Every so often, I get comments from morons. I generally delete them without approving, because these are the types of people I’m not interested in debating on my weblog. This one is from an anonymous coward who found a two-week old post and had this to say about it:
I’d love to know the difference between the Hamas pledge to drive Israel into the sea and the posters here saying “nuke iran” or “nuke the SOB’s (in gaza)”?
On the surface, the question seems quite logical. Gee, one group calls for the death of Israel, the other for the destruction of millions in Iran.
Except there’s a problem. A big one. You see, Hamas is a terrorist organization that has already killed hundreds of Jews. Its charter states that it intends to destroy the state of Israel and replace it with an Islamic caliphate “from the river to the sea,” allowing only those Jews that accept their second-class status to remain.
My commenters are typing nasty words. None of them has been involved in terrorist acts against Iranians or anyone else, for that matter, and, in fact, have been chastised by me who has told them to stop with the “nuke ’em” comments.
I’m still waiting for any member of Hamas to give up the sword and chastise his people for murdering schoolchildren on buses.
So, Anonymous Coward from northern Virgina: Are you starting to get the difference, yet, between Hamas and a comments thread of angry people expressing their anger in an inappropriate matter? Or do I need to spell it out for you some more?
This is why I have moderated comments. To keep out the riff-raff and the morons.
Ach! I wish we had more of these nasty types, Meryl. Could you redirect a few somehow?
Our teeth and claws are itchy…
P.S. in my experience, people who start with “I’d love to know the difference between the Hamas pledge to drive Israel into the sea and …[anything here, really]” wouldn’t mind to see us being driven into the sea.
I don’t understand. Why would you delete this comment? It’s an opposing viewpoint, but it’s not nasty, offensive or rude.
Of course you’re not really censoring it, because you’re re-publishing it and responding to it here – which I suspect is what the poster wanted.
You’re joking, right? You don’t see the inherent offensiveness in comparing people in my comments threads to terrorists?
It is not an “opposing viewpoint.” It is an outright insult to me and my readers.
The difference between Hamas and my commenters is a vast, vast gulf. It is the difference between a patricide, and a child stomping off in a fury saying, “I hate you and wish you were dead!”
Are you getting it yet? Where is the “opposing viewpoint” in that?
The opposing viewpoint is that he’s saying that your reader’s careless comments (which you yourself discourage I believe) are equivalent to Hamas rhetoric. You disagree.
You have a right to manage your own blog of course, but I’d suggest in the interests of defending freedom of speech that you also allow comments that insult you and your readers.
I appreciate your post because you’ve decided to respond to the post you found offensive, but let it stand as it is.
And again: Hamas’ “rhetoric” is not rhetoric. They mean every syllable of their charter, which refers to that grand old favorite of the anti-Semites, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
They have murdered Jews in their attempts to destroy Israel. They have said as recently as a couple of days ago that they will never recognize, have peace with, or negotiate with Israel.
This is not rhetoric.
On the other hand, none of my readers have ever — to my knowledge — done more than write nasty things in comments threads.
This has nothing to do with censorship or freedom of speech. Read my comments policy; the First Amendment doesn’t apply to my weblog.
This has everything to do with setting off a trollbomb in the midst of a weblog. I tend to delete those comments, as I said, but once in a while, I post the comment that I just deleted.
You know, someone always comes back to defend the indefensible. I am never surprised.
I’m not defending Hamas, I was unaware of your comment policy, so I was surprised that you would delete such a comment. I didn’t find it offensive although I disagree with it. You did, and of course you can have any comment policy you want.
I know this poster offended you. If I offended you I apologize.
Meryl, I agree with you that there is a difference.
Having said that, I have to play devil’s advocate because I am a contrary SOB at times.
How many of your readers who have said ‘nuke them’ would be honestly willing to say that if they had the capability to nuke Iran now they actually would? Because if they say yes doesn’t that change their words from simple rhetoric?
Kav, no, because Hamas is not issuing rhetoric when it talks of destroying the Jews. Once again, the gap between my commenters blowing off steam and a terrorist organization that was founded to destroy Jews and has been carrying out that purpose ever since is larger than the Grand Canyon.
There is simply no comparison between someone who says “nuke ’em!” and someone who has a terrorist organization devoted to the murder of Jews, and has committed hundreds of those murders.
Not even if you ask the “nuke ’em!” person, “Gee, if you had one, would you set it off?”
This is about a group’s actions. MY group — my commenters — have performed no murderous actions.
You cannot say the same about Hamas, and it’s pretty stupid to continue to insist that my commenters’ words are synonymous with Hamas’.
Hi Meryl,
Please do me a favour and delete that last comment. It is rambling and pointless in the great scheme of things.
As I said before, I pretty much agree with you.