At 10:30 AM 11/13/2004, Deborah A. Fleming wrote:
The recent spark I started with the Pullman quote was not intended to cause anyone to come unhinged. I was genuinely shocked, despite Eleanor's unfounded accusations about my motives in posting the quote, that it would unleash such rage. I did not think everyone would agree with what he said, but why do we always have to agree? I get impassioned about what I think, too, but I expect differing opinions from others with passions just as strong, and welcome the opportunity for further discussion.
I'd like to suggest a quick visit to the archives for those who are engaging in revisionist history.
Ms. Fleming posted Pullman's comments. Fine.
I posted my reaction to Pullman's comments--two sentences:
This is absolute garbage. This kind of hysterical demonization of anyone who doesn't march in lockstep with the liberal viewpoint is exactly the reason the liberals lost the election.
Ms. Fleming did not then discuss Pullman in any way; what she did was unleash the following off-topic attack:
Liberals aren't the ones who refused access to Bu$h campaign rallies to anyone who might express an opposing view. Liberals did not pen protesters up far away from where the President of the United States, who is supposed to be representing us all, was speaking, on numerous occasions.
America, according to our Constitution, is supposed to be about a lot of rights
that are fast disappearing. I lament this morphing into something that will be
unrecognizable as the America I have loved for so long. Religious
fundamentalism IS having in impact.
I posted this because we have discussed Pullman, and his writing and beliefs, here on GO, before. Interesting reactions.
Since almost all of the media in the U.S. is owned by right-leaning supporters of Bu$hCo, let's not kid ourselves that there is much of a "liberal" media today in the U.S.
As the Patriot Act is expanded, the few dissenting voices will probably disappear.
America now has, effectively, a one-party system. This may not bode well for future events. I think time will tell if Pullman's assessment is correct in his opinions.
And so I responded in kind.
So who's at fault in the discussion? Who decided to rant about the election of President Bush? But now Ms. Fleming tries to pretend that the discussion was just about Pullman:
For some reason, I thought that any discussion resulting from my posting would
still relate to Pullman and his writing, as have prior GO discussions about his
views, his atheism, and his attacks on organized religion. Now that I have
seen the aftermath, I realize that my thinking was extremely naive, to say the
least.
Since we had talked about Pullman and his writing within the context of his atheism, and his attacks on organized religion at length here before, I really did not give enough thought to what I was doing in posting that quote. I did not consider that it would create so many problems, although I only recall a few negative comments, mostly from one or two people, at least that I saw.
It was not, not after her second post--an off-topic political diatribe--to which I had a legitimate right to respond, and I exercised that right.
As for that Pullman quote discussion (or fist fight), if that is the one in
question, "cluttering up mailboxes", I must have missed much of the discussion.
I only saw maybe 10 messages that related to that issue, and all but a handful
of them (that I saw) were sent to me personally, not through the list.
I am also pleased to say that every message that I received personally was very
positive, which was comforting.
Yes, well, I can also say that every message I received personally was very positive, including some from self-avowed liberals. And a few expressed fear of going public to avoid being attacked as I was.
-- Eleanor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) The Cherry Ames Page, http://www.cherryamespage.com Authors and Books for Children, http://www.elliemik.com Refined Ladies, http://www.refinedladies.com
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