GD in DU has become an annex of the M$M.

[karlrschneider]

We have lost 47 troops in 11 days this month, and well over half of the threads are bloviations about some old fart who made stupid comments on television. As it it were something new. What the hell has happened to our priorities?

I'm sorry but all this hysteria is nothing short of idiotic. What happened to "Sticks and stones..."? We (rightfully) bitch and moan about nonstop coverage of missing blondes, who's the daddy, and American Idol as our soldiers are massacred in Iraq then go ballistic because this Imus guy says something dumb. I've hidden threads as fast as I can and they STILL pop up every five fucking minutes, not to mention my ignore list is probably approaching 'full.'

So, until this insanity calms down, I will be taking a Sabbatical from DU. Feel free to reply with the usual "Don't let the door hit you in the ass...", "Why are you bothering to tell us...", and probably "Good, we hate you anyway" - I won't see or reply to them anyway so have fun.

One last thing - some have said (sound familiar?) I'm a racist. To aybody who says that, you are a liar. A lot of DUers know me personally (I use my real actual name here and have nothing to hide; I call's em like I see's 'em.) I also have openly published my real actual email address here and elsewhere on the tubes. [e-mail]

I've been the victim of bigotry for more years than a lot of DUers have lived...and I've survived. I shall continue to do so.
But I don't let it rule my life.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. You've been a victim of bigotry, eh?

[shadowknows69]

22. Bigotry takes on many forms

who are you to say he has or hasn't?

[MrModerate]

2. Drat! here I was going to toss in a few pithy lines about . . .

Why the Imus hysteria is meaningful (I'm sure I could have come up with something) . . . and now, reading down, I discover you won't even read 'em.

I'm crushed, I really am.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I, for one, will miss you. When the dust settles, come on back.

[Joe Chi Minh]

4. We're sure going to miss your areonautical-engineering expertise re the twin towers.

[Bjornsdotter]

5. Take a break

...and come back soon. I happen to read most of your posts and will miss you.

Take care :hug:

[eleny]

6. You ask: What happened to "Sticks and stones..."?

Karl, they come after we ignore the words. :hug:

[Joe Chi Minh]

17. Don't hurt Karl's tender conscience. He'd be devastated to learn

that people who say bad things about a race of people (including inevitably a vast majority he has had zero contact with) might encourage dead-heads to do bad things to them.

It happened in Germany, I believe, in living memory. Not because the Germans were a bad people, at all, but because the powers that be prepared the way via their media. "Kristallnacht" was made so much easier.

[eleny]

21. I think Karl is exasperated with the Iraq War

And he'd rather we focus on that. Soldiers dying in greater numbers now. We all reach a tipping point some days and need a break. I have no doubt that he understands the point you're making as do I.

[Joe Chi Minh]

29. It does seem to me though, that it is the Imus sympathisers who are

continually dredging the matter up.

It's done and dusted. However much they may sorrow and whine because of their sympathy and consequently association with him, they need to get over it, and stop clogging up the board with new threads, don't they?

[Buzz Clik]

7. About the reporting on the deaths in Iraq...

It's been reported on GD at least once today -- probably more. Is it your feeling that we should post the Death Watch every time one of the brainless threads pops up?

I don't read the threads about Imus or Anna Nicole. Ever. And when I read the dead soldier report, it's depressing because the reporters do it as a matter of course -- cold and empty.

If you want to make an impact, instead of storming off, try this: Print the names of each soldier that dies and give a brief bio. Each soldier deserves a thread. I guarantee one K&R and a standing ovation each time.

[conscious evolution]

8. Good idea

DU should do a forum for them.

[Buzz Clik]

16. Excellent!

[Gabi Hayes]

9. you'll be back in a few days, cause, since he got canned already,

this'll be over quicker than Bush trying to read a PDB.

[eleny]

12. Meantime, this is what's called 'public dialog' of an important issue

An important issue for our country. I'm sure that black people have been strong for hundreds of years. As Karl suggests people have to be to survive. But enough is enough with Imus-like public behavior and we're talking about it non stop for now here at DU.

[Madspirit]

10. It's not about Imus

It's about racism but hey...spin it to suit yourself.
Lee

[Morgana LaFey]

23. AND SEXISM!

Sheesh!! I even have to remind YOU???? The sexism part is tooooooooo invisible and/or unimportant here at DU. Please help me not let it get short shrift -- it certainly wasn't lost on the young women themselves.

[Madspirit]

25. I am sorry Morgana...

You know me. Yes the racism and the sexism. I guess it's because all the fucking racists have been crawling out of the woodwork in droves...much like roaches...and I've been posting all those articles on reverse racism.

I won't mess up again. I promise....


IT'S THE RACISM AND THE SEXISM PEOPLE. "Isms" are the ugliest things on the earth and I hate the closet racists/sexists...the apologists and those in denial....

Lee

[Morgana LaFey]

28. No need to apologize --

you've done yeoman's work these past couple of days trying to address it all and I salute you. I really appreciate your energy, your insights, your "work" for the good. Thank you.

:thumbsup:

[KAZ]

11. Karl, many of us respect your opinions and feelings.

Please respect ours. We have the ability to react to the many horrors placed before us by the administration, but please understand that racism and sexism is a big deal for many of us, as I'm sure it is for you. I've heard this "Imus" talk my entire life, growing up in the SW suburbs of Chicago. And I continue to hear this talk by many whom I've once called my friends. I am glad this is happening.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

13. Are you allowed to say that? I mean, I completely agree BUT,...

,...aren't you afraid of being penalized or moved or dumped?

[AlCzervik]

14. Karl, even though i'm on your ignore list and we have disagreed a few times i always

appreciate your opinion.

[Forkboy]

15. We get nearly as many threads scolding us as we do about the subject itself.

Why why why is it so hard to understand that people can handle more than one topic in their lives at one time? It seems so basic,yet so many don't get it. :shrug:

[renie408]

18. I am a good multitasker. I can deplore more than one thing at a time. n/t

[TransitJohn]

20. Uh, I think that's

multislacker ;-) and I'm one too. :dunce: :hi:

[Cha]

24. "Multislacker", eh?..

You betcha! :)

[David Zephyr]

19. You just noticed?

"Quick! Turn on Fox"

"Oh my God, is anyone watching Tucker?"

We are in a bloodbath of a civil war because of an illegal invasion of Iraq, 1 million civilians there are dead and...

"Anybody watching O'Reilly right now"

[The Doctor.]

26. A well and proper hissy-fit.

With excellent delivery. :thumbsup:

While I agree that the M$M has pervaded the internet, I can say that it's fetor on DU has more to do with righteous outrage over what should be considered insignificant issues than it does with any insidious and intentional campaign to subvert free exchange. It is also important to put some of these issues 'on the front burner' in order to directly address the deep and abiding divisiveness in the few short moments that it rears it's head and can be dealt a blow.

Some things just need to be dealt with zealously, otherwise they may be left to fester in our cultural subconscious and wreak havok in the depths of civilized development.

Other than that, and having been a fan of your opinions since before I joined DU, I hope that 'unplugging' for a little while gets you the breathing room you need.

This shit is suffocating, you've gone farther than most into the fog... enjoy the break.

Oh... and 'don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out'.

:yourock:

[Bluebear]

27. We have lost 47 troops in 11 days this month. As if it were something new.

Do you maintain, Karl, that we have done nothing in in here since 2003 but talk about 'stupid' issues? Really?

From the lack of threads citing the latest number of dead do you now say we're insane and we don't care? I reject that. I do happen to think that many of us are capable of handling multiple outrages at once and it's a shame you are leaving like this.

[depakid]

30. Sorry- but you are dead wrong

One of the major reasons that we're in this sorry situation is that people have enabled- or ignored the proliferation of old farts and other far right lunatics on hate radio and TV.

It's changed the nature of public discourse, and allowed formerly unacceptable behavior (of all sorts) to become commonplace.

15 years ago, could you have imagined under any circumstances that Americans would would be advocating torture, abrogating the Geneva Conventions and doing away with habeas corpus on the public airwaves?

[kestrel91316]

31. Don't let the paid RW trolls/bandwidth wasters and divisiveness

promoters got you down.......they aren't the real DU.

Karl put out the memo on Imus and conservatives' free speech being denied.

[Supersedeas]

32. a little perspective is in order

[TZ]

33. How about posting in other forums?

I will miss your rationality and wit! You have made me laugh sometimes when I was in the process of getting angry. Come back soon!:hi: