Lets Play Hardball!

Cross posted (and promptly deleted) at Clark County Chatter



LET’S PLAY HARDBALL

I recently returned to this forum after a 6 month absence and became alarmed at some of the violent rhetoric that had been posted, and so I commented on it. Some of the conservative members of the community were outraged by my outrage and lobbed quite a few of their hardest "hardballs" at me. Heck, I'm game. Let's play.

And she steps up to the plate...

Batta, batta, batta, batta, SWING!!!!



I guess only rabid, left-wing socialist liberals

Look back at my post. NOWHERE did I attack you personally or call you names. I attacked the content of your post and its general tone of accepting the encouragement of violence as political expression - under a thin, thin sheet of weasel-worded “I’m not saying what I SAID should be done should actually BE done, of course” CYA toilet paper camouflage. Yoo hoo – It’s not working. I can still see your a$$ plain as day. And, as usual with blowhard bullies, you decided to respond by attacking me personally about what you ASSumed are my personal character flaws, instead of addressing the actual subject. And, missy, ASSume is exactly what you did. If you ever entertained any notions of becoming a professional psychic I advise you to give up that dream. You simply don’t have the talent. You know nothing about me. Not yet, at least.

have the right to get upset over something the opposing party does.

So you’re actually admitting that the tactics of thuggery and intimidation are officially condoned by the Republican party? Well, I’ll give you this much credit - at least you’re one wackaloon wingnut who actually has the stones to come out and publicly admit that a significantly powerful wing of the Republican party now officially condones and encourages terroristic tactics. Thank you for at least being that honest.


you know, the ones who have no common sense and have masters degrees in denial?

You know, that is the one theme I’ve noticed, reading as much of the recent comments as I could stomach, that actually gave me a chuckle. In the first place, the only ones who seem to be in denial are the wackaloon wingnut conservatives (as opposed to rational conservatives). You (wackaloon wingnuts) are in denial of the fact that you are now in the minority. Yes, that’s right – you lost. The house, the senate and the presidency. Screaming and screeching, kicking your heels, banging on your tinfoil hats and generally making a huge ruckus does NOT mean you’re in the majority. It’s the votes that count – not the decibels. And the American people voted, by a CLEAR majority, to reject your party. And now, much like rejected lovers who can’t accept the fact that they’ve been rejected, you are stalking the object of your “affection,” whining, wheedling, yelling, screaming, cursing, threatening and generally being an all around a**hole in an effort to “make” your ex take you back and love you again. I keep hearing the wingnuts saying “the majority of Americans don’t want this…” but the majority of Americans clearly and decisively voted for the people who said that they would do exactly what they have done. Once again, just to make it perfectly clear – being the LOUDEST does NOT make you the majority.

Also, too, you betcha, the snide “master’s degree” reference. I’ve noticed that wackaloon wingnuts seem to have a problem with anyone who might have the faintest hint of an “intellectual air” about them - like people who worked hard, applied themselves, kept their focus and managed to graduate from third grade. That’s why they end up voting for people they think would be “good fun to have a beer with, someone just like me.” I’m pretty sure we all saw how well that worked out with the previous administration.


Cindi, you conveniently ignored everything else I've posted on this thread about my views. The phrase 'whole truth and nothing but the truth' doesn't apply to you, apparently.

It doesn’t matter what else you posted on that thread or anywhere else. The whole truth and nothing but the truth is that in that particular post you advocated by “suggestion” that:

I would love to see literally tarred and feathered. I'm not willing to wait until November to get these people out of office. They need to go NOW. I'm not promoting violence - not saying I literally want to drag Baron Hill out of bed and kill him. But I want to see every demoncrat who voted for this bill suffer. I want to see their personal and professional lives ruined. If they own businesses outside their political life, that business needs to be brought down.

You actually publically stated that you want people’s lives ruined, and actually fantasized about them being killed, over a political difference. You didn’t care about any “collateral damage” like their families or the people they might employ and the tragic consequences that would ensue for THEM. No siree, as long as you get your pound of flesh, well, some collateral damage is unavoidable in “war”, isn’t it? Besides, you clearly stated that that YOU didn’t literally want to drag Baron Hill out of bed and kill him. You just put that idea out there in the air for any mentally unbalanced person to receive and possibly act upon – an objective, a focus, a mission statement. Wouldn’t that be the perfect outcome for you? Someone else actually does the deed you suggested, your “enemy” is “taken out,” and the stooge who carried out your stated will pays the consequences, as does his/her family because it would be a tragedy for them, as well. And you walk away scot free because you “covered your a**” with a few weasel words. That would be a major win/win for you, wouldn’t it? A real “mission accomplished” moment. It doesn’t matter what else you said in any other post. You’re still responsible for the content of that particular post, as you are for all of your posts, individually and in total.

You are kidding right? You don't really think what HC posted would cause someone to go out and do something illegal do you? If a person is that far over the edge, something like this posted here won't be the cause of them doing something that they shouldn't.

For those of you who try to deny and minimize the damage this kind of inflammatory rhetoric can cause because “everyone knows it’s metaphorical, just a figure of speech. Nobody would really do that,” I’ve got news for you inexcusably irresponsible jerks. Not everyone knows it’s metaphorical. There ARE people who would really do that. Maybe you think you know everyone on this forum well enough to claim with assurance that no one here would ever act on those suggestions. In the first place, you CAN’T know that. No one can predict with absolute certainty what ANYONE, even a person they’ve known their whole life, is going to do at any given moment. The best you can do is predict what they will likely do – and, granted, most of the time be correct. But let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that no one YOU KNOW ABOUT on this forum would ever mistake your “metaphorical meaning” and act upon it. How about the lurkers? People who read, but never comment? You have no interactions with them to base any estimate of their likely behavior upon. They are a completely unknown element to you. In my job I transcribe medical reports for a local mental hospital. Places where people with MAJOR mental illnesses like schizophrenia are hospitalized – temporarily. These are people who have auditory and visual hallucinations and are extremely paranoid. They are not necessarily intellectually challenged by any greater percentage than the general population. But they are severely and oftentimes dangerously mentally ill. They are given therapy, stabilized on medications and released. Many of them either immediately stop taking their medications or slowly taper off of them. Sometimes the medications start being less effective after a patient has been on them for a while. At that point, they start to spiral down into madness and paranoia again. And during that time, while they are living in their own home, with family or friends, or in group homes or shelters, a lot of them have access to television and computers. They’re already paranoid and mentally ill. It doesn’t take very much to set them off. And they’re seeing high flying, inflammatory, irresponsible rhetoric that says “revolution is at hand!!!!” and “the traitors must suffer!!!!,” etc. I can’t (and wouldn’t) give any details about these poor souls. But believe me, the rhetoric spouted by the likes of Beck, Palin, etc., have done harm that you just couldn’t imagine. Have you included those people in your calculated estimate of who is and who is not likely to “get it” that you’re speaking metaphorically? No, I didn’t think so.


I wonder if you were so upset when a movie came out a few years ago depicting the assassination of GW Bush. Somehow, I doubt it. When that movie was cheered, did you frown? Were you appalled?

Nice try, slick. I can say that, yes, I was appalled and would never condone, much less view such horrendous trash. But, as you knew when you wrote that, I can only give my word that that was my reaction. I’m pretty sure that those who have known me on this forum from the time it opened until I left last fall will take me at my word. I really don’t give two squats if you do or not. However, I will make this point: If that movie had really pleased the liberals to high heaven it would have been EVERYWHERE on liberal sites on the net and in independent movie theaters, promoted heavily by “liberal Hollywood.” It wasn’t. It quickly sank like a stone, just like Ben Stein’s “masterpiece.” Figure it out for yourself, Einstein.


When the family members of servicemen and women who are killed overseas have to have protection at their loved ones' funerals from the rabid protestors who are screaming at them how evil this war is, do you shudder?* Or do you silently cheer, pumping your fists and saying "go get 'em"?

You’ve really stepped in it now, missy. I usually expect oinking to come out of a pig’s mouth, not the other end. Nevertheless, I certainly do have a response to your noxious, gaseous excretion masquerading as inquiry. I am eligible, through my father’s side of the family, for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Do you have any idea what that means? It means that members of my family have been fighting in the service of this country SINCE. DAY. ONE. My father had, until the deaths of some of his older siblings, nine brothers and two sisters. I can’t remember a time in my life when someone in our family wasn’t serving in the military. My father is an Air Force Veteran. He and his twin brother joined up together. My older uncles served in World War II and Korea. A paternal cousin served in the seventies and died of liver cancer in the VA Hospital in the late 90s. I have two sisters and no brothers. Perhaps it diminishes us in your eyes, but my sisters and I didn’t serve. On my mother’s side I have two cousins who have served. One recently served in Afghanistan – called up just before retirement. Thankfully he made it back unharmed. His brother served in the Air Force and died at a young age, just after retirement, of a heart attack. One of my uncles who served in Korea suffered severe depression and paranoia resulting from his experience there until his death. My brother-in-law also just recently retired from the Navy. He was a medical officer on a submarine. My other sister’s ex-husband served in Viet Nam as a helicopter crew chief. His PTSD was so bad it was a major contributing factor in their eventual divorce. I vividly recall as a child seeing the shrapnel scars on my grandmother’s second husband’s back and abdomen when he took off his shirt to swim with us down at their lake property. He got those physical badges of courage fighting in the south pacific during WWII. These people are heroes in my eyes for their service. They all served to preserve and protect the right and freedom for blowhards like you to question the patriotism of your fellow citizens that you have a political disagreement with. So, on behalf of the members of my family who have served to protect your right to be an a$$hat, I sincerely offer you this “You’re welcome.” Hope you choke on it, you swine.

I have an aunt who is just like you.

I seriously doubt it. If I was your aunt and caught you bullying others or inciting others to carry out your crazy vendetta fantasies, I would have snatched you up by the hair of your head and whaled the tar out of your sorry butt every step of the way home to your mother, my sister, who would have thanked me for my trouble and then proceeded to whale the tar out of your arrogant, insolent butt again just to make sure the lesson stuck. There were very few infractions I was ever willing to lay hands on my son for, but bullying was #1 on mom’s “hit” list. Simply. Not. Tolerated.

I could be lying in front of her bleeding to death and she would look at me and say, "Oh, well, I guess I'll have to clean up this blood by myself, because you won't help me, will you?" YOU COMPLETELY MISS THE POINT.

Well, I have to admit that that one has me stumped. Exactly what WAS your point? Were you questioning my humanity? charity? empathy? work ethic? It’s really unclear from that sentence. I don’t personally know you or your aunt or anything about the dynamics of your relationship – but I get the idea that you have some sort of issues with her that you’re attempting to battle out with her by way of proxy, namely me. I don’t know what it is you THINK I have in common with your aunt, but I suggest you deal with those issues face-to-face with HER. As I stated at the beginning, you know nothing about me. Or at least you didn’t then.


I feel sorry for ignorant fools like you. You have no concept of what the real world is like.

And you have no idea what an ignorant, arrogant, presumptuous, moronic statement that was. I have been living in the “real world” for 52 years as a member of the working class. I have worked, except for a few years when my husband supported us solely when my son was a very small child, almost my entire adult life. I have paid my share of taxes in return for the safety, security and public works the “common wealth” provides for the good of my community, state and country. I have lived through both good times and bad, depending upon the unpredictable turns life sometimes takes. I know exactly what it is to live paycheck to paycheck, stressed and worrying about that one unexpected expense or setback that could put my entire family out on the street. I know exactly what it’s like to try to stretch a one person food budget to meet the needs of a three person household, one of them being a child. I have experienced both heart rending tragedy and heart lifting joy in my real world existence. And I have survived. So save your arrogant offer of pity. It’s neither needed, nor wanted.


One day, when it all goes to hades in a handbag, you'll have to rely on us redneck, throwback, hillbilly, gun-toting conservatives for your safety and for your supplies. You won't know how to fend for yourself because you've grown so accustomed to someone providing for you.

Let me fill you in on a little more of the history of my family. My paternal ancestors were among the first group of settlers to come through the Cumberland Gap. They settled in the hills of Kentucky. One of my ancestors, Captain Sylvester Isaacs, not only served in the civil war, he later became a judge. My father’s family hails from Owsley County. And there his nuclear family stayed until half of the twelve children (born at home) were grown, and then they moved to Louisville. That makes me a first generation, direct descendent of an actual hillbilly. The genuine article – not some hillbilly/cowboy wannabe puffed up poser. And I grew up in one of the most redneck areas in Louisville – the south end, right on the line between Shively and Pleasure Ridge. You simply can’t get more redneck than that. And I’m pretty sure I’ve given more than enough evidence by now to prove that I’m more than capable of fending and providing for myself. So, once again, your faith in your ability to intuitively “know” me has been seriously misplaced.


The sad truth is that we won't begrudge helping you, because that's the kind of people we are. Bet you can't say the same.

The sad truth is that I know exactly “the kind of people you are” because you’ve stated it clearly in a post calling for ruining the lives of people you have political disagreements with and fantasizing about their death. So don’t try to sell yourself as a model of charity and humanity now. And I don’t think you should be placing any bets about knowing the character of others anymore. You’ve already gambled away any credibility you may have formerly had in that regard by arrogantly placing all your marbles on the bet that you somehow knew all about what kind of person I am by virtue of reading nothing more than a single forum post I made.


Good God! These people might be talking revolution! Where could that possibly end!
And pointing to the bad behavior of a few tea party types then generalizing that to the entire bunch is the same as picking out the least savory members of any group and attributing their characteristics to all members of the group. It is stereotyping, generalizing and in the same league as racism and sexism.
We all know how classy it is to throw in the Nazi references.

There have been more of these “isolated incidents” of “bad behavior” and if you follow the news you already know about them. It’s escalating. Tell me, in your opinion, how many “isolated incidents” of “bad behavior” does it take to become a pattern? 5? 10? 20? 50? 100? Until someone gets hurt? Until someone gets killed? I think the difference between you and me is that you are willing to ignore or dismiss these “isolated incidents” of “bad behavior” until a real tragedy occurs. I, on the other hand, want to nip it in the bud BEFORE a real tragedy occurs. And though I agree that the Nazi reference is ridiculously overused, there are actually those rare times when the comparison is valid. Windows were smashed in America by thugs to intimidate people for political purposes. Windows were smashed in Nazi Germany by thugs to intimidate people for political purposes. Please point out to me where I’m mistaken in considering those two incidents to be similar, and similarly alarming. And please inform me as to which type of “ist” it makes me to see this pattern, be alarmed by it, and point it out. As far as me not being “classy” well, I’m really not concerned about anyone else’s opinion about that. I do and say what I think is right and let the chips fall where they may, whether it makes me appear to be “classy” or not.

You can't blame people for being angry at this socialist / communist power grab that is seen by many as illegal and unconstitutional. People are upset and they are well within their rights to talk about it. You can't simply dismiss the sentiment as right wing extremism, we even see numerous states now filing law suits about this legislation. The concern is real and we better be talking about it unless we really want to see the country fail.

Interesting attempt at censorship though..

Horse hockey. You have no interest in “talking” about your “concern.” That is clearly evidenced by your consistent use of overblown, insulting, hyperbolic rhetoric, calling people communist, socialist, marxist, etc., etc, etc, ad nauseum, because you’re angry that the democrats (who are, and always have been – surprise, surprise – liberal) have now been voted into the majority. I remember all the talk about fascism during the Bush administration and how we would all end up incarcerated in FEMA camps (ironically, that bit of paranoid fear mongering has been conveniently switched over and assigned to Obama now that he’s president – kinda makes you wonder if someone is profiting from keeping irrational fear at a fever pitch, doesn’t it?). I was worried about things like the Patriot Act, torture, government eavesdropping, etc., as well. But you know what? The country survived a two term administration of what I consider to be the radical right wing in power. And it will also survive a one or two term administration of what you consider to be the radical left wing in power. As far as the state lawsuits, some governors have already kicked their overzealous right wing AGs to the curb on that. And so what if lawsuits are filed? The courts will decide if the legislation has legal legs to stand on or not. If not, it won’t stand. If it does, it will stand – no matter how much you pull your hair, rend your clothes, gnash your teeth and scream socialism, communism, marxism, etc., etc., etc. If you don’t like the direction the country is going in, then you should work hard to field good candidates, sell the voters on your platform and win elections. Simple as that.

What I find interesting is that you are STILL using the same flip line, “interesting attempt at censorship,” as a mechanism to defend some particularly obnoxious behavior from criticism and rebuke because it’s coming from someone who has the same ideological beliefs as you. Cliché though it may be, it’s not censorship to prohibit people from yelling “fire” in a crowded theater or “Hi Jack” in an airport terminal. It’s civic responsibility in the interest of public safety. Just like calling for an end to public urgings to do violence and injury to political opponents is in the interest of public safety. Honestly, if you can’t understand that, well, either you’re being intellectually dishonest or you’re intellectually challenged. Personally, I don’t believe that you are intellectually challenged.

Well kids, it’s been a fun, but tiring game of hardball and we’ve come to the end of the last inning. This old lady is pooped! But before I retire, I’d like to address some other people who visit this forum. Have you felt bullied here? Shouted down, personally insulted by a “wolf pack” for giving your opinion about something on what is supposed to be a community forum where all are supposed to be welcome and encouraged to engage in civil debate? Has it soured you to the point that you’ve just stopped commenting? Or have you hesitated to ever comment at all because you’ve seen others being savaged by the “wolf pack?” Well guys, here’s your chance to step up to the plate and hit one outta the park by making your feelings known and letting the administrators of the forum know that there really is a problem with bullying here. Simply respond “ditto” to this post - sort of a “Reverse Rush.” Things may not change, but at least you will have stood up to the bullies, and, believe me, it’s a good feeling to finally stand up to a bully. And if I only get a few dittos, or even none at all, you know what I’m going to do? Accept it. That’s right, I’ll just accept that the majority disagrees with me, go about my business and never make a peep about it again. I won’t holler, whine, or start a covert campaign to harass people I consider to be my enemies by making a gazillion reports to the moderators about them. I’ll just zip my lip, accept that that’s just the way it is around here, and move on. Promise.