I'm reposting a post from yesterday. I'm tired of DUers being belittled for discussing...

[DeepModem Mom]

Don Imus. There is a "hide thread" option here. Please use it, and respect the freedom of others to discuss topics within DU's rules.

***

Not many DUers are stupid, shallow, or uncommitted to the purpose we all share.

Might we have some tolerance for discussions about subjects that crop up in the news from time to time that have obvious human interest, and that many DUers would like to discuss here for a time? These topics are always part of a news cycle or two, or three, and then run their course. (And we do have a "hide" thread option.) Some of the topics have, for individual, personal reasons, importance to some here; they resonate in our own lives and experiences. Those with no interest in a particular story are not necessarily superior or more high-minded than others here.

And some (many?) of us are simple news junkies. If it's in the news, we're there. (I suspect this is true of many who are among the star posters of information here.)

No group of people is going to be always one-hundred-per-cent on point and headed in the same direction toward the highest purpose that calls us. No group of Democrats, that's for sure.

[jerryme1]

1. Fair enough

[blondeatlast]

2. If we all agreed on the same things, even on what is worthy of discussion, this would be a dull

place indeed.

Thank you for putting it so well, DMM.

[Saturday]

3. MSNBC fired him. Is CBS far behind?

The story is over. I am not happy because the good he has done will be curtailed. The kids who come to his ranch with cancer have lost. Celebrate everyone.

[roody]

8. He is not rich enough to keep up the cancer work?

Or it was just a photo op?

[NormanYorkstein]

12. Let's boycott CBS advertisers until they cancel his radio show

Who's advertising on his radio show?

[The Count]

35. Why? is hate speech part of the treatment?

[Bluerthanblue]

41. "the good he has done" doesn't

cancel out the wrong he has done-
And while you may believe that 'the bad' was only 'words'- the bad is just as life changing as the good.

Hatred kills. Just as surely as the promise that medicine cures.

[Breeze54]

4. Sure but

why are there so many redundant posted topics? :shrug:

I believe that's the issue. Many could have posted and
discussed this in those already posted 35 threads about Imass.

At least that's what I percieved a lot were saying.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. I think because this topic -- racism and sexism -- carries powerful...

individual emotional responses. People want to express themselves about it (especially DUers, who wouldn't be here if they didn't have an opinion). It doesn't lend itself as well as the latest outrage from the DOJ to discussion in one thread. It's an outburst of emotion, and it will be over soon.

[Breeze54]

10. I understand that but 35 threads?

They can express themselves in say, 17?? ;)

Nobody is saying only have one thread but 35 + is a lot!

I wish the stop loss and the Iraq escalation had as many posted op's!

[blondeatlast]

11. You took the time to count them? Hats off to you--I suppose. nt

[Breeze54]

22. No...someone else did.

But I remembered them posting that number, concerning the 'I' threads, yesterday.

Don't assume...you know what they say about that. ;)

[DeepModem Mom]

15. I can only say again, I think it's an outburst.

Threads about the Iraq escalation will go on (sadly). We're apparently in that for the long term. This is a breaking situation, and will settle down. I agree, however, that some threads could have been part of others. But it's a free flow in GD, if not in LBN.

[choie]

25. exactly...

enough already!

[TahitiNut]

28. Over 400 threads on Imus in GD in the last three days alone!

Over four hundred.

[blondeatlast]

38. You counted them? Seriously--I just scroll past what I don't care to read.

You COUNTED them?

[TahitiNut]

40. DU's 'search' function can be used with care to make such estimates.

The word 'Imus' is pretty unique.

[blondeatlast]

47. I'll just use the scroll and skip past anyting that doesn't interest me.

Saves lots of aggravation!

[TahitiNut]

31. Over 190 threads on Imus in GD in just the last 24 hours.

Over one-hundred and ninety!

In just General Discussion.

In just one day.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. Imus isn't a fluff story IMO

He's a prominent radio personality who frequently features politicians on his show. Him getting canned for what he said might just lead to more attention to the offensive rhetoric of howler monkeys like Rush, Savage, and Glenn Beck. Yeah, we pay attention here but I guarantee you the average person still thinks Rush is just some funny dude on the radio. A lot of people know who Imus is now.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. It's not fluff at all. This could be a turning point for all the dispensers of hate speech...

given a best-case scenario of heightened awareness, and a changing idea of what is acceptable on -- and maybe off -- the airways.

[Beausoir]

13. From your mouth the the ears of TPTB.

Enough is enough. I will not tolerate these racists to vomit all over MY airwaves any longer.

This is just the beginning.

[Hubert Flottz]

18. I have been thinking the same thing since this started!

Today Imus, tomorrow Rush Lamebum!

[athena]

39. I agree.

Free speech is not the issue here. It's not like congress is making laws limiting hate speech. It's just a matter of market economics: if a talk-show host at a private radio station makes statements that a large group of listeners find offensive, why should the radio station keep him and risk losing its listeners and advertising revenue? If enough people voice their outrage about the offensive stuff other talk show hosts spew out, they will get fired, too. What the people want is quality programming. This is a very good precedent.

[Cha]

7. Thanks, my sentiments, too..and

you say it so eloquently.

Turns out this imus tragedy of his making was important and it had to get worked out.

May this be the beginning of the end of America's hatemongering, racist, sexist slurs coming over our AIRWAVES!

Bring back THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE!

[Spazito]

14. The multitude of threads on one issue is not unusual nor

is an equal multitude of threads complaining about the multiple threads. Have we all forgotten so soon the multiple threads when the new Pope was chosen, when Ann Coulter showed her homophobia yet again in her despicable commentary re John Edwards, etc, etc, etc.

What I have found more fascinating is those who seem to want to limit if not totally shut down the discussion of Imus and his producer's reprehensible behavior also seem, for the most part, not to recognize the REAL issue behind the outrage, the real discussion going on and that is one of racism, sexism, use of the public airwaves, how "green" drives the media, etc.

When there is a "thread frenzy" about a topic I am not interested in I usually stick to LBN and, when it is really bad, again only because I am not interested in the topic and not that the topic shouldn't be discussed, I used the ignore feature.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Agreed. Thanks for posting. nt

[Batgirl]

17. Criticism of the DU vs. flat-out contempt

The DU isn't exempt from criticism, especially self criticism. That's different from the withering revulsion some express toward the forum as a whole when topics not of their liking are attracting a lot of attention. A contempt that sometimes reaches it's full flower in some of the "I can no longer bear to share this little slice of the blogosphere with all of you mentally deficient cretins" farewell posts.

[Spazito]

19. LOL, I think I just read one of those!

What I can't figure out is why they can't figure out the people who congregate on DU are not the type of people who appreciate being lectured as the lecturer is walking out the door, lol.

[blondeatlast]

20. How right you are. I have my own pet issue, in the headlines today,

and it's sinking like a rock.

I'm not going to throw a tantrum over it.

This place is entertainment with a twist of information and action, IMHO. I'm capable of holding two or even more ideas at one time (even with the bottle blonde)!

[KoKo]

29. Just wait til it get's slow and kick the post.....those of us who care about

our issues shouldn't be shy about dragging a post out of archives at a time when it could get more attention.
At least I'm not shy that way....for better or worse. I've spent too long in this place to be that shy about "kicking" something I care about and seeing if the timing is better for interest.

Many times the post was crap and I had to rework it ...or folks wouldn't care if I beat them over the head with it. But, other times it reaches an audience that cares like I do about the topic but just missed it on the first go round. :shrug:

[blondeatlast]

32. Oh, I do quite often. Sometimes I post just to let off a little steam, too.

Just getting it in public can help even if nobody cares!

[DeepModem Mom]

21. I know. I mean, I pay my dues here, posting articles. I'm a serious person...

and I'm no dummy, and I think this topic is important. It burns me up to be belittled here, along with hundreds of other committed and valuable DUers.

[Forkboy]

23. I think I thanked you yesterday for it.And I'm going to thank you again.

:applause:

[DeepModem Mom]

24. Thank YOU, Forkboy!

:hi:

[DeepModem Mom]

26. Just wanted to note that the Imus news is on the DU HOME PAGE, as well as in GD. nt

[UTUSN]

27. K&R for I think I'm in love n/t

[Triana]

30. K & R For a Very Wise and Compassionate Statement...

...thanks DMM!

[Stinky The Clown]

33. K&R

You said it very well.

There are always a wide range of topics posted. Has anyone counted candidate threads, as but one example?

I also think there's a cycle members of DU go through with respect to being Jiminy Crickets. I know for sure I went through it. In my case, somewhere around 4 or 5,000 posts I started taking issue with every topic that was like the Imus thing these days. Back then, it was the candidate wars. Now, such things mostly don't bother me. I get so I don't even notice them. A natural igrone button, if you will.

So yeah ...... we're vary capable of multitasking ..... and when we care to, multiignoring, too.

[DeepModem Mom]

36. Thanks, Husb -- I love your posts! nt

[The Count]

34. hear, hear! Just because racism boils my blood, doesn't matter that I can't

pay attention to the war, the Congressional investigations or any other relevant news.
I do not need to be reminded that there are OTHER subjects for me to write about.
Had there not been so many DU defenders of the racist, I might have had less of an urge to reply/retort.

[DeepModem Mom]

37. One subject...two subjects...

Thanks for your post!

[Bluerthanblue]

42. very good point- and it is through discussion

that many people come to understand, and sometimes re-evaluate their own perspective or expand the view of others.

Funny thing too- that when we come right down to the essence, there is a connectedness.... there is a common thread: The war+racisim+abuse of power+entitlement+greed+oppression+compassion+CELEBRATING diversity not simply "tolerating" each other+ compromise+ respect ...... and on and on and on

[The Count]

43. Bingo! I posted that earlier - war is not THAT much of a subject change from this!

The war was an easy sell to so many because racist sentiments were played on, on the airwaves/in print by the same blowhards we are talking about right here....
here's my post in one of the more clever put down threads:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=633408&mesg_id=634346

[DeepModem Mom]

44. Thanks again, Count! nt

[The Count]

45. Thank YOU for keeping the moral compass straight around here!

[pnwmom]

46. Excellent post, DeepModemMom.

There's nothing trivial about the discussions around the Imus firing. We'd all be better off if people like that weren't given national platforms for their vile.

And there's nothing trivial about discussions of the Duke students case, another issue that has been criticized here. The whole case, and some DU'ers attitudes toward it, has put a spotlight on how important the presumption of innocence is to our system of justice. And how easily a rogue prosecutor, along with a salivating (rather than thoughtful) press, can wreck people's lives.

[DeepModem Mom]

48. Agreed. That story, too, has importance beyond the students involved. nt

[sundancekid]

49. thanks for being "an adult in charge" -- it has encouraged me to return

to a forum that I had, at one point, found to be way too narcissistic, intolerant and dimsighted ----- gosh, too many familiar tunes from that side that shall not be named ...

let's build a garden of tolerance to the truth, even if it isn't our very own favorite flower that very second ...

thanks again, dmm!

[H2O Man]

50. I agree n/t