Boy Its A Good Thing We Didn't Take The Bait On This Schiavo Story, Huh?

[THUNDER HANDS]

Only 35 Page 1 threads on it right now.

:eyes:

(well, 36 now)

[Mr_Spock]

1. Silly

:D another - can't beat the devil, must join him post!! lol

[Robbien]

2. Just goes to show how many RNC sleepers post at DU

:shrug:

[zippy890]

7. I was thinking that, too

why so many flipping shiavo threads,

I thought the people here were more intelligent then that... makes me agree with your observation.

[WilliamPitt]

3. I have hidden 115 Schiavo threads

since last night.

This will be #116. Sorry, Rat.

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. s'okay

I'll hide it too. :D

(can one hide their own thread?)

[Cleita]

6. I'm up to 35, but I can't get them off fast enough.

[WilliamPitt]

9. 121 now

[NMDemDist2]

11. hey Will, today I caught part of the Unfiltered show you did

great job!

i had a thought (always dangerous in my case, but..)

I know the BFEE is bound and determined to stay in Iraq, how can we put pressure on them to perhaps draw down troops from the more "peaceful" areas of the country? I've heard there are large swaths in the north and south where things are fairly "normal"

can we put pressure on them to withdraw from large parts of the country and let the Iraqi's take over in those sections?

or are they doing that already?

it may at least start a dialog of what we are really up to over there.

just a thought.....

[Cleita]

15. I put a suggestion along with yours in the Ask the Administrators forum.

I hope something can be done.

[LittleClarkie]

17. This is the first time I've ever used that function

Slow with a dial up, but whatchagonna do.

[mcscajun]

5. I'd never even discovered the "hide thread" function until yesterday.

Now, my fingers are flying trying to keep up with hiding the damned things.

Between those and the "sport reports" -- ugh.

[Wilms]

8. Schiavo Story?? What's that?

:shrug:

[omega minimo]

10. Worldwide marches? Nationwide protests? 2 year occupation?

Oh yeah..........that.







:kick:

[leesa]

12. No shit, Jack! Merkans are so susceptible to marketing techniques.

[Jose Diablo]

13. Yes, I know its a good thing we ain't falling for it

We here on DU are smarter than to fall this obvious Republican tactic of creating a controversial situation that can only divide the opposite party.

Edit: Come to think of it, for the last 35 years, this HAS been tactic of republicans. From Reagan right to today. Gun control, unions, 'free trade', right down to euthanasia. Last election what was it, homosexual marriage and 'morality'. Race previous to the 70's. That is their tactic. Not very original are they. But the tactic has worked for them.

[MichiganVote]

14. Ok,so let's bet on who gets the first book out

[necso]

16. Generally, these things eventually burn themselves out.

(Except for those members who take it too personally, nurture some grudge and wait for an opportunity to dredge the issue up again -- or are just your garden-variety trolls.)

It can take a long time though. Moreover, it has been generally the case that attempting to call people to their senses is pointless, if not counterproductive. Posting to a board like this, where it is not trollery or simple entertainment (or both), tends to be an ego thing or to provide an outlet. The last is understandable, if it does leave one wishing for a little more discipline from the members in terms of starting new threads (there are always plenty of old threads to post to).

And using the Ignore (member) feature is a good option too. The same people tend to start -- or get sucked into -- this type of dreck.

But personally, I never put the counter-threads on ignore. It's nice to know who isn't caught up in the stampede.

"She said it's cold
It feels like Independence Day
And I can't break away from this parade
But there's got to be an opening
Somewhere here in front of me
Through this maze of ugliness and greed
And I seen the sun up ahead
At the county line bridge
Sayin' all there's good and nothingness is dead
We'll run until she's out of breath
She ran until there's nothin' left
She hit the end-it's just her window ledge"

[Robbien]

18. Or they are doing it on purpose to distract all discussion

Many of these posters have set up about ten threads apiece.

Wonder if they are getting paid by the word.

[necso]

26. Trollery has a prominent place in my post.

And as much as I dislike repeating my own drollery (whimsical, not amusing, writing), it is my opinion that much of the stampede phenomenon (and related phenomena) is unwitting and has more to do with "zeal" (I am being kind here in my choice of words) than trollery (which has an important, and perhaps dominant at times, role).

However, any half-way decent troll can avoid tombstoning essentially forever. And it can take a long time to get even the fairly obvious ones.

But few members (I believe) wish to have the board become some sort of lock-step thing -- this is what the neocons do, not us. Personally, I would favor certain further constraints on creating threads, but nothing onerous. And personally, I always create my posts offline -- it gives me a little more time to think about what I wish to write -- and whether or not I should post at all (many times I don't post what I write).

With a stampede, one generally just keeps out of the way -- and tries to pick off a few trolls that break their cover. (These sorts of things can also provide useful information about the plans and intentions of our opponents.) And if a post can wait, then it can be best to delay it during a stampede. But, of course, some things can't wait and it is here where a stampede does a big part of its damage -- that, along with further dividing us -- and showing us in an unfavorable light.

But this is a message board after all, and one must have reasonable expectations (that is, very modest ones).

Best.

[Robbien]

29. Very good insight

Almost missed your post and it would have been my loss.

The thought which concerns me is about those posters who are not under-cover RNC plants. There appears to be too many progressives who are being led around by the nose by these instigators who are flying under the radar. One would think progressives would know better by now.

[necso]

32. I can't seem to come up with a reply

to your post that I find adequate. It seems that I keep going off deep into the woods this way or that. But I do not wish to be rude. So I will settle for the following.

...

This is a matter of some concern, but it is also a predictable and understandable phenomenon.

As for my posts, there is an old quote rattling around in my head: "You know that you are going crazy when you start writing letters to the editor." This is a little too cynical for some perhaps, but it comes to mind whenever I post.

[linazelle]

28. What you said....n/t

[Rex]

19. We didn't?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I get it. Dam you're a sarcastic Rat! :evilgrin:

My 2 cents - I can't believe we dropped Gannon over Schiavo. Goes to show where are priorities are! Remember folks - stories about a gay male prostitute that most likely is Rove's squeeze toy will ALWAYS trump stories about a women who is brain dead and has Congress deciding her fate. As we get closer to summer shark attack stories will become more frequent and Michael Jackson and Star Wars will be all we hear about from MSM.

[onenote]

30. i could give a rat's ass about gannon

compared to the Schiavo story. The fact that * had a potted plant toady in the press room pales by comparison to the efforts of the Talibannery GOP to control the most private decisions and to assert their own twisted notions of medical science over the judgment of the experts and judicial decisionmakers that actually have reviewed the evidence. And Gannon could be found in bed with the entire cabinet and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and it wouldn't pose nearly the threat to individual liberty that the shit they're pulling with the Schiavo case.

onenote

[tammywammy]

20. It's not just the Schiavo story

but it also the story of that poor girl that was murdered. That's all the news is talking about...well maybe if they feel like it slip in 2 minutes of Iraq. But pretty much, it's screw all the other important things that are going on.

[merh]

21. Yeah, it is just a shame that people don't realize how they are

being manipulated. I personally believe that the repukes are taking advantage of the peace marches to pass legislation that violates the 10th amendment and erodes my constitutional rights and states' rights. But hey, what do I know!

============================
The Schiavo case is no longer about the woman, it is about Congress interfering in the operations of the states. Florida law was followed, Florida Courts decided and the federal government has no authority to interfere with the action or to pass this resolution.

This is state's rights versus the federal government and is an example of the members of congress violating their sworn oaths to protect and follow the Constitution. Bills of Attainders are illegal and acts of legislation aimed at individuals, generally for the purpose of punishing an individual without a trial, are bills of attainders.

In this case though, a special piece of legislation has been crafted solely to federalize the case of Terry Schiavo, trumping state sovereignty and the 10th amendment. Thus the members of Congress that vote for this resolution are violating their oaths of office and are not upholding and protecting the Constitution.

Additionally, the GOP's has been on the band wagon complaining that the judiciary is in effect legislating from the bench, but with this resolution they will be guilty of “Legislative Adjudication” usurping the rulings of the Florida State Court that followed the Florida State Laws.

You can use this site and change the message of the email to voice your concerns that Congress has decided that the Constitution is not important.
http://go.sojo.net/campaign/morally_bankrupt_budget/step1.tcl

Or use this site: http://www.59millionstrong.com/

Call your senators and representative now!
Call Congress at [phone] or use this number (if it still works)
1-877-SOB-U-SOB (1-877-762-8762)

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." --10th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Bill of Attainder

Definition: A legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial.

The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3 provides that: "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed."

"The Bill of Attainder Clause was intended not as a narrow, technical (and therefore soon to be outmoded) prohibition, but rather as an implementation of the separation of powers, a general safeguard against legislative exercise of the judicial function or more simply - trial by legislature." U.S. v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437, 440 (1965).

"These clauses of the Constitution are not of the broad, general nature of the Due Process Clause, but refer to rather precise legal terms which had a meaning under English law at the time the Constitution was adopted. A bill of attainder was a legislative act that singled out one or more persons and imposed punishment on them, without benefit of trial. Such actions were regarded as odious by the framers of the Constitution because it was the traditional role of a court, judging an individual case, to impose punishment." William H. Rehnquist, The Supreme Court, page 166.

"Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. ... The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more-industrious and less-informed part of the community." James Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.

Supreme Court cases construing the Bill of Attainder clause include:

* Ex Parte Garland, 4 Wallace 333 (1866).
* Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wallace 277 (1866).
* U.S. v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437 (1965).
* Nixon v. Administrator of General Services, 433 U.S.425 (1977).
* Selective Service Administration v. Minnesota PIRG, 468 U.S. 841 (1984).

http://www.techlawjournal.com/glossary/legal/attainder.htm

This is not about Schiavo - this is about the Constitution and the continuing efforts of the repukes to violate the Constitution and to erode our rights and the rights of the states.

You should be upset about that, imho!

How about Scalia’s words from his concurrent opinion in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dep't of Health, 497 U.S. 261, where a woman in PVS sought (through her guardians) to terminate her life.

...I would have preferred that we announce, clearly and promptly, that the federal courts have no business in this field; that American law has always accorded the State the power to prevent, by force if necessary, suicide -- including suicide by refusing to take appropriate measures necessary to preserve one's life; that the point at which life becomes "worthless,"...
(snip)
<**2861> The second asserted distinction -- suggested by the recent cases canvassed by the Court concerning the right to refuse treatment, 497 U.S. at 270-277 -- relies on the dichotomy between action and inaction. Suicide, it is said, consists of an affirmative act to end one's life; refusing treatment is not an affirmative act "causing" death, but merely a passive acceptance of the natural process of dying.

[mondo joe]

22. Taking an axe to civil rights is "bait"?

The bait is the war that distracts near everyone from the erosion of rights in the USA.

[FlemingsGhost]

23. Americans deserve the crippling smack-down that's coming.

One can only distract oneself for so long.

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. I, for one, am glad we're able to speak our minds on this...and also

further illustrate just how low our current government has dropped. Sorry, it's important to me.

Post away folks!!!! :hi:

[lastliberalintexas]

25. "We" didn't take any bait, my friend

Whether we wanted it or not, the MSM had their marching orders to run with this story, and they've done just that. So what would you have us do, just ignore it and let them dominate the debate even further? That would be pure folly.


And this is actually a very important issue for many reasons. It impacts one's right of self-determination, of privacy and the right to control one's own medical care- to name but a few civil liberties impacted by this case. It is also the RW's back door attack on Roe, and we should be cognizant of that aspect as well.

Should the Schiavo case displace other stories like the anti-war protests? Of course not. But it actually does impact (or potentially impacts) your life much more than the celebrity murder trial of the moment. It isn't the typical distraction story that the MSM uses.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Wilms]

31. kick n/t