Serving on the jury is a complete and utter waste of time

[Laura PourMeADrink]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by SYFROYH (a host of the General Discussion forum).

If we, as a group can not stand against utterly demeaning, condescending and
rude comments that cut to the bone of some poor DUer out there then it's
utterly a bunch of bullshit.

The last three juries I have been on have been like that where the majority doesn't
seem to care one iota about treating each other with respect. Geez, aren't we on the same team?

Geez - can't we just be at least civil to one another? and, speak up when someone is
not?

[hrmjustin]

1. Civility has been lost here.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. Sad. My home since 2004 - joined in the days where we

foolishly thought a white knight would come in and give the
presidency to the rightful owner - John Kerry.

[Duckhunter935]

6. Have me by a few

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. You rock DH935 !

[Chipper Chat]

49. It was a black knight.......

Karl Rove. He manipulated things in Ohio to throw the election to Bush. Didn't work in 2008 as we were on to him.

[No Vested Interest]

13. I wish it was just here.

It's far worse on open (public) sites.

Vulgar language is not my style, but I can pass over it, though I seldom respond or recommend to such posts.

Meanness and hurtful words are far worse.
Life is too short for such conduct.

[yuiyoshida]

21. I agree..

[steve2470]

55. yep nt

[NanceGreggs]

2. Uh, no ...

... we aren't all on the same team.

And nothing has made that more obvious than the so-called "jury system".

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. Aren't we on the "be nice to fellow human beings" team? nt

[NanceGreggs]

11. We used to be.

Now? Not so much.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. One of the biggest things I remember from college is a professor

who asked us what the absolute truths were in life. Of course,
we all said, "everyone will die." And he said, "Wrong. You never
know - you might be the first person to live forever. The only truth
in life is that things will change."

[NanceGreggs]

20. And whether life changes ...

.. for the better or the worse is in the hands of those who believe that change is possible.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. Wish I could grasp what that means.

[aquart]

36. And never in the primary forums.

[steve2470]

54. agreed

Plenty of folks here for the "lulz" and some to disrupt.

[TerrapinFlyer]

3. Yes, we need to be more civil on this board.

The amount of nonsense arguing is out of hand.

[Duckhunter935]

4. Thank you so much for that

My name is not Laura but I will pour you a big drink of your choice for that wisdom.

[Cha]

7. This^^^^^^^^!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. Ya, well, the name was an impulsive choice -- when Bush was caught

drinking on a China trip. Stupid on my part to be so in the "now."

My only point is one that people bring this subject up - and it flashes and then it
dies.

Many are sick of the condescending rudeness - you won't find on
other Liberal sites. And the jury is no cure.

Who knows how many brilliant liberal voices we have missed because of it.

[Bluenorthwest]

64. Your screen name is probably my favorite on DU

It's snazzy.

[KauaiK]

12. Here Here....I agree

I haven't been asked to serve on a jury lately, but some of the comments I've received from posts have been rude. I just ignore it and move on b/c a reply with just compound the rudeness and give voice to a troll.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. Good point. But walking away (as I have done too) doesn't stop it. Unfortunately. nt

[starroute]

14. I was really surprised the other day

I alerted on a Chris Christie fat joke and the jury voted 4-3 to leave it.

In addition, the people who voted to hide it all made some comment like "this has no place here," while those who voted to leave it gave no explanations.

Really left me wondering.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

27. Guess that just shows how hypocritical we can be - Be nice to

each other but be an AH to the opposition?

[merrily]

58. Thing is, there are heavy and skinny people in all political parties, not only the opposition.

But, you are right that the jury might have gone the other way if the remark had been about a male Democrat. (i specified male because appearance related comments about female politicians can raise different issues entirely.)

[msongs]

43. the add an explanation function does not work anyway nt

[Duckhunter935]

62. does for me

[MADem]

51. I'll bet if that fat joke had been directed at a DUer the vote would have been to hide.

There's just not a lot of love for the GOP.

Frankly, you're probably better off confronting the poster directly about the comment, particularly when it's not in "personal insult" territory. I just wouldn't bother to alert on an "insult" against a Republican, because a lot of people here dislike them intensely for their stances on issues that are near and dear.

Public figures are out there--insults directed at them are "public" insults. We're all private citizens here, and (ostensibly, more or less--seems like less lately) on the same team. We should be good to one another, or at least try.

That said, I'm not going to lose a lot of sleep over someone insulting Republicans who cut social programs, who insult teachers and other workers, and who clog highways out of spite. They can take care of themselves. They insult me every time they vote against equality, against equal pay, against choice, etc., so to hell with them!

[arcane1]

16. Must be nice! I always get stuck serving for frivilous alerts.

Rare is the day that I get called to serve on an actual hide-worthy post.

[Warpy]

17. My own "hide it" fuse is a long one.

I often take a long time because context is often everything.

Others might be strict legalists but I'm not.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. Wow...you have earned a loud voice Warpy. Is this just a warmed over

argument - that the more sensitive among us should just learn
to live with? Forget posting and just take what we can live with ? the
breaking news and cooking forum goodies?

I am 100% free speech - but maybe, I must not be.

[Warpy]

25. People who are egregiously nasty get a hide from me. So do obvious trolls.

The rest, not so much.

I hate to see people getting baited here and it happens far too often. No, I won't hide them.

So sue me.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

42. agree

[Warpy]

57. Thanks.

I didn't particularly fancy getting sued tonight.

[sheshe2]

19. Laura...

I had a hide a few weeks ago. I was called by a jury member one of the worst bullies on DU. They went on to say that my post was mindless bitchiness.

"Not only that, sheshe's one of the nastiest bullies at DU. This isn't the first time I've seen her attack someone. I hope this post is hidden and the one it was replying to gets alerted on as it's just as bad. DU should be better than this mindless bitchiness. "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125554244

They hide behind the anonymity of the system and try to destroy and ridicule a poster. They are not allowed to do that on the board...yet they do it on jury. Fair and balanced jury. Not! That was ugly.

Laura...it was a post about Obama and Sotu and children.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026119475

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. If there was an award (maybe other than California Peggy :>)) for the nicest

person here - you would win.

So sorry that happened to you

[pnwmom]

28. I hope you realized that nasty comment reflected on the poster -- not you, sheshe2. n/t

[Hekate]

34. I don't even have words for how low that is, she

You are one of the most consistently nice people at DU.

[Skittles]

26. you want I should kick some demeaning, condescending and rude ass, Larua PourMeADrink?

yes INDEED

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. YES. Do it S !

[Skittles]

46. aw man

I REALLY thought you'd reply WTF SKITTLES, YOU'RE ONE OF THE WORST OFFENDERS

[pnwmom]

30. I hope you will keep serving, Laura.

I know it can be frustrating, but if people like you don't serve we don't have a chance for civility around here.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

33. Oh I will be here - just loving it more before than now.

But geez, that makes me sound like a grandpa saying
it was better with Victrola's than I Tunes. :&gt

[BrotherIvan]

31. I think it would stop if we no longer allowed anonymity

I have seen some egregious hides. I don't alert, with one exception with a driveby troll, but I do sign my jury comments. If we made it a standard thing to sign alerts and jury decisions, things would change. Just my theory.

But I do believe there is a struggle for control on both sides. I see those who are the most "persecuted" being downright nasty on a regular basis. So a good dose of self-reflection would be most welcome.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

35. Interesting ! I agree it could be the most persecuted among us - but

who knows whom they might be? It could be trolls trying to stifle the conversation
*my theory - why let a groundswell on an important liberal point grow? Or, could be
just that we have our share of assholes?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

50. I explain and sign my jury votes too.

For the same reasons. Keeps me respecting myself.

[Duckhunter935]

63. sounds like a good thing to do

[Hekate]

32. I alerted on a post that basically wished death on a journalist someone doesn't like...

She's having a life-threatening intestinal episode. When the poster was called on it, he basically said Haha just kidding.

I alerted and have been notified of zip. As far as I know it's still there.

Civility? What might that be?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

37. Curious - who is it?

[Hekate]

39. It was in LBN on Sunday

"Lara Logan rushed to ER with internal bleeding."
Comment: We always knew you were full of it Lara. This just confirms it medically.
Comment from 2nd person: Why the rush?

I only alerted on the first one, but I thought both were over the top, rude, insensitive, etc.

Sorry no linky-- I still have trouble with some of the functions of my iPad mini, like copying and pasting.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

40. wow...that sucks. Been working a lot...didn't even know we

didn't like her. duh

[Skittles]

47. Lara Logan

http://hollywoodlife.com/2015/02/27/lara-logan-hospitalized-internal-bleeding-60-minutes/

I hope she will be alright

[aquart]

38. Dear sweet lord, this place is not a church.

You absolutely should not have alerted on a comment that was not a direct attack on a fellow DUer.

BTW, I hope Cheney draws every breath in agony and dies screaming for his mommy.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. no, not a church - geez who said it was supposed to be A ? Not

trying to be the goodie-goodie here. I hate with the best of them.

[ND-Dem]

44. let's just say all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others....

[Spitfire of ATJ]

45. Nobody alerted on this post?

[bvf]

48. The last jury I served on voted to let stand

a post in which the poster referred to the person he/she was responding to as an asshole.

I generally (with rare exception) vote to let things stand, recognizing that debate can get heated, but in the present case voted to hide, as I thought such a response to be beyond the pale.

I'm not interested in adjudicating bar fights, so I may have to rethink my availability for future jury service. Ugh.

[MyNameGoesHere]

52. It's almost that time again

when one side starts lobbying for the purges. Must be some big election thing coming up.

[Thor_MN]

53. You do have a choice to not serve on juries if you really feel that way.

Being on the minority side of a jury implies that a supermajority of 6 other randomly chosen people don't agree with you.

That boils down either the system being deliberately rigged, or one simply not being right. In a democracy, no one gets to declare their own opinion to be absolute truth. One always has the choice to jump into a thread and voice their opinion.

If everyone had exactly the same opinions, there would be no reasons to ever discuss anything.

[sunnystarr]

56. We're adults ...

and I find that the meaning of "rude" varies greatly from one person to another. Sort of like 50 Shades of Rude. When I serve on the Jury it would have to be a personal attack on a fellow DUer that was way out of line. I find that trolls are ever so quick to bait and cry foul in their report. It's part of their plan to divide and conquer.

As adults we can get off our sanctimonious arses and stop thinking that someone is making a personal attack when they are expressing a different or opposite opinion. If your skin is that thin then there may be a Disney or Churchy forum out there for you where they are "politically correct."

[trumad]

59. Don't get me started on the jury system....

[bemildred]

60. Totally.

I stopped doing it when it started to become a herd activity, and all about people showing off what a clever juror they are, and settling scores.

[Dawgs]

61. You have any examples or are we just supposed to guess? n/t

[LWolf]

65. Some directly stated comments are allowed to stand

while jurors talk about "thick skins." Other indirect statements are "mean" and take one straight to "hidden." It's all about the bias of the particular jury.

[wyldwolf]

66. Here's a great example

Me and 'a few' DUers traded jury results over the course of several weeks.

Here is someone who said he/she guarantees a Republican victory in 2016. Alerted as a troll. Jury results 2-5 leave it. Poster was banned days later as a troll.


We guarantee it.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6029821

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

troll

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Thu Jan 1, 2015, 06:11 PM, and voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT ALONE.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: he will be back to work soon.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Huh??

[aikoaiko]

67. Locking.

"threads complaining about jury decisions....are not permitted". Generally its ok to talk about a desire to increase civility on DU, but not by referencing unhappy jury decisions.

DISRUPTIVE META-DISCUSSION
Positive threads about Democratic Underground or its members are are permitted.

Threads complaining about Democratic Underground or its members; threads complaining about jury decisions, locked threads, suspensions, bannings, or the like; and threads intended to disrupt or negatively influence the normal workings of Democratic Underground and its community moderating system are not permitted.