I'm wondering how others have handled it when they have encountered bigotry within the Daily Kos community. Though I rarely encounter bigoted posts, when it does happen I find it appalling. I have always thought of Republicans as the party of bigotry. When it happens within this community, it is upsetting because it reflects poorly upon all of us and gives "the other side" ammunition against us. Sad to admit, there is bigotry on both sides.
Let me be clear: I have no problem with those who I disagree with. It is their right to disagree. Sometimes things get heated - as for most who post here - but we can always hug it out, bitch. I, however, think it is disgusting when posters use bigotry as a means to advance their political ideas. (Believe me, as a Lieberman supporter on these boards, there are many posters that disagree with me - that's fine. But to make bigoted statements as a means of disagreement?)
I am curious how others have responded to bigoted posts. Because I want to be a party that stands firmly against bigotry, I have decided to respond to it whenever I hear it and, of course,
only when it is warranted. (To abuse the cry of bigotry would hurt the drive to stamp it out.) I have refused to ignore it. However, I'm wondering if that's the best way to handle it. I get frustrated when I see that bigoted posts are ignored (or even given 4's) because they support a popular idea. I encourage everyone not to ignore bigoted statements when they are made, even if it comes from someone who supports your ideas. The rating system doesn't work if bigots are ignored - they can easily become trusted users.
Case and point: these posters have made bigoted statements and, when informed of how bigoted their posts are, congratulate themselves for making them. This has continued for nearly two months right under most of our noses. I realize that some of you may roll your eyes at what follows - GoVOTE is being crazy again. I ask you hold off on judgment until you have read through the diary in its entirety.
Ctkeith:
Ctkeith is currently a trusted user on this site. But, is this the type of poster we want to hold up as a trusted user?
I used to think of ctkeith as someone that I disagree with. Now, I have zero respect for him. Here's why:
Ctkeith knowingly engages in bigotry to further his cause. After ctkeith found out that Lieberman was growing a beard in July as part of the Orthodox Jewish custom for mourning for the passing of his mother, ctkeith mocked Lieberman's religious traditions of mournings:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/7/11/163926/969/27#27
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/7/11/163926/969/29#29
He then claimed that his site dumpjoe.com was responsible for Lieberman not appearing on talk shows throughout June even though he knew that Lieberman had been attending to his dying mother throughout June.
When posters pressed him on his bigotted comments, ctkeith refused to take them back and to this day has not apologized for them.
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/7/20/234755/721/99#99
In fact, when called on his bigoted comments, he (once again) refused to apologize and listed the names of 18 CT soldiers as "support" of his bigoted statements. I highly doubt that these soldiers would want their names used to support ctkeith's mockery of the Orthodox Jewish tradition of mourning and ctkeith's mockery of how a man mourns for his mother.
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/18/23227/8906/27#27
Then, rather than retracting his insensitive comments, he justified his bigotry by saying that Lieberman really isn't religious so it doesn't matter that he was mocking Orthodox Jewish traditions of mourning:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/18/23227/8906/27#27
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/18/23227/8906/30#30
Then, once again, rather than retracting his insensitive comments, he accused me of having a persecution complex, ironically, a traditional right-wing tactic to combat minorities that "complain too much."
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/18/23227/8906/47#47
So that's ctkeith. He still stands by his bigoted statements. He is a trusted user here.
Ditto with bobb cobb. Bobb cobb found out in July that Lieberman was growing a beard because Lieberman was following an Orthodox Jewish tradition of mourning for the loss of a parent. During a thoughtful, respectful discussion of this, he immediately chimed in and posted thoughtless comments that mocked Lieberman's mother and Lieberman's traditions. I would include the link to the most offensive comments here, however, his comments were zeroed off the page. (Personally, I hate that zeroes can do that - we shouldn't be white washing our threads of dirty laundry.) Some of the less offensive ones are included here. Bobb cobb does not retract the bigoted statements that were zeroed away, but defends them by saying he was being humorous:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/7/30/235714/587/165#165
And that we are spending too much time focusing upon his insensitive comments:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/7/30/235714/587/157#157
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/7/30/235714/587/165#165
Recently, when the issue came up again, bobb cobb thought it was funny to compare Lieberman's Orthodox Jewish tradition for mourning for the loss of his mother to masturbating to Kenny Loggins and braiding his ass hair:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/18/23227/8906/33#33
He then claimed that he has every right to mock Jewish traditions because he would mock ANY religious traditions and he's allowed to because he is an atheist. (That's fine, but that doesn't change the fact that he makes bigoted comments.)
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/8/18/23227/8906/48#48
(Lovely how he calls me "you people (Jewish)")
I have been called (by bobb cobb) a lunatic for continuing to battle this issue. Perhaps so. However, I believe it is important not to overlook bigotry within our own party if we are going to criticize Republicans for it. We cannot let it slide. We must stop it here. Perhaps I am naïve, but I do believe that bigots on the Democratic side can be reformed - that's what differentiates us from Republicans. Our bigots can change. But it can't be a solo effort. I am interested in any advice to help stamp out bigotry here. Please note, I do NOT think that these posters should be banned. They have every right to make insensitive statements. It is one of the inconveniences of the first amendment. Nevertheless, it is an inconvenience that I am willing to put up with in exchange for my first amendment rights. Just as it is their right to make bigoted statements, it is our right to tell them that they are indeed bigots.
Am I wrong to continue to battle this? Should I just ignore them when they seem to be respected in other threads? Do we really want ctkeith as a trusted user? Is the system working?
I think about how often we quote from the freeper page to show what bigots they are. Ctkeith and bobb cobb have given them some great quotes to use themselves.
Note: I realize that this is being posted on a Friday night and thus Orthodox Jews will not be able to post in this diary right away. However, I hope no one sees this as an "Orthodox Jewish issue." This is about bigoted, insensitive comments. It hurts all of us.