Dear Freeper Lurkers: Thanks for your civility regarding Senator Johnson

[berni_mccoy]

I lurk your site from time-to-time just to see what the other side is saying. I was happy to see that your first concerns about Senator Johnson were for his health. Of course, it's a political topic and we've had similar discussions here. But the first responses on your site were in the majority decent and hopeful responses for the Senator.

I acknowledge this and I thank you. It's good to see that we can both maintain a level of civility that lately has gone missing from political discourse in America.

[timber84]

1. Here here!

ditto

[AndyA]

2. I wonder if secretly they all hope he can't fulfill his duties.

That would make things so much better for them, wouldn't it?

They're all hypocrits. Everything they do has a stipulation. I do not believe for one minute they are the least bit concerned for his well being.

One only has to remember what they've done the past six years to know what I say is true.

[seabeyond]

6. during the elections there was talk a republican was ill, i dont

remember who. i found no joy or excitement or want to get that seat thru a mans death. if i am capable of feeling that, i will give it to the republicans being able to feel the same way. how sily to dismiss the words that they expresss and tell them what they really mean. i hate that when they do it to me, i will stand up for them when our side does it to them. it is wrong

[Hav]

11. .

I think that was Senator Thomas from Wyoming who was diagnosed with leukemia or something like this and most here wished him well, too. The Gov there was a Dem but I forgot how the rules are in Wyoming.

I check out FR from time to time as well and I have to say that they behave really well and respectful most of the time when it hits a Dem (latest example was Ann Richards). There might have been some exceptions in the past, but on the other hand, there were some ugly threads on DU as well.
It's only my opinion and I hope I'm not offensive, but when I look at some of the threads concerning Johnson here (conspirary theories and threads that are way more concerned about politics), I'd say they handled that matter better than us.

[racaulk]

3. I saw that as well.

And I totally agree with the OP. It was great to see the concern and prayers for Senator Johnson and his family. Thank you! :hi:

[MidwestTransplant]

5. I saw some yesterday hoping for speedy recovery and resignation.

Most were decent though. Others got deleted.

[MidwestTransplant]

26. Spoke too soon

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3016598

[Ron Green]

4. FReepers aren't all evil people; they just haven't yet gotten the whole message.

[Radio_Lady]

7. Berni, you've stated it very well. Thanks for your post.

[nam78_two]

8. Wow...good for them then.nt

[renate]

9. k&r so they'll see your nice message

:hi: and thanks!

[Javaman]

10. Perhaps this is the first brick to be removed from the wall?

could sanity in public discourse be returning? Could, with this situation, we(the general "we")be actually be caring for humans first? Can the concept of a mans health and his family actually transcend national politics for moment?

I'm not holding my breath but I'm letting it out slowly. I'm willing to wait and see and keep the door ajar with my foot against it for the possibility.

Frankly, I'm quite sick and tired of all the hateful back and forth.

[denverbill]

12. I noticed that at FR yesterday.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised, considering some of the posts I've seen over there on the event of other deaths (most memorably, Rachel Corrie). I'd like to think it might represent a change in the dialog, but I have a feeling it's more a result of Johnson not being particularly famous. If it had been Murtha or Hillary or Kennedy, I doubt the comments would have been so kind.

Then again, I've seen some fairly unkind comments on DU about some Republicans, and the more famous or influential, the more likely they are to generate negative comments.

Still, I give them credit where credit is due. Their civility is quite welcome.

[berni_mccoy]

15. I believe America has been ill with political polarization

There is common ground for all Americans. We all need to be more open-minded to each others perspective. The healing of what has been wrong with America must begin somewhere with some action. It may as well be this.

[denverbill]

16. Don't count on this being a magical fix.

It's going to take a lot more than that to fix the problem you are talking about.

Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Savage, Boortz, Scaife, Coulter, and the Swift Boat liars haven't gone anywhere. The vitriol won't disappear until those types either change their ways or disappear. You can't call your ideological opposites 'enemies' 'anti-American' 'traitors' and 'terrorist supporters' and expect a reasonable dialogue to occur.

[berni_mccoy]

19. I agree with you.

And I only view it as a single step in the right direction, not a cure or a fix. But we must start somewhere.

[LittleClarkie]

25. With one or two exceptions, and we'd have the same here if the roles were reversed

they've been very supportive of Sen. Johnson and his family.

And I think we were supportive when the shoe was on the other foot and one of the Republican Senators announced he had Leukemia.

[Deja Q]

13. Seconded!

K&R

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. Indeed. A most impressive effort in tongue-biting. -nt

[ItNerd4life]

17. I have to ask..

Is this an evolutionary step up the ladder on their part? But they don't believe in evolution!

I'm confused, please stop confusing me.

[QuestionAll...]

18. Nice to hear and glad you posted this.

Good to hear there are some things that bind us all.
There are many more such things but there are certain factions that need us biting at each other instead of them.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

20. Coworker told me that Rush said

that the Dems wanted to pull the plug on Terri Schiavo, but Harry Reid won't allow it for Johnson

(Coworker is a recent convert from Ind. to Dem but monitors what the other side says)

[Lisa0825]

21. Thank you.

And thanks for posting this. I havent peeked over there. It's nice to know that they are being civil about it.

[Vektor]

22. I agree - much appreciated. Thanks for this post.

We can have all the rousing debate we want regarding politics, but I shudder to imagine anyone wishing ill health on someone for political gain.

All of the discussion I have had with my Republican friends (yes, I have them :-) ) and co-workers has been very civil. I have been appreciative of that.

[maxrandb]

23. I agree with a caveat

I hope that the majority of their concerns for Senator Johnson are sincere, however, I can't help but think of the example of John F. Kennedy. I've heard warm words about JFK from the likes of Hannity and Limpballs, to the point where they even try to adopt him and say he would be a Republican if he were still alive. I'm a realist, and I know that 95% of Hannity and Limpballs audience is composed to Freepers, or Freeper like creatures. Do you have any doubt that if JFK were alive today, or if Rush and Hannity had their shows back in the 60's, that they would give him the Bill Clinton treatment? I don't. They'd parade every "supposed" affair, drug use, and scandal that they could muster.

The only reason they don't do it now is because Rush and Sean haven't quite figured out how you slime and belittle a man who had his brains blown out on national TV, without causing 95% of Americans to recoil in horror. Trust me, if they could get away with sliming Senator Johnson, they would. It's their nature, and it's apparent to anyone that has spent more than 5 minutes listening to the vile crap they spew on the radio every day.

They get no credit for doing what is right. They get no credit for doing what is expected of any caring and decent human being at a time like this.

When they end their despicable attacks and character assassination against the living and the healthy, then I'll give them credit.

[intaglio]

24. k&r politeness costs nothing

whilst civility is the mark of the civilised

[tinfoil tiaras]

27. K/R

I'm proud of the freepers for the way that they handled this news :)