Sharniqua,

I am sure that we agree that patience is a virtue.

You are probably right to opine that people will not agree on this. Freedom of speech has always been, is now, and always will be a hotly debated subject. I think you are quite wrong however, to suggest that such a debate is unsuited for a public forum. I believe that adults are up to the task.

As I recall, the traditional quote is “Politics and religion should be avoided in polite conversation.” As some of the thread participants seem comfortable expressing themselves using terms such as “shit” and “frogshit”, I believe that we may safely dismiss THAT allusion.

In re your quote from my post:

When I was a lad, oh so long ago, a women who expressed herself to me as knowing quite well where she was and at the same time referring to me as “sonny” and then Laughed Out Loud was commonly wagging her finger, usually scornful, and always admonishing me of the correctness of her position. She was also, usually, angry at me for whatever transgression she thought I was guilty of, and very definitely angry at me for daring to challenge her authority. Although it is possible that you and I do not share this perception, I suspect that many of the members here do share such memories, as I see such behavior commonly practiced today.

With this in mind, let us examine the first sentence in your post to seriousfun. I trust that you are satisfied with the explanation I have provided, and that you are no longer confused about what I had to say.

You are incorrect when you say that I prattle about freedom of speech. If you take the time to read my postings on the subject, I think you will find that they are neither foolish nor simple-minded. Freedom of speech is a complex subject which has engaged many of the best minds that humanity has produced. Some conversations on the subject are, by definition, more substantial than others. While I won’t presume to tell you that my opinions on the subject are valuable, I will go so far as to assert that you are entitled to your opinion, even if I do find it, at times, unnecessarily discourteous.

The allusion to hypocrisy towards the bottom of your post is inaccurate. If you take the time to read my postings on this thread, I’m confident you’ll understand that I firmly support the proposition that people should be able to say what they believe here and elsewhere. Your posting is a ringing (if somewhat antagonistic) affirmation of my position.

I happen to disagree with what you have to say on this subject. I think that the discussion should not be suppressed.

Lilith, thanks for the name change. That may help protect those who need it.

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Eudaimonia