Can we STOP TELLING PEOPLE ON THIS BLOG WHAT THEY SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT WRITE?
I've been watching in increasing disgust over the past week as all this has been unfolding, too shocked and bemused to say anything. First Booman made a post telling Kos to stop attacking people. Then people attacked Booman for his diary. Then Barack Obama posted a diary telling us to shut up and stop attacking Leahy. Then people posted their own diaries telling Obama to shut up and stop talking down to us. Then JeffLieber told THEM to shut up, and...well, you get the picture.
The latest one is this diary where a gay guy basically says "Being gay is hard." He should know, right? And already there's a comment-filled diary attacking HIM for talking about his own experience! Apparently it's too "divisive" for gay people to talk about how they have no rights in this country.
Some of you have been here long enough, as I have, to remember the first time this happened at Kos. Someone (and I will not name names, he's a respected and long-standing member of this community and I don't want to embarrass him) posted a diary here entitled "Shut Your Fucking Pie-Hole." The point was basically that, in the month or so before the electiion, people shouldn't be attacking Kerry because the Republicans would use our words against us. While I disagreed with the diary -- and the firestorm that ensued from the community made it clearly counterproductive -- I recognized the point: with an election in sight, we Libs should focus on the election, not our differences.
But now? Unless you're Tim Kaine or one of the guys trying to replace Chris Cox, no election is even within six months of us. So why are we freethinkers, we Big Tent people, in the business of telling each other what we can and cannot say? This is a BLOG, ferchrissakes -- if we can't talk and debate and speak our piece here, then where in hell CAN we?
Yeah, I know, I'm doing it too. I'm telling people to shut up and stop censoring each other. But all I want, all I REALLY want, is for this to become again a place where everyone can say what they think and expect spirited debate, but not censorship from the community. Where Barack Obama, just like every other guy or gal, can show up on this blog and not have his first diary blasted out of the water. (And I've gotta say, I haven't seen many first diaries that eloquent.) Where gay guys can talk about being gay and not be attacked for being "divisive."
See, this unity stuff is all well and good. And standing together when we need to is important, even crucial. But unity doesn't mean that we can't disagree with each other or talk about our thoughts and feelings. When the election comes round again, sure, we can close ranks and work on GOTV and all that other good stuff. But now? Folks, this has got to stop. Just let everyone talk, fer cryin out loud. And listen, and learn, and respond, and be done with it.