Should encouraging people to report a Fluther user to the secret police be acceptable behaviour on Fluther?

@SmashTheState I sometimes don’t understand your stance on things. I don’t always agree with you.
This time I think you might be on to something that many of us don’t have a clue about.
It’s frightening for me.

I take your word that this is something that really happened here on Fluther.
Now I don’t know (to) who(m), why, what, when, and where in which Q this happened but I don’t like the sound of it, at all.
That is, the reporting by (some of) the member(s) to the ‘secret police’ what is the secret police anyway?.
On the other hand, if someone makes (seemingly) realistic threats against another person (in this case the president) then I don’t think reporting would be needed, because the spooks are most probably aware of those threats being made I mean, for sure the secret services around the world are keeping an eye on (social) websites and forums?
But snitching shouldn’t be advertised, is my opinion.

It shouldn’t be. But it’s case to case. If someone in Fluther ranted FOR DAYS threatening to kill somebody, then maybe the authorities should be notified. If someone is making threats on my life online, I would appreciate them informing me or the police. Wouldn’t you-?

Regarding that board, that jelly who posted a link to the authorities, how can we be sure that he really meant for anybody to use it? Did you ask him or her before you posted something that maybe so vitriolic that it got censored-? What if he mistakenly thinks it was funny. Both smart and stupid people do stupid things like that sometimes.

And regarding that jelly who quit. Out of fear for his family-? I’d only buy that if you’ll tell me he told you that himself. I just don’t see that tough guy fearing the secret police or any police. He must have quit because of more logical reasons stated on that board.

Interesting dilemma. The old saying that “if you’re innocent you have nothing to fear”, is laughable. The accusation itself can cause irreparable harm. At the same time most people would feel pretty bad if thier suspicions about a person turned out to be true and someone died. I’d have to be damned sure there was immediate danger before going to government. You need to realize that a report of that nature will likely destroy some one’s life. It shouldn’t happen “just to be safe”.

Unless the long time user you’re referring to told you himself why he quit, stating that he did so “out of fear for his family” is an assumption on your part. I think it’s much more likely he quit because he was tired of constantly battling the non-conservatives here. Considering his political viewpoints, I’m really quite shocked he didn’t leave Fluther sooner.

You conveniently left out the reason your post was censored: a vicious personal attack against another member.

. . . .

I shouldn’t waste my time with this garbage. Clearly you’re going to twist the events to fit your agenda.

The question here is one of whether there is a line we should not cross, or if anything goes.
I am a big believer in The Line. We may disagree on where that line should be placed, but I think everyone would agree there should be a line somewhere.
Once you have crossed that line, is having your post deleted by a Mod enough?
I would like to think that there are responsible people who can identify a real threat, and will act accordingly.
If I posted something promoting the idea of political assassination against a particluar elected or appointed official, that is certainly approaching a line. If I gave a date, time, and address when I was going to carry this out, I think the members here would be remiss in not reporting it to the mods, and the mods may do what they feel is right with that information.
I am sure this site is already being observed by some of our government watchdogs. The mods probably don’t need to yell loud to get their attention.
btw @SmashTheState , has the plutonium gotten there yet?

@Jaxk I remember seeing a friend being harrassed by a newspaper reporter, for what I later learned were suspicions that he was the Zodiac killer.
The idea that this man was the Zodiac was ridiculous, but that didn’t stop that reporter from making aspects of his life, including his professional life, difficult.
People do jump to conclusions. It is different when someone spells it out pretty clearly.

@filmfann

I would agree with your first post that there is a line. I also have seen a friend wrongly accused ‘just to be safe’. We all have to decide where that line is. Personally, I place the line near certainty and a far cry from suspicion.

For the record, I am not prepared to elaborate on what may or may not have been discussed in private between myself and the person who left. The fact that I posted this should be all the information an intelligent person needs to form an opinion.

NOT as a Mod

The information provided in the link you are referring to is pretty easy to find on one’s own and (whether you are interested in hearing it or not) I have a feeling it was posted more jokingly then anything else. The fact is that anyone reading the thread to which you are referring was savvy enough to have gotten on the internet, found Fluther, and read through the posts. Therefore if they believe a post constituted a thread and that it warranted a call to the “secret police” they are probably capable of finding the contact information and making the report on their own with or without the link. If they are worried enough to be motivated to make that report, nothing would stop them from doing so.

I tend to agree with the theory that the jelly in question (the one who allegedly quit out of fear for his family) probably finally got tired of being one of the lone conservative voices on the site and decided s/he might enjoy a site with members with whom s/he had more in common.

A couple more things: if the person was that concerned with their safety and the safety of their family, they probably wouldn’t/shouldn’t have made the posts to begin with. If they are indeed as highly trained and considered as much of a threat to the government as you assert, they really shouldn’t have posted anything that would even give the appearance of being a threat on a public and easily searched website.

The real, living human beings on both sides of equations such as these need to exercise some common sense.

For the record, my children were all pulled out of school and interviewed and I was investigated by government workers based on a false anonymous tip, so while I have never been carted away in a black van, I do have some idea the havoc these kinds of reports can wreak.

Recently, a long-time member of Fluther quit and deleted his account out of fear for his family. Other Fluther users had posted a link to the website of the secret police and encouraged others to report this user, ostensibly for making threats against the president of the United States.

I didn’t read the post that way at all. I think you are making more out of the post than actually was intended. I read it as a joke. And if the one jelly left because he feared for his life, he needs to be afraid for all the things he has stated on this site, not just in that thread as he was very vocal on his conservative leanings.

By the way @SmashTheState you must be a rebel rouser from way back. Your question is worded with just the right balance of truth, speculation, detail and vagueness so as to stir up quite an intense reaction. Well played.

Let’s not make this into another wrong. I’d appreciate an explanation from the person who posted a link to the Secret Service website to explain what they intended with the post.

As one of the few self proclaimed conservatives on this site, I’m beginning to feel quite vulnerable.

Depends on what you mean by “acceptable”. Your details give me two different ideas about how I might interpret your question.

If you mean, should this be considered acceptable behavior in civilized society, where people are presumably trying to be friendly with one another, or, at least, cooperate? – I think no, definitely not acceptable. But I wouldn’t exactly call Fluther a civilized society, and I do not think it should be expected to be. I think the anonymity is the largest part of this – people are generally more douchey when hidden behind a handle and a computer screen.

If you meant, should this be accepted as “legal” behavior here on Fluther? – I think yes, absolutely. Free speech is very important to me, whether the speakers are making lame and inappropriate jokes or waving terrible signs about gay people at servicepeoples’ funerals.

Please don’t go away, conservatives. I like that you help me understand viewpoints I don’t agree with (there goes my liberal ethos again), plus we all have much in common outside our politics :)

Actually, I’m not really a conservative. I’m a moderate…...or maybe a libertarian…. or any one of a variety of less offensive labels.

@Jaxk Knew it. You’re a Jaxketarian. : )

I can’t quite believe anyone would take a Q&A site that seriously, actually, come to think of it…....

I think calling the police on people is fine.

It’s up to the police to decide if a threat is worth acting on.

When you state, or even strongly imply, that you would like to see the president assassinated, I think you give up all right to be upset about visits from the police.

1. Just who is the ‘secret police’? If we can contact them, they are certainly not secret.
2. Without a link to the question, there’s no way for me to evaluate the story. If someone knows it, please send me a PM with the link.
3. I really don’t care who is President: make a death threat and I’ll report it.
4. This is a public forum. It’s just not possible to ‘hide’ here unless you use an anonymiser and even then …
5. Anyone on the planet Earth can read each and every post here. You can’t point the finger at anyone.
6. When I read what some nutjob one-hit-wonder like Ted Nugent says about Obama, I would be shocked that he isn’t being investigated. If someone made a threat against Bush, I would hope the same.

This is not about politics or biases. I hate acts of terror. Anyone stupid enough to share a plot here doesn’t have a handle on reality.

Sorry, Smash, I guess this means you won’t talk to me. It’s your choice.

Again, if someone has the link, I’d love to see it so I can read it for myself. Talking about something that is public but acting like it’s a secret is, well, kinda grade school agi-prop. It does no one any good.

@SmashTheState : I am in awe of your paranoia.

I’d be up for drowning the queen in a muddy puddle…....shit, the SAS are banging down my door!!

@ucme In case the SAS brought the US Secret Service with them, maybe ask them how good were those Columbianas in well, doing secret stuff-? Heh heh.

@mazingerz88 I wonder how the interview process works with such organisations….“Can you keep a secret?” “Yes I can” “You’re in!”

I know one person here personally and well. Other than that, I have no idea if anyone else here is who they say they are. For all I know, Smash is an 87 year-old grandmother with too much time on her hands.

If there were a secret police and they treated squabbles on the Internet seriously then it would definitely not be acceptable.

What? Even if such a thing actually happened, the so-called secret police have more important things to worry about. There are probably thousands of phony reports every day, and no agency has enough personnel to handle them all.

I’m with @SuperMouse on this one. Anyone who uses the screen name @SmashTheState is suspect in my mind, no matter what is said.

I would just like to say that I never sent plutonium to @SmashTheState , nor would I.
I am a law abiding citizen with a deep love for my country, and my government.
My new friends in black suits have helped me see clearly how my statements could be misunderstood.
I would encourage everyone here to take a moment and reflect on how good we all have it, and how tenuous our safety is in this dangerous world.

help me!

Did you guys notice that the Secret Police have joined the collective?

@Jeruba : Thank you. Now, would you pass the popcorn? I’ll pass you a chilled coconut for sipping.

The link to contact the Secret Service (not Police, here in the US), is public information. The user who posted the link did not say, “Hey, jellies! Report this member to the Secret Service!”, and I’m certain it was posted as a joke. Do I think people should threaten to contact the Secret Service lightly? No. Do I think Fluther should censor people who do? No.

Now, if a person is actually threatening the life of a president, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with reporting that. In this particular case, I’m as certain as I can be that nobody thinks the ex-member was making an actual threat.

The reason your post was removed was not because you objected (as I have already told you and stated publicly). It was because you used words like “prick” and “asshole” directed to another member. A clear personal attack.

In short, if it doesn’t meet our guidelines, it will be removed. If it does, it will not. We are not in the business of censoring free speech, we are interested only in keeping a certain level of discourse.

What a kerfuffle! Don’t you have better fights to fight @SmashtheState? I say that with all due respect for your political beliefs.

And “MWAH” to Auggie!

@janbb : Could you move aside? Your tail feathers are blocking my view.

@Hawaii_Jake Maybe my tailfeathers are the best view in town!

@janbb YES

Currently, there are 11 people viewing this thread. The conga line starts now.

Conga? Did someone say ‘Conga’?? Quick, let me put on my Carmen Miranda costume!

One, two, three kick! One, two, three kick!

Kkick? Hold still, just let me squeeze in here… thhhpppfftt, stupid feathers!
I missed the original…thing. I figured I’d try to winnow through older questions, but if anyone would care to pm a link to me, I’d be pleased and grateful. I am now moderately curious.

Dear god…

I posted the secret service website (http://www.secretservice.gov/) in a joking manner, only because it was being discussed in the thread at the moment. That’s it. It’s not as if I had the URL at the ready and was just waiting for someone to post “threatening” content. If I thought anything on Fluther needed to be reported to “the authorities” I’d go directly through Augustlan, i.e., I’d handle it correctly.

Some of you, for your own well being, seriously need to put down your copies of Conspiracy Theory Weekly, then turn off Fox News – pronto.

@supermouse indicated the question was easy to find on your own. I’m glad to find that I’m not the only one that has no clue how to find it.

psst. Ted Nugent. (nod, nod, wink, wink)

@Jeruba I find it pretty damn funny that Secret Police is Following SmashtheState

Ssshh, @King_Pariah. What Secret Police might not have noticed yet is that I’m following them.

@Jeruba And I’m following you. So how does that make you feel?

Like part of a conga line.

One two three kick. One two three kick!

Well ya know. my goose is really a trained assassin, shhhh.

From @smashthestates profile:
SmashTheState’s story: Once again Fluther has reminded me why I leave for entended periods. Fluther’s humourless censors and thugs can go fuck themselves.

Thank you again Smash for reiterating your feelings about Fluther and the fine folks here.

@SmashTheState “extended” not “entended”

courtesy of a local spelling Nazi.

@all We’re humorless!!

@King_Pariah You should be careful about putting the acronym, NAZI ,here on Fluther . I just had to hose another member down for attempting to dress me down here. tsk tsk ~

I agree. Trivializing a heavily laden term like that makes me stop smiling. It’s not a joke.

Adults should be able to use their words in any way they choose as long as they don’t personally attack anyone with them. No one has the right not to be offended…even here.

The attitudes displayed here seem to consist mainly of smug derision, triumphalist mockery, and self-satisfied back-patting. Furthermore the obliviousness to the very real dangers experienced by those of us who don’t live small, inoffensive lives is worrisome. I have to put some serious thought into whether I care to spend any more time in this toxic environment, or indeed, whether I can afford to take the risk of spending time with people who consider the very idea of secret police funny.

Oh I am very aware, I just say fine and ride the tide laughing all the way.

Small, inoffensive lives? As in NOT shouting into a bullhorn, inciting riots, mayhem and anarchy? Shame on us.
I believe that our society has many problems, but SMASHING THE STATE is not my answer to them. If you choose that path, you can damn well expect to come under scrutiny. Why would you stand in the middle of the street waving your arms and shouting, then act surprised when the police ask you to move along and stop obstructing traffic? You choose your path, you deal with the consequences. And yes, you probably should worry. For the obvious reasons. Unless you’re such a small potato that the police already know they needn’t bother with you.

@SmashTheState There you go again, “toxic environment” and our “small, inoffensive lives”...really, oh yes, and I well remember the time you called me “bourgeois” which is about as laughable as it gets.
What’s offensive is your chronic ass-umptions…jeez dude, go look for some chem trails, don;t forget your tinfoil hat and gas mask.

Can you spell boorish?

Smash, I simply do not believe you are whom you pretend to be.

Here’s a movie you should enjoy smash.

@SmashTheState the link you keep referencing was to the US Secret Service, and they are no secret. As a matter of fact they have been making news headlines for a solid week.

More brilliant writing in your description of Flutherites and their “smug derision”, “triumphalist mockery” and “small, inoffensive lives.” It is wonderful because it drips with such irony when one considers the source.

Do you think so, @woodcutter? Then you wouldn’t agree that it’s possible to use language in a way that is irresponsible, reprehensible, destructive, and profoundly harmful without actually attacking someone? How about outright lies about, say, what’s damaging to the environment? How about saying that Congress is loaded with communists? How about assuring someone that certain herbs will cure their cancer, with the result that they fail to seek medical treatment? And how about that “fire” in a crowded theater?

I have read the line “No one has the right not to be offended” five or six times now without understanding it. Would you mind explaining what it means?

Okay, I’m sending in spy goose, code name “agent orange” for a full investigation.
He’ll be leaving on this mission just as soon as he is vaccinated for bird flu and under cover cat Milo flies in from the east coast with his cyanide laced claws. lol

@Jeruba: I too have been puzzling over “No one has the right not to be offended” also. So I am also waiting for clarification.

And speaking of clarification, I am the person whom @woodcutter is referring to in “You should be careful about putting the acronym, NAZI ,here on Fluther . I just had to hose another member down for attempting to dress me down here. tsk tsp ~

What does “hose another member down for attempting to dress me down” mean?

Nazi:

1) a member of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.

2) person who holds and acts brutally in accordance with extreme racist or authoritarian views.

@gailcalled, I don’t know what ”“hose another member down for attempting to dress me down” means either.

Perhaps we are looking for clarity in the wrong place.

@Jeruba:We do wander far afield, do we not?

@Coloma: Milo is at the ready although he does worry about chipping his new mani.

@gailcalled You really want me to explain that PM, here?

What the hell is everyone going on about here? I have no idea… all I got was Secret Service, Nazis and interweaving jokes.

?

Only on fluther. My wife says that people do get thrown into vans and all I can do is laugh.

Was it Ted Nugent? I hope it was Ted Nugent…

What is really amazing is that Ted Nugent said he would be dead or in jail this time next year. For saying that most seem to want him in jail. Sounds like he’s a prophet.

@Jaxk Sounds to me like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It would appear that the incident which spawned this question is more important than the question itself, both to the asker and some of the replies. Understandably, I might add. @SmashTheState, the logic you use to suggest that Fluther encourages people to report users doesn’t really work in the statement you make with it, because then, by that logic, simply having a post remain is encouraging its content. So, therefore, every single post that isn’t modded on here would be encouraged by Fluther, rather than staying up due to respecting the guidelines. (whether people agree with a post or not, whether they like the post or not is irrelevant when it comes to why it remains, at least as far as I understand) I respect and admire you, but if I didn’t know any better, which I probably don’t, I’d say this is the most well written and elaborate ’‘goddamn it I got modded’’ question I’ve ever seen. Why did you get modded? Did you swear/flame someone?
I know how you feel about the rules here and how things work, and I don’t entirely disagree with you at times. If it were entirely true though, there’s a lot of stuff I post which should be deleted. I get away with a lot, if not most of it. But I don’t attack or flame anyone. Did you?
Because I don’t know what you said, I probably shouldn’t say anything about your modded post, but the fact remains that the person’s secret police post wasn’t ’‘encouraged’’ any more than anything else that was in there. You having been modded and not that post doesn’t ’‘encourage’’ said post.
But you are not without your points. I certainly agree that even as a joke, it may be in poor taste, especially when directed towards someone who has had a position in the armed forces and yes, someone with a background such as yours. Someone who is in, or has been in such fields would most likely be scrutinized a lot more by the authorities if someone made a claim of crime or potential crime about them, due to their experience and expertise. (if safety is why that person left) However, as was already mentioned by @SuperMouse in this thread, if somebody took a claim by a certain user seriously and thought that it was warranted to contact the authorities about it, it can easily be done without having to wait for a user on Fluther to make a joke and post a link. You of all people should know this.
Should this behavior be encouraged? I’d say, if someone has real genuine concern about the claims of a user and thinks the cops or some secret police should be notified, contacting staff or mods would be the most professional and efficient way, or so I hope, to deal with it. Or deal with it off the site entirely. That works too, probably even better. I’m sorry for not really answering anything, but this question has a big red arrow pointing to what it obviously wants to address.

There are a lot of very passionate people here. Apparently some will devolve to cute stunts to make a point…to win. To win without thinking much about it ,maybe because they as youngsters were possibly cloistered in a privileged or secure environment and have a false sense of security and assume we all have nothing to worry about either. Possibly didn’t have to do much to get or even appreciate what they have. Definitely never witnessed the inside of a military enlistment office…ever. You don’t even pretend to drop a dime on anyone. Even if it is intended as a prank. Especially on the internet, thanks to our fearless leaders in the govt, (patriot act), who I gather have never seen the inside of a military enlistment office either, much less military service. There are just enough scrambled minds on here with all the meds they like to compare and discuss, there is bound to be one who might take the next step and do something stupid. It’s like leaving a loaded gun in plain site tempting someone to play with it. I’m not naming names but y’all know exactly what the deal here is….and someone had to have the balls to put it out there. It ain’t really the balls. It’s just the known fact that it is not possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

@woodcutter Oookay

this could help

I’m just wondering… have any of you who are making fun of this ever been falsely accused? Have you been taken in for questioning about a crime or on suspicion of something?
Let’s say that your neighbor has his house broken into and vandalized. The police are called and he is interviewed about who he thinks may have committed the crime. You and your neighbor have been having a disagreement about a lilac bush that is very near your shared property line. Neighbor guy doesn’t have fond feelings for your because of this dispute. He knows that you would know when he isn’t home. He knows that you don’t have fond feelings for him. He mentions your name and the police then call you in for questioning. They get a warrant to invade and search your home for evidence and on and on. The press is all over this case, They report that you are a suspect. You are innocent of this crime, but life could be pretty crappy for you for quite a while.
This happens to people all the time. It isn’t funny, it’s sucky.

@wilma yes. I have indeed been falsely accused. I had my children, my home, my fiance at the time (who is now my husband) and my work investigated. I was served at home and at school. I was greeted in class by a deputy sheriff and a campus police officer who pulled me out. I had two professors pull me aside and ask me what was going on in my personal life. All three of my children were yanked from school and interviewed about something they knew nothing about. Someone came to my house and inspected it inside and out and interviewed me for hours. All of this was based on an unfounded accusation. It wasn’t funny. It was sucky.

But here’s the thing @wilma what is being discussed is simply a link to the U.S. Secret Service website. It wasn’t encouragement to turn anyone in. It was a joke. The person they were joking about also made a joke – about attacking the president. I’ll tell what, I would never in a million years consider making any kind of joke about attacking any political figure. The personal responsibility @SmashTheState is so keen on goes both ways. If my experience with false accusations and investigations taught me anything, it is that I can’t even afford the appearance of anything inappropriate.

@wilma I’m not making fun of anything, I am just always shocked and amazed at the assumptions and stories people invent, their fictional spins on what they believe others motives and intents are and how they project these fictitious assumptions on others without factual backup.
False accusations are rampant in this thread, exactly what you’re talking about.

@SuperMouse I’m sorry that you had that horrible experience.

I just went back and looked at the question that started all of this.
I didn’t see the person ever make a threat, this is a quote from them, “I don’t advocate the killing of ANYone. I had more than enough of that in the Army”.
@SmashTheState did get riled up as he often does, but I do think there is some truth to what he is trying to convey.

@Coloma, “I am just always shocked and amazed at the assumptions and stories people invent, their fictional spins on what they believe others motives and intents are and how they project these fictitious assumptions on others without factual backup.”
“False accusations are rampant in this thread, exactly what you’re talking about.”

Exactly, and in this thread and the other one, it goes both ways. Both side of this debate have spun and projected and made fun of and made false accusations. It hurts everyone.

@wilma Yes, and my original posting at smashthestate addressed this sentiment.
“Riled up” and complete lunacy are two different things entirely.

First of all, don’t kid yourself that this site and others all over the internet (or “internets” as George W. would call it) are being monitored by men in black suits. So nobody needs to turn anybody in anywhere for things to be observed by others other than other Jellies. Nothing is secret so we need not threaten each other, nor should we be upset that a link to a government website is posted, because if someone says something threatening, it wouldn’t be necessary for the person to turn themselves in voluntarily.

These are perilous times. Try this….Next time you board a jet start up a conversation about bombing airplanes just as a joke. Watch what happens.

@woodcutter, you are comparing apples and oranges.

I don’t think I am. If an investigation were to ever go through and be found groundless, it doesn’t go away ever. Somewhere in the archives there it will be, They did it to John Lennon. Luckily he was deemed harmless to the govt because he was a stoner and not to be taken seriously. Good for him. Here’s a new idea…govt workers make errors? gasp. Something erroneously gets started because of an honest mistake and suddenly a person discovers they can’t fly, or their background check is flagged next time they try to purchase a firearm? It happens. Thousands of regular people are on a terror watch list and they don’t know why. The govt is not obligated to explain so there is hardly any recourse. It becomes something they just have to live with.

Of course these things always happen to nameless individuals and won’t affect us..or does it?
The offending comment should have been deleted. If it was against one of the fluther progressive darlings there would have been a shitstorm. The mod can use any excuse she wants but there comes a time when you need to take control instead of letting yourself be controlled and do the right thing. This whole incident really says more about the moderation than the subject matter of a completly foolish and tastless posting.

@woodcutter WHATEVER!
Ted ran his mouth and implied violence. If he was investigated, it was because of the inflammatory, provocative crap that came out of his mouth! If the investigation proves groundless, he still has only himself to blame. He was showboating and trying to sound like a tough guy.
John Lennon was an anarchist, and openly spoke out against the government. It is not beyond the realm of belief that he would be engaged in anti government activities, all the while staying here in America to escape the crushing taxes across the pond. So boo hoo for him and his never-going-away file.
I frequently didn’t agree with the person who said that he agreed with Ted Nugent, I also have nothing against him, but by that statement he also implied that he advocated violence. He kind of backed down and changed his stance, but his original statement was 100% agreement. Remember? 100 percent agreement with the loud mouth saying if the man was in office again he’s be dead or in jail.
So you can pretend all you want that the link to the Secret Service meant something other than a tongue-in-cheek jab. Pretend your self righteous indignation if you can pull it off.
We are allowed to say whatever the hell we want in this country. Exercise that right at your own risk. Don’t cry like a baby when you find that words, like actions, have consequences.

The offending statement wasn’t intended for people to take action against Mr. Nugent even as a farce. This much we know. It was intended to one up a member by using a low blow that may have developed into undesirable consequences for his family. Trust me, There aren’t many people on here who can appreciate a clever joke better than myself. I know what to look for. That comment even though protected by the first amendment was still stupid and crass. This is what happens when people forget how to play nice. That is one area that needs improving here. There are way too many players who have no sense of humor…it shows.

I’m thinking that lack of a sense of humor goes both ways, here…

@woodcutter sure an investigation stays on ones record. Sure government employees make mistakes. What I believe is apples and oranges is someone linking an easily found and accessed website and someone joking they are going to blow up a plane. That is comparing apples to oranges.

Errrrr…uhhh…ermm…but, you can’t pick up a turd by the clean end! Yeah! Uhhh….Durrhh…

@SuperMouse ”an easily found and accessed website” Um, sure you can find anything on the internet. What one does with it is up to them. I mean How many people on line do you really trust that you don’t personally know? It should be none of them. A lot of highly “maintained individuals” on line, some right here. You can know for sure not one of them will do something just for spite to make a point? These people shouldn’t be encouraged especially if they are the busybody type. With all the govt “eyes” watching our daily lives the last thing any of us should want is to be looked at just a little closer. It can make your life a real pain in the ass.. Mr Nugent is a millionaire many times over. He’s no stranger to controversy with his big mouth. He has assess to a battery of trial atty’s should he need them to quell any indignation.. Regular folks do not, at least I don’t. Do you?

Putting up that link was a low blow. I just thought folks here were better than that.
Most don’t seem to care that it happened to a person that isn’t in line with their political beliefs. Most here may be glad that C H is gone. Maybe there is consensus that it would be better if all people right of center decided to do something else, I mean how many here are there really?

But really, hoping, or not being concerned for members with opposing beliefs leaving may seem fine at first glance. Possibly a turn for the better, a classic online utopia with everyone finishing each others sentences and all that kumbaya stuff. But it will get old fast and the site will suffer for it because sooner or later, y’all are going to get tired of blowing each other. Well most of ya will.

It’s looking like it’s being buried as a joke that someone didn’t have a good enough sense of humor to handle. Yeah, it’s their problem right? There are Sooo many ways to be funny that is universally so, and some things that were funny 20 years ago aren’t now. It’s the federals, they don’t screw around. And they use your money to do it

With all thats happened since 2001 we’ve a foisted upon ourselves an ever powerful BATFE ,Homeland security, and whatever is going for Blackwater et,al and who knows what else,what is really in effect is an American Gestapo with pretty much unlimited power. Let’s all try to not let them look too hard at any of us. They are doing well enough with no help at all.

@woodcutter it looks like we’re going to have to agree to disagree here. The reality is that the “closer look” that may have been had was brought on by the poster, not by the person who posted the link.

…I thought Auggie was the Secret Police. I am so confused.

@SuperMouse But the original poster thought it was their job to save the prez? I doubt that played into it at all. What…we’re being patriotic up in here now? It was never really about that. It was shitty moderation that allowed a long time member be humiliated by a limp wristed attempt at reporting an assassin because they apparently were in a disagreement. So it was decided to shut the guy up with that. Personally i think he was having a bad day and was running out of the usual kinds of posts that involved his positions. So he laid that link on him. Lame. And if it ever got back that it did fuck with his life or family’s, he would have some sort of internet cred, if there is such a thing.

@woodcutter It was a joke. Do you not get the concept of a joke? No one was reporting anyone to the “secret police”. There is no such thing as secret police.

I am among the few who are aware of the truly evil and unexplainable things this govt is capable of. I understand humor as well as the next guy…better than most. Plenty of ways we can all break each other’s chops here. What was done was lame. If you worship your govt then I can see how you could poo poo this. Shit there are those who get their tits in a twist if the acronym NAZI is used here. OH the humanity!

Or we can chalk it up to the typical election year BS that happens here every time when some get carried away because they fear Obama might not win. Relax

I am among the few who are aware of the truly evil and unexplainable things this govt is capable of. I understand humor as well as the next guy…better than most.

Two very bold claims, mate. :/

I’m double jointed too.

I’m a ninja. Seriously though.

Pics or it ain’t true

Wait what? The last thing that goes together is visual evidence and ninjas. Jeez dude. Ninjas!!

Alright, I’ve planted a bomb on this page, you have exactly 4 minutes to evacuate this thread.
Single file, don’t panic, follow the arrows >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You think a single link to a government organization was bad? There’s more where that came from. Check it out: http://www.fbi.gov/. Yeah baby! I got more: http://www.nsa.gov/. Ouch! That one stung. Even I felt that. I can do this all day… http://www.dhs.gov. Homeland Security up in this bitch!! (That’s one of my favorites, truth be told.)

And for my finale, I present you with… dun dun dun! http://www.atf.gov/

The truth is out there…(cue X-Files music).

:^)

News flash : Ted Nugent upset over cancellation of his concert at a military camp-! ( So who called the secret music police-?! )

@woodcutter I dunno, I kinda like that my tits twist themselves up when someone makes light of the terrible things my grandfathers and ethnic group experienced by applying “Nazi” way out of context. They’re like automatic jackass barometers.

@FutureMemory – I…...Can’t…....Stop…..Laughing!!!!!! Oh, no. Just peed a little. Be back in a minute.

I’m batman. Batgirl, I mean. (HEY!! NOT COOL! Spell check said, “batman” was good, but “batgirl” got red lined!! It’s a government conspiracy against women. I know it is.)

Well this all took a turn for the surreal.

All right people, if you are interested in turning @Dutchess_III in to the proper authorities, here is the link.

@woodcutter, I really think the original link to the Secret Service was a joke as well. No matter how many ways you and @SmashTheState try to spin this, it really is not what you are both trying to make The Collective think it is. I will end my participation in this thread by saying that if the person who felt compelled to close their account was that concerned about being hauled away by the men in black vans, they should never have even given the appearance of impropriety.

Thanks to the wisdom of a little feline, the mouse has left the building.

You’re right @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard . This is the question that finally made me jump down the rabbit hole for the first time ever. Had never heard of fluther….just kept reading, reading, then POW, ZOINK, HEH, heh, Huh?

I had to give it up to ya’ll. I think l’m in lurve. Want to poke at stick at this hornet’s nest but believe I’ll just join the conga line.

I doubt that the closed acct was too concerned about getting into legal trouble as much as something stupid was done at his expense and then realized who his friends were here or more, who his friends were not. There were other incidences in the past that could have factored into his decision to pack it in. Whether or not the majority wants to consider the pheno that there is a faction here who is more stringently modded is irrelevant. They don’t need to.

@woodcutter Do you have any statistics to back up your claim that “there is a faction here who is more stringently modded”? Because I do. I can tell you for a fact that the good captain was modded far less frequently than many, many other members. We do not mod on the basis of political points of view or favoritism.

How would someone have stats, @augustlan? Unless you are a mod, you don’t know who got moderated, right?

@bkcunningham That was my point, actually. @woodcutter made an assertion he could not possibly have any actual knowledge of.

I’m laughing at myself. I misread your post, @augustlan. I can say for myself, I quit trying to post questions. The few I tried to post kept getting returned, even after editing, for more editing until I gave up completely.

You con hoff yaw little loffs, but the top Other NASA News line makes me verrry afwade ;-o

@augustlan Hey calm down sis. I here ya but really a mod would never ever let the notion slip they may have turned the other way from time to time. It’s just human. Nobody is that impartial. Even federal judges. To sell that idea you would have to convince us you were a bot or something. boring It’s that which is perceived that is good enough for it to be fact enough. Always been that way. No I’m not going to dig back through years of threads to find where some were allowed liberties and others got stopped for similar things. I think it can be hard sometimes to make a distinction when its close. But when a person sees it happen to them it’s pretty distinct and no one else has a reason to care. The political affiliations are a coincidence. And there is the human response sometimes that bears out in the way that there are going to be those people that can often annoy the fuck out of moderators for any reason and they don’t forget.

Hits self on head with a rubber mallet.

@gailcalled Squeaky sounds! Gimme! ’‘steals’’ :D

Thanks, I think. “Steals”?

As in, I plundered it away from you, so I could whack myself with it and have fun with the funny sounds. Yeah totally off topic, but when did this thread not do that haha.

More like dull thuds, no?

Did I just get called… “sis”?

@woodcutter What I’m saying is, I have actual records to go by. Your assertion is simply not true.

(listens to the squeaky rubber mallet)

Isn’t this discussion closed yet?

NO ONE IS PAYING ATTENTION. I said, “A wooden mallet.”

takes wooden mallet and hits Gail over the head with it.

Thank you.

See this question

and the latest response.

Lol @gailcalled nuh uh, you said rubber mallet…. Scroll up :p

@Plucky: So I did. I suppose that this is what happens when I hit myself over the head too often with anything.

(giggles)

@janbb – Oh, I thought you said “wooden mullet’. Made more sense.
@Plucky – Thanks for clearing the water.

Um,—clearing the air?

Block that metaphor!

What is worse than having a mod that regulates a board? Having no mods closing an already exhausted discussion board. Time to call the secret mod police. : )

I’m going to report ALL of you for abuse of a mallet.

squeak squeak squeak squeak squeaksqueaksqueak squeak squeaksqueaksqueak squeaksqueaksqueak

What?

Apparently, you’re all hammered.

squeak!

The crazy party rocks on, keep that mallet away from my happy brownies please.
Don’t smash the plate!
Actually, I have no happy brownies, the secret police confiscated them all.

Stardust bitch.

(starts a Nerf bat war)

@Coloma Well, then the Secret Police are going to forget why they came. Then, when they stage a raid on your fridge, we can ESCAPE!!!

I am here for your brownies and your MILF’s!

@Secret_Service_Police – Thanks…I needed a laugh. It’s been near 90 degrees last 2 days here and my fingers are sticking to my tablet, didn’t get much sleep last few days, everybody wants supper, etc.sorry for the rant, but know you always understand.

May I have another…Please sir?

@Secret_Service_Police MILF’s? Me too! : )

Whoa….... I’m sorry I was gone for this one. Are the secret police still around? I’ve been very bad. Give me coffee and a fresh pack of cigarettes and I’ll tell you everything!

Are you all still here? No black vans? HA!