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| Posted by: Jag
- [263676] Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 07:08
It has been over a year since I posted here, I seem to remember Perm Dude was a writer. I recently returned to college and I am taking English Composition 101. I wrote my first essay and it has been rejected because the professer feels it has an angry tone and that is not not proper for a college essay. She also feels Jonathon Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' would not be right for college. Here is the essay. Remember this is my first essay I have ever wrote.
I Hate the Sweet Little Old Crossing Guard Lady
I hate the sweet little old crossing guard lady. How can I form a hatred for someone I never met, you may ask? Is she rude? No. Does she smell funny? No. Is she crude, overbearing or has a degenerating skin condition that makes her look like a zombie? Not sure, doubt it and who cares. So, why do I hate the sweet little old crossing guard lady? She is in a position of authority.
I dislike authority and despise being told what to do. Dennis Leary says it best in the movie ‘Demolition Man’. “I want to smoke Cuban cigars the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-O all over my body reading Playboy magazine.”
I am annoyed by everyone in authority. From police officers to politicians, no one escapes my wrath. Even the sweet little old crossing guard lady may have heard my angry outburst of “The damn rugrats are on the sidewalk now, get the hell outta my way, ya old biddy.”
It was not always this way. I was raised to do as my parent said, listen to my teachers and respect authority. So where did it all go wrong? It started when I began noticing Mom was not always right, Dad was making a few mistakes, my teachers were sometimes wrong and those in government were complete idiots.
My true disdain for authority came one fateful day about 30 years ago. While driving to work, I came upon a turn. A large bush was to the right of it with a barely visible stop sign behind it. I made the turn and seconds later I see blue lights in my rear view mirror. I pulled over and noticed a cop heading toward my van. He was dark skinned, short in stature and walked as if he was a wild west sheriff getting ready for a gunfight. He reminded me of a midget, Mexican Wyatt Earp. “License and registration” he says. Unable to control myself, I replied, “I didn’t know the Munchkins of the lollypop guild had a police force.” Again I heard, “License and registration”. I handed Little Earp my license and registration and he walked back to his car. 10 minutes went by and I wondered if Frodo had fallen asleep. I then noticed another police vehicle. Mini-me had called for backup! Soon, I was asked to step out of my van, was frisked and put into the back of a police car. Apparently 5 years before, I was leaving town for a year to work out of state and I stopped at a Winn-Dixie and bought a six pack of beer, paying with a check. While I was away a family member took my bank card and cashed a bad check. It caused my check to bounce. So now, I was being driven to jail by a Latino Gary Coleman for a 5 dollar bounced check from 5 before.
And the fun was just beginning! I was taken to jail and put in a holding area with other dangerous traffic offenders, when along came a prison guard. He was about 5’ 8” tall and probably weighed about 125 pounds soaking wet, with a face that would scare small children. He resembled an uglier version of Barney Fife. He screamed, “Sit down”, which created a problem. There were no chairs. Time went by and I was processed and transferred to a holding cell to await my release. I was by myself in the cell with no one within eye shot of me, when I saw Barney retuning. “Sit down”, he screamed again. This was a miserable human being. It was obvious he was either battling constipation or had a bad case of “Napoleon Syndrome”. This guard needed a psychiatrist, an Ex-Lax or both.
I eventually returned home with the hope that this nightmare was behind me, but my battle with people in authority was just starting. I went to court about a week later and when the judge looked at the charges for the bounced check, he laughed, said the statute of limitations was up and dismissed the case. The next day I headed to the Tax Collector’s office to pay the stop sign violation. After a 2 hour wait I talked to the lady in charge of traffic violations. She looked at the ticket and said that because I went to court, the ticket was nullified. I asked if she was sure and. she threw the ticket back at me, gave me a piercing glare and turned her head. I knew she was wrong, so the next day I called Tallahassee. “Mr. Kidd, we have no record of you needing to pay any violation.” I called once a week for the next 3 weeks. On week 4, I received a letter saying my driver’s license was suspended for not paying a traffic violation.
As a result I was back at the courthouse listening to a cranky old judge quickly dispatching case after case as if he was late for a hot date, until a young girl’s case came up. The old judge leered over his paperwork at the young girl, like a creepy pedophile eyeing a kindergarten class, he did some mild flirting and dismisses the case. I was sure my case will also be dismissed, as soon as the judge heard my story. The next case involved a gentleman accused of hit and run, but he had evidence that he exchanged information and both parties had agreed not to call the police. The judge gave him a 50 dollar fine and slammed his gavel. The man asks why he had been fined when he proved there was no crime. The judge darted around grabbed some paperwork and reported “You can reappear here in 2 weeks and contest the fine.” The poor man said he was just asking a question, to which the judge replied it was too late and slammed his gavel again. It is now my turn and the judge asked, “How do you plead.” As much as I hate authority and knew I was treated unjustly, “No contest” was the only thing I said.
Let us review the authority figures I dealt with during this time period: a midget cop giving out a bogus vehicle citation; a psychopathic and constipated prison guard; a snobbish and moronic DMV lady; an incompetent state department in Tallahassee; and a perverse and cranky judge. Yes, I really hate authority. Now excuse me while I run through the streets naked with green Jell-O all over my body.
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| | | 1 | Pancho Villa
ID: 59645318
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 08:57
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What's the question?
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| | | 2 | biliruben
ID: 41431323
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 09:12
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Why do I hate my sweet little old professor?
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| | | 3 | biliruben
ID: 41431323
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 09:20
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"Dammit Jim, I'm a permissions specialist, not a psychoanalyst!"
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| | | 4 | Frick
ID: 157331422
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 10:29
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What is your question, is it written in a angry tone? Or is it not fit for a college essay?
Regardless, this quote
Yes, I really hate authority.
really seems to be the answer to your question. Your professor might be an idiot and completely wrong, but part of your goal is to conform to the norms that your prof wants. Is she wrong? Doesn't matter. Just like the real word, when your boss wants something in a specific manner, you have two choices. Do it and keep your job. Complain and not do it, and eventually lose your job.
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| | | 5 | biliruben
ID: 59551120
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 10:45
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Jag, if you want a serious response from PD or anyone, you should at least 1) ask a question, 2) provide us with the assignment, if you are curious whether we think this should be acceptable for the assignment.
If you just wanted to share you work with PD, that's fine, though a bit odd.
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| | | 6 | bibA
ID: 54522612
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 11:11
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Jag - you a Sovereign Citizen adherent by any chance? You wouldn't be the first around here to show hatred towards the police and others symbols of authority.
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| | | 7 | Perm Dude
ID: 201027169
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 12:28
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#3: Ha! So true...
I don't know what the assignment was to know whether the piece you wrote would really fit the needs there, Jag.
In general (and, I suppose, like a lot of things) the more you write the better you get. And sometimes the best way to learn is by writing things that you might not otherwise want to do (writing on spec, so to speak, which is what a lot of college assignments are). Figuring out what the assignment is and fitting your writing to that is (believe it or not) something that will make you a better writer. Even if you think the teacher is an idiot.
I'm not in a position to really judge the quality of your essay, but I'd say, in the future, try to avoid trite phrases, overused words, and write as simply as you can. Honestly, the best writing book out there is one of the oldest around: Strunk & White's ELEMENTS OF STYLE which should be available to you in a library (or online, as a cheap paperback). Its a small book, but well worth an hour of your time to get you on the right track.
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| | | 8 | Tree
ID: 131137414
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 13:21
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I echo number 5. people pay me money to edit and proof and offer suggestions and all that nonsense.
but without knowing the assignment and other pertinent information, all I'd be doing at this point is red marking all over to your grammar, style, and possibly person.
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| | | 9 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 14:48
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The assignment was to write an essay from a list of topics. It was going to be reviewed by "Our Peers", which was my classmates. I wanted to write something to capture their attention. The essay is junvenile by a true writer's standards, my question is the tone unacceptable for college. When I first wrote the essay I named it 'I hate my college English professor'. I received no feedback from the professor. However the day before we were to send in a revise version of the essay, I had to report to the dean for a meeting. He spent a hour telling how using the word 'hate' is inappropriate for college. I changed the title to 'My English professor bothers me'. The day before we were to send in our final draft, I was informed the essay was still unacceptable by the dean. Remember the professor had yet to talk to me personally. The next day I was asked for the final draft and I informed her the dean had wanted us to talk first. This is where she told me the tone was inappropriate for college. Later that day, while discussing Johnathon's Swift's 'A modest proposal' she informed the class this type of essay would be inappropriate for college. Is this what college has become? One of the greatest writers of all time wouldn't be able to write an essay in his style because it has an angry tone? Am I nuts or is this professor bat shit crazy?
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| | | 10 | weykool
ID: 54011222
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 15:55
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Jag:
For me the essay had far too many worn out cliches.
I dont think your professor/dean are crazy.
In a kind way they are trying to tell you to chill out dude.
To hate a crossing guard, who volunteers their time to keep children safe, because some idiots in authority have wronged you is in your words bat shit crazy.
There isnt a person alive who hasnt had to deal with some knucklehead who abuses their authority for whatever reason.
The only difference between the sane and the crazy people is in how we choose to deal with it.
Get angry/resentful towards innocent people or decide small people who abuse authority are not worth a 2nd thought.
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| | | 11 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 16:57
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This why I came to this forum, to get a liberal perspective. Weykool, you are right. That was a first draft and I way over did some of the jokes. If it was marked accordingly I would of made changes and there would of been no problems. I find it interesting you took it so literally. I could of inserted 1000s of people into the title. It is satire and the object in the beginning is meaningless.In the essay "A modest proposal' Swift talks about cannibalism and selling of the poor to the rich to draw attention to the plight of the poor in Ireland. Many in the class took him literally also.
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| | | 12 | Mith
ID: 29182720
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 16:59
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The first worn out cliche is the approach to the stated objective of capturing "their attention".
Isn't open and direct hostility is a pretty cheap method of achieving that goal? Your peers didn't just check their brains at the door of an 1980s action movie. They're spending a lot of money to attain a college level grasp of English composition.
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| | | 13 | Boldwin
ID: 37326716
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 17:42
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Have you considered finding a college where the professors didn't worship at the feet of big government?
BTW PD is not a writer, as bili pointed out.
Obviously I don't think there is anything wrong with your level of anger or frustration, but for college level writing [not that that is universally high] you might consider a story structure more complex than a slightly intriguing introduction and a chronological list of stupid government abuses.
An essay story line needn't be as complex as a novel's of course but for example, it would be more interesting if you broke down government insanity into type, or stages, or large scale, midrange, petty. Everyone with any experience knows government doesn't care and government is capricious to downright malevolent. So the challenge is to shine a light on the situation from an angle they haven't already considered.
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| | | 14 | nerveclinic
Leader
ID: 05047110
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 17:50
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There's nothing wrong with writing about hating authority. If you do it well, you will be applauded, if you do it badly, they may search your house for weapons.
I think the Dean was trying to ascertain if they should be searching your house.
By the way, congrats on the one on one meeting, my Dean never even knew I existed and he/she was only a mythological figure to me.
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| | | 15 | Perm Dude
ID: 201027169
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 17:55
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After re-reading the piece, I agree with #10.
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| | | 16 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 18:55
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No one has address the question if the essay is too angry for college. I believe all censorship should be cut from college.
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| | | 17 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 18:57
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PD, I thought you had input into the Courtney Love book.
I agree the easy needs much work. This more about censorship.
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| | | 18 | Pancho Villa
ID: 59645318
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 19:08
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you might consider a story structure more complex than a slightly intriguing introduction and a chronological list of stupid government abuses
Funny how different people comprehend things differently. I comprehended the essay to revolve around My true disdain for authority, and, of course, authority is hardly limited to government.
Mom was not always right, Dad was making a few mistakes, my teachers were sometimes wrong and those in government were complete idiots.
Really? Complete idiots? All of them? I still don't know the question, but I have a couple of my own. If Mom and Dad were employed by the government, would they be complete idiots, or not always right and capable of a few mistakes? If a person were to equate authority only to the government, would that qualify for being a complete idiot?
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| | | 19 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 19:26
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I see hyperbole is lost on some. Which is fine. I always took for granted people could decipher what was meant as satire and what was not. It makes for an interesting study.
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| | | 20 | Pancho Villa
ID: 59645318
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 19:55
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And I always take someone who characterizes millions of people who they have no interaction with as complete idiots as someone who can't be taken seriously. It makes for a pointless study.
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| | | 21 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 20:29
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Feel free not to respond to my posts PV. You add nothing to the discussion.
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| | | 22 | Perm Dude
ID: 201027169
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 20:47
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I believe all censorship should be cut from college.
Why? Is that how one learns? By not being "censored?"
I own a rights agency, working with (mostly) literary publishers, authors, estates, and agents.
I do a ton of clearance work, including Courtney Love's book and books by people as wide ranging as Andrew Solomon, Sarah Palin, Julie Andrews, Caroline Kennedy, Robert Bly, Rita Dove, and many others. Most of my work involves dealing with third party material people want to use in their books, which sometimes mean suggesting alternatives when the rights aren't available (or, in Palin's case, when the stuff she wants to use has undergone so many changes for her book that the rightsholders refuse permissions).
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| | | 23 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 21:29
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PD, I believe that Boldwin is right. Colleges use selected censorship that supports their liberal agenda. On the college forum, you can say anything that is anti-conservative, but even a hint of anti-liberal thought and you are questioned about your tone. 'Tone' seems to be the new buzz word for the liberal academia. I saw it with this forum before I left. I was quick to be censored, yet, vitriol like PV's post 20 was ignored. If you disagree with someone their tone is going to seem more harsh. I would prefer no censorship. It makes for an even playing field.
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| | | 24 | Pancho Villa
ID: 59645318
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 21:56
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vitriol like PV's post 20
What vitriol?
Colleges use selected censorship that supports their liberal agenda. On the college forum, you can say anything that is anti-conservative, but even a hint of anti-liberal thought and you are questioned about your tone.
I live a few miles from BYU, where the exact opposite is true.
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| | | 25 | Perm Dude
ID: 201027169
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 21:57
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With respect, I don't think you really know what you are talking about. I don't think you are a whiny tenderfoot, but you sound like one with your last post, perhaps as a result of not having your essay accepted by the professor.
That isn't "censorship," that is "grading." And it happens in the real world as well. You don't do what the boss wants and the result isn't censorship, it is a reprimand.
It is too bad the word "censorship" became shorthand for "I'm not getting what I want right now."
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| | | 26 | Jag
ID: 263676
Sun, Apr 07, 2013, 23:33
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College is not a job. If a boss asks me to perform a task, I do it. If my forum post is being deleted because it does not fit their liberal sensitivity, then that is censorship.
Does anyone here doubt that most college academia is liberal?
PV, Can we just assume nothing is absolute. If I say the grass is green, it does not mean I do not know it goes tan in the winter when it loses it chlorophyll.
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| | | 27 | Tree
ID: 40328723
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 00:28
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Have you considered finding a college where the professors didn't worship at the feet of big government?
this is asinine, and completely not helpful.
in fact, this thread rapidly turned asinine.
Jag, you came on here asking for help. some people offered advice, much of it you didn't want to listen to. you even when as far as insulting a board member who offered help.
10 was pretty spot on, but it was also mild.
your 11, was bizarre. to compare your work to Swift's, is, well. silly.
i won't pull punches - the writing, and the style, are fairly awful. the readability is around a 6th grade level - this simply won't do for college-level work. Conversely, A Modest Proposal reads at around grade 15, or a 3rd year college student.
it's trite, it relies on cliche too much, it uses terrible phrases such as "a Latino Gary Coleman".
also, here's a quick study guide on when to spell out numbers, and when to use numerals.
i do think that the bottom line, however, is that your instructor let you know that the tone, the anger, and the piece weren't terribly appropriate for college.
whether that's right or wrong, fair or unfair, just or unjust, doesn't matter. that's your professor, and that's the person who determines your grade.
if you don't want to follow the advice of your professor, and listen to what they feel is acceptable and not acceptable, you're going to have a really tough time passing college, and quite frankly, making it through life successfully.
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| | | 28 | Perm Dude
ID: 201027169
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 00:41
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College is certainly a job. And it is the place to learn how to work at a job.
It is kinda beyond the pale at this point. You seem to hold everyone else accountable for why your essay isn't acceptable. Except yourself. It must be them, in other words, even though you yourself point out that you aren't entirely happy with the piece.
To hold this out as an example of liberal bias is simply a way to avoid responsibility, IMO. And you'll never learn, frankly. If you aren't there to learn, why are you there at all? What did you picture learning actually looking like?
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| | | 29 | Pancho Villa
ID: 59645318
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 01:03
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this is my first essay I have ever wrote.
I suggest learning proper conjugation of verbs if the intent is to succeed in a college English course. Perhaps then the professor would be willing to view your work more objectively.
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| | | 30 | Jag
ID: 263676
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 07:08
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PV, I saw the error but was unable to edit the post.
PD, Thank you for your input. You and I may never agree, but at least your posts are not caustic.
In fact, I appreciate everyone that posted on topic.
The essay was amateurish. The point of this post was to debate whether a college essay should be censored because of an angry tone. It is a topic I would still like to debate. Unfortunately, the Pancho Villa and Tree vitriol society does not not allow for that.
Tree, I did not compare my writing to Jonathon Swift. The professor said that his essay would not be appropriate for college. I found it interesting that one of the greatest essays of all time would not be allowed in college today.
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| | | 31 | Mith
ID: 29182720
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 07:38
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You say you're being censored because you've been told that a hostile, vitriolic tone is inappropriate for the particular forum you introduced it to.
But then you say that you will deny this particular forum any further input on this discussion because of an inappropriate vitriolic tone that some have introduced?
Perhaps it might help to rethink your standards for what is appropriate?
I don't know what was said about Swift and his work but I can think of plenty of great literary works that are definitely not appropriate for a Comp 101 class.
On a different topic, you say you were told that the anti-authoritarian tone was inappropriate and then went on to explain that you believe this is because they won'y accept anything that is anti-liberal. I think you do yourself a disservice with the assumption that rejection of authority is an exclusively conservative trait (or that something like respect for a crossing guard is specifically a liberal one).
Historically, American conservatism is much more closely associated with authoritarianism than American liberalism, though neither necessarily excludes it. Don't fall into the trap of thinking the libertarianism that has very recently become fashionable on the political right is some long established standard.
Go back to a couple of years before the highest authority figure in the land was a liberal black guy and you might recall that the anti-authoritarian streak on the political right was an awful lot harder to find.
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| | | 32 | Tree
ID: 3835289
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 10:53
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The essay was amateurish.
no, it wasn't "amateurish". it was juvenile. it was immature. it was a prime example of someone trying to write in a style that they really wanted to write in, but didn't have the skill set to do so.
i did the same thing during a freshman English class taught by Dr. Miles McCrimmon, the only instructor at UT who made a difference to me prior to me transferring. I wanted so badly to be Hunter S. Thompson, I wrote like Hunter S. Thompson, despite not having the experiences of Hunter S. Thompson. McCrimmon destroyed my essay, but it was one of the most important exercises i went through in understanding how to write.
you should do the same. take the criticism, and learn from it. understand that writing takes years of practice and study and experience, and if you write from a point of indignation and anger about a school crossing guard without having the moxie and the writing chops to back it up, it's going to look silly. VERY silly.
The point of this post was to debate whether a college essay should be censored because of an angry tone. It is a topic I would still like to debate.
you never made that clear. but if you want to make that point, then you're asking the wrong question. the question you need to be asking is whether an instructor has the right to determine what is appropriate, and inappropriate, for his or her class.
the answer to that is "yes". welcome to higher education kid.
Unfortunately, the Pancho Villa and Tree vitriol society does not not allow for that.
you can single me out if you'd like. it would be foolish and ignorant to blame people you don't even know. i'm not even sure you understand the word "vitriol", because you sure didn't use it correctly there.
Tree, I did not compare my writing to Jonathon Swift. The professor said that his essay would not be appropriate for college. I found it interesting that one of the greatest essays of all time would not be allowed in college today.
i misunderstood that post, but, again, you're discussing one professor's opinion. for some, Swift's essay would be fine. I studied it in high school. For some, the aforementioned Thompson would not be acceptable. for others, he is worth several semesters of study.
you are in college now, and part of college is learning to balance the grown up side with the juvenile side. you may get there, but not if you're not willing to listen to those who have been down the road before.
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| | | 33 | Boldwin
ID: 0331810
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 11:32
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Most interesting point raised in this thread:
I found it interesting that one of the greatest essays of all time would not be allowed in college today. - Jag
BTW, not necessarily true, as it was couched in such a way as to force critics to confront the issues headon in order to critique the essay. An example supreme of forcing the audience to view the taken-for-granted with fresh eyes.
Most facts-backwards post...so many to chose from...hmmm
Historically, American conservatism is much more closely associated with authoritarianism - MITH
It only seems that way to people actively working to subvert and destroy the country as founded. If you are not, conservatism advocates a government with such a light touch that it is hardly noticed.
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| | | 34 | Khahan
ID: 39432178
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 11:46
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No one has address the question if the essay is too angry for college.
That is because none of us can answer that question. Its 100% subjective. If you ask 100 people, you'll get 100 answers to varying degrees. To me, no I dont think the tone is too angry for college. But I'm not the one who matters.
Unfortunately, the ones who matter are your college professor and dean. They are judge, jury and executioner. Pay no heed to me when I say its not too angry for college. Because my words, like the words of everybody else on this board mean bupkis on this assignment.
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| | | 35 | Seattle Zen
ID: 3603123
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 11:59
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Why did you return to college and when you say return, when did you go before?
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| | | 43 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 13:55
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The difference is that you resort to extreme positions that almost no one on any side of the spectrum takes. Are there more liberal defenders of pedophilia, probably - but you're talking about such a rare position in the first place that it doesn't matter. Most liberals don't defend it.
On the matter of rape, the only mainstream politician I can think of who qualified rape is Todd Aiken - whom no one will mistake for a liberal.
But more to the point, everything you see listed in #38 were mainstream positions on the American political right which were actually the law of the land thanks to their ardent and widespread support, not wacky outlier opinions held by fringe groups.
You have truly lost yourself and your history if you really think you can deny that the history of America's mainstream civil authoritarianism is born of her socially conservative side.
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| | | 44 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 13:56
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Really?
Suddenly entirely civil off topic tangents get 86'd now?
Where does it say that in the forum standards?
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| | | 45 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 13:57
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Honestly has there ever been a thread longer than 10 posts that didn't go off topic?
Who is the mod who deleted those posts?
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| | | 46 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 14:00
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As if this - of all discussions ever had at this forum - is the only one worth keeping on topic through moderator deleting of posts.
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| | | 47 | Khahan
ID: 39432178
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 14:10
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I did Mith. While your initial response to boldwins post was pretty harmless, it was quickly devolving into a typical boldwin offtopic discussion. Perhaps there was a response or two you didn't see, but went from OT to downhill in the blink of an eye. I figured just deleting the whole OT was preferable.
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| | | 48 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 14:13
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Well unless I missed something I think you were way too quick on the draw here and should wait for the discussion to actually devolve rather than act on what it seems like might happen.
That was uncalled for.
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| | | 49 | Khahan
ID: 39432178
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 14:18
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Thats the difficult part about moderating, sometimes. Its all opinion. But I will say, I think you probably did miss something (and no, it did not involve you) because the conversation was definitely a step down from civil.
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| | | 50 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Mon, Apr 08, 2013, 14:21
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Well if there were personal insults involved I didn't see any of that.
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| | | 51 | Jag
ID: 263676
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 06:45
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Boldwin, you are a star. I am far from a religious right winger and disagree with much you have to say, but the entertainment value is priceless. Censoring Boldwin is like benching Tom Brady. I misremembered PD as being a writer and wanted a writer's point of view on censorship, but some of the posts were still quite interesting. I am not sure why you are deleting posts, unless it is to improve the this forum. If that is the case only one person needs to be censored. There is an 800 pound gorilla in the room that keeps this site from being great. It has been 5 years since I posted and maybe in another 5 you guys will caged the gorilla.
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| | | 52 | Jag
ID: 263676
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 06:53
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Cage not caged. I beat PV to it.
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| | | 53 | Pancho Villa
ID: 59645318
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 08:59
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I misremembered to post.
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| | | 54 | Boldwin
ID: 3231898
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 09:19
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Khahan
That was not even remotely off topic or uncivil.
It is entirely on topic to discuss whether censoring essays for emotion is beyond the pale of academic freedom and conversely whether censoring speech and action is ever compatible with freedom.
The most anti-government or low government libertarian is entirely within his philosophy while still punishing rape...
[or the subject which is never allowed unless it is used falsely against me and mine, in which case it never gets censored]
The minimal list of cases where these low government types actually put their boots on and stomp, stem from a curious fact about freedom.
In a sense there is no such thing as freedom. Specifically there is no such thing as absolute freedom.
There is only relative freedom.
Is anarchy freedom?
No, every last person in the anarchy of Thunderdome is a slave to violence, even the top thug has to sleep with one eye open.
Freedom advocates can be entirely consistent while insisting that expressing accute anger at the DMV is desirable freedom...and that advocating rape, or nazi principles of racial superiority and racial culling are so dangerous that they must be curtailed.
BTW I think a very curious case mixing all these issues arises in the case of the koran explicitly advocating rape.
Liberals appear to believe [in complete backwardness] that muslim imams are free to preach to their followers that they should rape us while maintaining their approved status...the rapist by this worldview approved by god, and those same imams approved by liberals as politically favored persecuted victims of religiously bigoted xenophobes and cultural hegemons...
...while we should be censored for pointing out that the religion of peace aint quite so.
Which begs the question, 'what if that imam goes to Jag's college, encourages rape, gets patted on the back while Jag gets censored for ripping on him'?
Yes Jag, I am a star. That is a cold hard fact. Thank you for noticing and pointing it out.
*saves post to wordpad*
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| | | 55 | biliruben
ID: 59551120
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 09:34
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I wonder what it would take to get Boldwin to come talk over at my clinical psychiatry class? I could throw away the text book.
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| | | 56 | Mith
ID: 4310402110
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 09:48
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OK maybe I owe Khahan an apology...
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| | | 57 | Boldwin
ID: 3231898
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 10:14
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bili
Just tell me who to send my fee chart to.
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| | | 58 | Boldwin
ID: 3231898
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 10:18
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Discount on cognitive dissonance, this week only!
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| | | 59 | Khahan
ID: 39432178
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 10:38
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Ok, I needed a good chuckle.
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| | | 60 | Tree
ID: 53320910
Tue, Apr 09, 2013, 11:20
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posts 51 and 54 were hysterical. did you use wet wipes or just toilet paper to clean up your mutual admiration messes. remember, if you just use water, it kind of turns to paste.
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| | | 61 | Boldwin
ID: 13342611
Fri, Apr 26, 2013, 14:37
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Effective serial list of outrages.
Perhaps it's fresh because this audience has little experience with Europe.
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| | | 62 | Boldwin
ID: 4141214
Fri, May 03, 2013, 00:13
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For men can endure to hear others praised only so long as they can severally persuade themselves of their own ability to equal the actions recounted: when this point is passed, envy comes in and with it incredulity. - Thucydides
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