

When he told me the story I said, "well, there'll never be any question about his paternity."

[Irish_Dem]

107. Hilarious story.

Oh yes there are some very good Japanese cuss words that I remember to this day.

[Prairie_Seagull]

72. Cussing,,, well I aughta.

Fuck it, Nurse!

[niyad]

8. Sadly, I predict an influx of trolls. MIRT may be quite busy.

Thank you, EarlG, for all you do to keep this a safe, sane sanctuary.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

35. At Daily KOS, we call that 'Thursday' n/t

[Irish_Dem]

49. MIRT can handle it.

With one tied behind their backs and in their sleep.

Superb teams at work on DU.

[niyad]

88. Oh, I have absolute faith in MIRT.

[Tom of Temecula]

9. Wow

It is too bad Reuters didn't ask you for a comment, Earl. It would have been a great opportunity to draw a comparison between those of us concerned about the parlous state of our democracy and the violent knuckleheads who are trying to destroy it.

[EarlG]

24. Actually I was asked if I would like to comment (last Friday) but they didn't use it

Which is fair enough, since it wouldn't have added much, but for the record I said:

"While our forum rules allow for plenty of heated rhetoric, we draw the line at overt calls to violence, and Democratic Underground members are expected to follow that standard both when posting and when participating in our community moderation system. Like most Democrats, from the rank-and-file all the way up to the leaders of the party, we believe that political differences should ultimately be resolved through the exchange of ideas and the democratic process, not through acts of violence."

It was a brief, but polite and professional exchange with the article's author.

[Irish_Dem]

59. Well said EarlG.

"Like most Democrats, from the rank-and-file all the way up to the leaders of the party, we believe that political differences should ultimately be resolved through the exchange of ideas and the democratic process, not through acts of violence."

It is remarkable that this even has to be said. But here we are.

In a political environment where violence is becoming the political norm.

I would love for Biden's campaign to issue a similar statement.

[KS Toronado]

60. Shame they didn't use your last sentence.

Points right at the big difference between the 2 parties. Does Reuters lean left or right?

[OldBaldy1701E]

75. They probably don't believe a word you said, but I am glad they made the connection. (n/t)

[llmart]

95. Excellent response!

Articulate and intelligent and the truth.

[3catwoman3]

97. Well said.

They should have used it.

[Orrex]

117. I suppose that includes "no flaming bags of dog poo on their porch," right?

Gosh-darn restrictions!

[niyad]

132. shhhhh, you are not supposed to tell!!!

[Orrex]

135. Oh. I was, uh, speaking hypothetically, of course.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Cool

[KS Toronado]

11. Cool, they gave us a feather in our hat.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended

Thanks for the thread EarlG

[gab13by13]

13. I don't do archives,

but I'm pretty sure I may have called for Cannon to be tried under the Espionage Act, not explicitly for espionage.

[Irish_Dem]

65. I wondered who made that statement.

I was going to try and find out.

Yes Eileen Cannot is a traitor.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. I think that any who do try will get the alert and jury hide.

Interesting to see who monitors here though.

[Irish_Dem]

66. I know, who else is reading our ramblings?

Yes MIRT is up to whatever is thrown at DU.

[ismnotwasm]

16. Nice!

[gab13by13]

17. I did go to my archives,

I posted that I heard on Stephanie Miller that when the stolen documents trial is over that Cannon should be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.

Heard it on Stephanie Miller.

[question everything]

22. But not violent. No one is calling for her to be hanged..

[Irish_Dem]

69. Wow, Gab, you were a non-attributed DU source for Reuters.

As an example of DU's most extreme rhetoric.

Which is clearly not violent and within societal norms.

I know you are out there sometimes, but so I am I.

Either go big or go home.

[70sEraVet]

18. I also noticed, that while the first websites mentioned, were described as .....

'pro-Trump' sites, DU is described as a 'liberal' site -- among a group of websites "catering to the left".
We are not dedicated to the propping up of a particular leader. We support Joe Biden, but we are dedicated to the democratic ideals of the Democratic party (and of those Independents that stand with the Democrats)!

[AllaN01Bear]

21. hear hear. thanks for your service .

[Irish_Dem]

71. Yes we are not a cult adhering insanely to any one person.

We admire and respect our leaders, but we are not going to follow them blindly off a cliff.

[AllaN01Bear]

19. eggscllent. we may hate him but we are not mean

rec.

[Irish_Dem]

77. We can do well deserved meanness/snark.

We are not wimps and can fight back hard when needed.

But we draw hard lines on violence and law breaking.

[wolfie001]

20. Physical violence is never the answer. Way to go DU!!!!

[GB_RN]

25. Oh, But Sometimes...

😂

A quote from science fiction author (and writer of multiple Star Trek episodes, including The Trouble With Tribbles), David Gerrold and his “alter ego”, Solomon Short:

“Stupidity isn’t necessarily punishable by violence, although there are days I wish it was.”

A very similar line from Laurell K. Hamilton — “Stupidity isn't punishable by death. If it was, there would be a hell of a population drop.”

[dweller]

23. Just let us know if you need us to step up the game EarlG

✌🏻

[Faux pas]

26. K N R

[mcar]

28. Kick

[a kennedy]

29. and I thank all the "top brass" here on DU for those standards.....THANK YOU ALL.

[bigtree]

30. such a perfect portrait of DUers in that quote

...all due to our community terms and the decency of our posters.

[Goddessartist]

31. Awesome,

and thank you EarlG!

I liked your response they didn't publish.

[flying_wahini]

32. I guess that means a lot more traffic here on DU. Not all will be the good kind, either.

Trolls will come.

[H2O Man]

33. Recommended.

[Orrex]

34. I see that they overlooked my many posts wishing that Trump would stroke out

A wish that I repeat here, for the record.

[Jimbo S]

46. That's not inciting violence

I have the same thoughts as you. Death due to natural causes, from poor diet and lack of exercise.

[Orrex]

50. They could have cited me as a counterpoint to incitements to violence

Letting nature take its course,etc.

Sigh. Always a bridesmaid.

[niyad]

47. And mine! but wishing his body would do the correct thing is not

the same as advocating violence. Not even if I want to sell tickets!

[Orrex]

118. Pencil me in for two, front row center

[niyad]

121. Done!!!

[FSogol]

85. It's not as much wishing as for a stroke than it is rooting for arterial plaque to be victorious.

[Orrex]

119. A great victory to be won, indeed.

Go plaque!

[ecstatic]

116. let it happen vs make it happen..

[Orrex]

120. lol

[Wednesdays]

36. Language calling for physically attacking judges is not OK

Even regarding Cannon. I'm glad DU keeps that standard.

[Ping Tung]

37. Violence is the last refuge of the incompetant. Isaac Asimov

[TeamProg]

38. The article indicates that supporters of DU are:

Informed
Leftish
Non-violent
Anti-fascist
Believe that no one is above the law.

Congratulations DU! Another feather in your cap.

[kimbutgar]

39. I kind of wish they hadn't mentioned our safe haven DU

Because we might see an increase now in right winger trolls.

[Hekate]

68. Not to worry. The pizza oven is fired up and ready to go at a moment's notice...

MIRT is on the job — just look them up and let them know.

[Voltaire2]

126. Or an influx of new good people.

[niyad]

133. I like your optimism!

[IronLionZion]

40. RWers are violent and psychotic while DUers are not

yep, sounds accurate.

[SpankMe]

41. I think Judge Cannon should be demoted back down to state court

...and have to serve the rest of her career in traffic court.

[niyad]

89. I think she should be sent back to whatever paper or dance class she

was working for. She is not even competent for traffic court.

[SpankMe]

131. You're right

I guess I was being too charitable about her competency. (I can be pretty forgiving when I'm high on coffee and scones.)

I think there are a few Zoomba dance studios in South Florida that could use her massive talent.

[niyad]

134. You had scones, and didn't offer to share???

[bucolic_frolic]

42. You got it, EarlG. At the end of the day credibility is everything

though how we combat the current crop of right wing anger bots I have no idea.

[Hekate]

70. MIRT

[Renew Deal]

43. It's going to get busy around here

But it's good to that they didn't find any particularly ridiculous comments other than the espionage one.

[gab13by13]

127. Give me one good reason

Why Cannon shouldn’t be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.

It sure looks like some of our foreign assets “came up missing,” after TSF got his hands on classified documents and judge Cannon is aiding and abetting him.

[tavernier]

44. Had it been the other way around

some nut with a hammer would be stalking her husband.
Paul Pelosi can testify to that.

[Baitball Blogger]

45. Who here called for her to be tried for espionage?

Certainly she should be disbarred, but to get there we would have to prove she's part of some plan to trump the legal system for trump.

[gab13by13]

128. No one here called for her to be tried for espionage.

She should be tried under the Espionage Act.

I’m sure there are a few retired. Republican judges who agree.

[Baitball Blogger]

129. Interesting.

First time I heard of it. Maybe a DUer can start a thread to explain how that would work.

[gademocrat7]

48. K&R

[Think. Again.]

53. A good reminder that our posts ARE public...

...and that while mature discussion and consideration of all sides to any topic is always a good thing, bashing and snide, petty remarks to someone who disagrees with you is just giving the rightwingers what they want... a sense of "Democrats in Disarray"

This coming election is too important to scare off possible Blue voters.

[niyad]

90. Sorry, I have no intention of self-censoring for fear of some reichwing

lurkers, or even agent mikey (hi, mikey!).

[Think. Again.]

94. You might have responded to the wrong post?

My post wasn't talking about rightwingers, besides, they're already here.

[niyad]

96. No, I was responding to your post. I understood it perfectly, which

is why I responded as I did.

[Think. Again.]

99. You're right, I apologize, I did mention rightwingers...

...and your response makes perfect sense.

I responded to you too quickly and was only thinking about the hope of winning over fence-sitters, youth, etc.

Again, my apologies.

[niyad]

100. Not a problem.

[markodochartaigh]

56. I like Reuters and frequently get my news there. BUT.

Judge Cannon is not a typical Republican judge anymore than judge Kacsmaryk. Conflating old-style Republican judges with maga-style Republican judges seems to me like conflating a Maltese with an attack-trained pit bull. Personally, I wish that the distinction was ALWAYS made between Eisenhower/Schwarzenegger/Pete Wilson corporate Republicans and the maga (or maga supporting) Republicans.
The old-style corporate Republicans are no friend of labor and no friend of the progressive policies that we need to advance the living conditions of the poor and working class, but they were USUALLY on the side of democracy.
Maga is authoritarian and not on the side of democracy.
I think that at this critical juncture there is no single more important point, and yet, the point is either ignored or simply not understood. If the US loses our democracy one quarter of our electorate will cheer and probably one third won't care, but equally appalling, probably three quarters will have no idea what happened or how it happened.

[MiHale]

57. K&R...big time...

It’s really not that hard to be nice.

[Ilsa]

58. Thank you for setting & enforcing standards for DU. nt

[Vinca]

62. Wow - we got credit for not threatening to shoot, hang or stab political enemies!

[cbabe]

63. '... a liberal site...'

Phil Ochs/love me I’m a liberal

https://m.

[underpants]

64. The DU post is nowhere near the other ones and shouldn't be equated with them at all

It calls for legal proceedings and not even “throw her in jail for espionage” or anything like that. A charge, a trial, etc.

[Hekate]

74. It provides a good contrast

[Irish_Dem]

76. It was an example of the worst they could find on DU.

And it was not violent, threatening, or inappropriate.
It recommended that action be taken within the legal system.

This was the point.

[duhneece]

67. I'm busting out in pride. What you have created with DU has ripples

That is high praise. What we all give and take on DU will have ripples of factual information, informed opinions, civil discussions far beyond us and these times.
I love my DU family.. for almost 21 years-long enough for a newborn to become a full fledged adult.

[Hekate]

73. Thank you, EarlG, and thanks to MIRT and a functioning jury system...

Even on our worst and least-civil days, we try to maintain….

[SarahD]

80. As mentioned, attracting trouble makers.

Many keyboard warrior incels out there will spend the effort to post inflamatory things. You might wonder why they would take the trouble to qualify, but they have nothing else to do. Most of them will out themselves pretty quickly, but there might be a few who are subtle enough to escape notice for a while.

[NBachers]

112. Occasionally, I'm there to poke and prod at 'em' but usually I show up after the clean-up on aisle 6 and wonder what it

was all about.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

81. This is yet more evidence that both sides are not the same.

Republicans seek chaos and vengeance; Democrats seek to make things better.

Only one side works to manufacture obstacles to voting.
Only one side works to take long-held rights from people.
Only one side contrives to suppress entire blocs of voters.
Only one side bans books that threaten their extreme ideology.
Only one side buys up and hollows out local media to extend their propaganda.
Only one side uses bullying and terroristic threats to intimidate election workers, prosecutors, teachers, and court staff.
Only one side tirelessly tries to defund and dismantle public education.
Only one side robs the poor to feed the insatiable greed of the obscenely wealthy.

[Kennah]

82. DU. The top of the bottom that is social media. High Praise? Or. High. Praise.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

83. switching two words makes a big difference.

She shoul to should she?

[SleeplessinSoCal]

84. Change two words to make it a question.

She should to Should she?

[liberalla]

86. Nice!

Well, the standard was set a long time ago by DU founders!

[niyad]

92. Of whom EarlG is one!

[liberalla]

101. He most certainly is!

[blogslug]

91. kick

rhetorically

[Cha]

98. Aww! Yeah, We Do Get Mad.. It Our Democracy We're Fighting

to Save But We Have Boundaries!

TY, EarlG

[Niagara]

102. KNR

[Elessar Zappa]

104. Sums us up pretty well.

[applegrove]

109. Go DU, Go DU, Go DU. Go admins.

[MustLoveBeagles]

111. Cool

[prodigitalson]

113. this

[ecstatic]

114. lol! Our comments are being made for good reason.

Cannon is corrupt.

We support law and order and right-wingers / magats don't.

[red dog 1]

115. K&R

Judge Cannon is corrupt.

[WarGamer]

122. DU is smart to steer clear of the most inflammatory language...

"Agent Mike" knocked on Skinner's door once upon a time...

[nolabear]

123. Wonder if we'll see an influx of trolls.

Be aware and alert on any posts that do cross that line. We aren’t savages here.

[Iggo]

124. We ain't perfect, but we're better'n them.

[Rhiannon12866]

125. K&R and kudos to our fellow DUers and to our wonderful admins!