Moderated sites like DU violate my right to free speech..

[Virginia Dare]

I should be able to come here and say whatever I want without restraint. Why are some of my posts deleted? Why are some posters banned? Why should I have to agree to follow any rules before I post here? Anybody who posts here is acquiescing to authoritarianism.

[TwilightZone]

1. Further, I should be able to do or say whatever I want without any consequences.

That's what the Constitution says, right?

[Warpy]

2. In addition, property is theft.

Just help yourselves to whatever you want.

[Buzz Clik]

3. I would support your complaints, but I fear being banned, tasered, or humiliated.

I blame John Kerry for this.

[baldguy]

4. You do not have the right to come into my house and do whatever you please.

All of us here are guests of Skinner, Elad & EarlG. THEIR house, THEY make the rules.

[truebrit71]

7. Oh yeah? Well they're TERRIBLE hosts....

..they haven't even offered me a cuppa tea or a biscuit.... :evilgrin:

[The Wielding Truth]

27. Where's my biscuit, and how bout a pillow?

:evilgrin:

[Oilwellian]

89. You can't have any pudding...

if you don't eat your meat. :D

[nolabels]

65. Donuts and coffee can be requested anytime

:donut:

[Bonobo]

9. Yeah, but guests who make the dinner and do the dishes.

[DancingBear]

11. And pay for the meal

[Missy Vixen]

16. Thanks, baldguy

Most people typically don't view an invitation into someone else's home as an excuse to take a whiz on the couch, for instance.

Julie

[TwilightZone]

44. Or create such a commotion that the neighbors call the police....

[liberalpress]

66. Can't take a whiz on the...

... oh my! Look at the time... 'scuse me*a-hem* gotta go! Bye!

[Time for change]

85. I think she was kidding or being sarcastic

I hope she was kidding or being sarcastic.

[BOSSHOG]

5. Should I cheer you on or join you in a laugh My Dear?

Consider I am a graduate of the University of Arkansas so I'm not that smart (always want to encourage stereotypes.) And acquiescing to authoritarianism in a sexual context ain't that bad (when all parties involved are onboard.)

[Robb]

8. Hear, hear. nt

[Swamp Rat]

13. Cue the banjo music

:D

[BOSSHOG]

20. Me Thinks Our Sweet Virginia is playing us like a Stradivariousbanjo.

[Buzz Clik]

42. LOL!

I had no idea he made banjos.

[Bonobo]

6. You sound very defensive. Like you want to convince yourself it is all okay.

Don't worry. It's all okay. Just carry on.

[DancingBear]

17. True

A little censorship here, a little revisionist history there.

No biggie.

[melody]

10. Your rights end where others' rights begin

When your exercising "free speech" interferes with free expression of other people, then
moderating you actually safeguards free expression.

It's the same question with free markets and government regulation.

[Flabbergasted]

12. r u serious?

[Ikonoklast]

14. I reserve the right to act like an idiot

And spew whatever nonsense I want to, at any time, to any audience, and by God, you better shut up and listen or I'll scream about my rights getting violated.

Whatever happened to 'civil discourse'? It seems that fifteen minutes of temporary fame trumps all.

[XemaSab]

15. Give me a dollar.

n/t

[Warpy]

52. PIKER

Gimme your wallet.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. When you signed up, you agreed to follow the rules.

This is a private website, and in voicing your objections, you are in violation of the rules you agreed to.

Just sayin'...

This thread could well be locked.

Wouldn't surprise me at all.

[lpbk2713]

30. Now see what you've done VirginiaDare?

Ya went and put a burr in CalPeg's knickers. Shame on you.


(Hiya Peg .... :hi: )

[CaliforniaPeggy]

38. No worries, sweetie!

I just put on my former Mod hat for that post...

No burr in my knickers!

Nice to see you today too!

:hi:

[WildEyedLiberal]

34. I think she's making a point about the disruptor/taser idiot

Not complaining about DU's rules. Some people here think that the First Amendment guarantees anyone the right to do and say whatever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want, no exceptions.

[BOSSHOG]

39. And that applies to the second amendment too

by gawd give me a gun with lots of ammunition. I can shoot whomever I want, whenever I want with what I want. Its right there in the by gawd constiution.

[WildEyedLiberal]

45. The Founders CLEARLY intended all Americans to be able to own bazookas

Just as they CLEARLY intended freedom of speech to protect people who choose to be violent and disruptive!

[BOSSHOG]

48. And flame throwers

its right there in the constitution. Fuck wad moron conservatives do not have an inkling of WHO the founding fathers were, but they do know where their meth lab and 13 year old daughter are.

[NoPasaran]

63. Flame throwers? Pah!

I demand my own Personal Nuclear Device! How am I supposed to defend myself when a B-52 with errant nukes on board flies over my house?

[krispos42]

74. It's 10pm... do you know where your meth is? n/t

[asthmaticeog]

94. Founders, schmounders - GOD wants us to have bazookas!

:patriot:

[EstimatedProphet]

101. What are you, an anti-bazooka commie or something?

I've got a bazooka, and I never bothered anyone!

Except for that kid that one time. But that was aggravated, and I did my time!

[Virginia Dare]

82. Yes ma'am...

duly noted...:hi: :yourock:

[baby_mouse]

19. I wilt in your general direction.

Your point is lost on me.

[Kingshakabobo]

Tombstones are just another form of TASERs!!!!!!

[Kelly Rupert]

21. Laws against theft violate my right to property.

I should be able to have whatever I want. Why are some people able to keep things from me? Why do I have to pay money for things? That's extortion. Anyone who pays money for things is acquiescing to authoritarianism.

[TreasonousBastard]

22. .

:rofl:

[slowry]

23. TASER SKINNER NOT VIRGINIA n/t

[Cleita]

24. You can say anything you like as long as you are

respectful and follow the rules. Trollish behavior, however, isn't tolerated.

4-3-2-1

[jonnyblitz]

25. Do DUers get TASERED for these infractions? stupid post. nt

[krispos42]

76. Yes!

Take that, you breastfeeding Olive-Garden-patronizing no-reciept-showing short-skirted cornflake-breaded-chicken-fryer!



:rofl:

[Telly Savalas]

91. If they did, would it validate their behavior? stupid post. nt

[Enrique]

26. don't tombstone me, bro

[Bluebear]

33. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

THAT was good.

[Exiled in America]

99. lol

[progressoid]

28. Damn it, my Constitutional right to tap tap tap on my keyboard are being infringed!

Infringed, I tell ya!

[Pierre.Suave]

59. What matters is

are you "tapping" with a wide stance or not?

[Kajsa]

29. You forget the sarcasm smilie.

You sound so serious, that
it's coming across that way to some.

[TwilightZone]

35. I think that's the point.

I think it's intended to sound no less serious than some of the statements that it is satirizing.

[TwilightZone]

31. I demand that John Kerry do something about that!

Since I don't see him rushing right out to take care of that, he must be a coward.

[H2O Man]

37. The Shrimp Boaters

were right after all.

[madinmaryland]

32. This is "Democratic" Underground.

Do you really want to hear hate speech from Freepers on this site?

:shrug:

[Toucano]

36. Consider yourself WARNED!

:rofl:

[NYVet]

40. HELP HELP!!! I'm being oppressed

Tip of the hat to the first person to get the film reference.

[Kelly Rupert]

41. Surely you can't think that's the least bit obscure. n/t

[Enrique]

60. self-delete

replied to wrong post. :blush:

[NYVet]

61. Only if you are under the age of 20. N/T

[krispos42]

77. I can, and don't call me Shirley!

:crazy:

[Enrique]

62. that reference is PERFECT for this story

"you saw that! you saw him repressing me!" :rofl:

[myrna minx]

67. It's just the violence inherent in the system, you know. n/t

[TygrBright]

90. Come and see the violence inherent in the system!! n/t

[Marrah_G]

93. Holy Grail

[BlooInBloo]

43. So many are utterly ignorant of what the 1st amendment says.

[flyingfysh]

46. You are free to set up your own web site

And you can then set your own rules about what posts will be allowed to stay.

[Fovea]

47. You are such a kidder...

or a 40watt unit.

One of the two.

[robinlynne]

49. Since you don't like it, don't post here. and bye!

[MessiahRp]

50. Nice subtle jab at yesterday's taser situation.

Touche'!

Rp

[TwilightZone]

51. Yesterday's, today's, and probably tomorrow's.

[Double T]

53. You must be looking for the MADMAXunderground.com

Let me know when you find it.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

54. It's sorta funny how many people missed the point ...

I said 'sorta' funny. But it does go to show how some people don't read past the OP.

[bryant69]

55. Good point

And timely.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[endarkenment]

56. I agree that tasering is the appropriate response for your violations.

When will the video be on youtube?

[LynneSin]

57. Here you go

[endarkenment]

58. excellent.

I like to watch.

[slowry]

71. You wait right here; I'll go get Warren. n/t

[damntexdem]

64. Violate your right to thrill screech? To Freep preach?

Oh, free speech! You have NO RIGHT to use someone else's private site for your free speech.

[Lex]

68. Sorry , the 1st Amendment right to free speech applies to governmental interference

and not private interference with it.

If you say something I don't like and I (a private citizen) hit you in the mouth to shut you up, then you have an assault case--NOT a 1st Amendment case.

If you say something the government (or by extension the police) doesn't like, and they hit you in the mouth to shut you up, then you have a 1st Amendment case and an assault case.

Skinner's moderating isn't by the government but by a private citizen at a privately owned site.

[Virginia Dare]

70. Here is the advertisement for the forum

it's described as a "moderated" event sponsored by a University speakers group called "ACCENT" (I assume they put the money up for it).

http://insideuf.ufl.edu/2007/09/06/kerry-forum/

[Lex]

80. But private moderation is different that government moderation

as far as "the right to free speech" is concerned.

We are probably agreeing here, but there is a distinction between private interference and governmental inference with speech.

[Virginia Dare]

81. Right, I think we do agree...n/t

[tandot]

69. IBTL.

K & R. Great post.

[iamthebandfanman]

72. lol! way to prove a point! hear hear!

[trumad]

73. K@R

[LSK]

75. you are FREE and have the RIGHT to start your own website

And post whatever you want on that.

[Lex]

78. oops

wrong place

[xchrom]

79. i hate it when people don't pay attention to my righteous indignation. n/t

[Yael]

83. The internet is all about free speech

Open up a website and say anything you like!

[Festivito]

84. No, not really.

Since those rules actually ENHANCE free speech, it comes to deciding YOUR free speech against OUR free speech, nullifying your claim of rights violation, since you'd be violating our rights in the process of doing so. There is no lack of alternative media, and you can invite others to review comments elsewhere within the confines of the rules.

You'd have to hope for a lousy lawyer on DU's side in order to win.

Instead, you'd pay the legal bills of both sides.

[mudesi]

86. How ridiculous. (nm)

[Joe for Clark]

87. No - on the whole they do a pretty good job here.

I sure got deleted a few times - and I didn't agree with that.

But even I admit they try and do the right thing.

On the whole - pretty well.

[losthills]

88. grow up...

[asthmaticeog]

92. You will lead us all to true freedom.

This post will be as a beacon to those who understand that REAL freedom is a life-long indulgent tantrum. :patriot:

[tammywammy]

95. .

[dysfunctional press]

96. "Anybody who posts here is acquiescing to authoritarianism..."

and with over 11,000 posts under your belt, you should know...

[mogster]

97. I read an article on the BBC website the other day, tried to vote it to the Greatest

But there was no possibility to do it over there :shrug:

[Exiled in America]

98. DU has the right to moderate. They don't have the right to come to your house and taser you.

You shouldn't be able to come here and say whatever you want without restraint and not expect certain consequences. You should also be able to come here and say something that breaks the rules and not expect a gang of DU moderators to come to your house and gang rape you as a "consequence" for your actions.

Hey, you used a stupid extreme example in your OP, so I thought I'd do the same.

[MilesColtrane]

100. enrique beat me to it.... n/t