Shall we play a game?
Has anyone else noticed the hilarious and apparently non-ironic posts that are all over the alleged censorship discussions these past couple of days? You know, the ones that boil down to, "You are not allowed to use certain words when you complain about certain other words - because your use of the words that I object to is censorship. So is your complaining about the words I don't object to. Everyone should be allowed to use whatever words they want. Except you, right now, and those words you just said."
I mean, seriously, I don't think this stuff has been given its due.
Lets collect these gems in one thread, and tomorrow we can all tell which are our favorites. I suggest we don't attribute the comments to avoid calling out, but just paraphrase or summarize. I'll start with my three favorites:
First, in boston bean's thread, I was told that her use of the word "ought," when she said RP ought to consider not using homophobic or sexist slurs, was an unacceptable and terrible form of censorship because her use of that word meant bb was forcing RP to change the words he writes. Which, of course, is really, really mean of her.
Second, the poster who said that the phrase "Word X is offensive" is an acceptable phrase to use, but "Don't say word X" is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE and is really, really mean censorship.
Third, and this I just love, are these very numerous posts saying, "self censorship is really, really mean censorship." Which could be paraphrased, "But I LIKE peeing in the frozen food aisle!!! Quit censoring me!"
So which are your favorites?
= new reply since forum marked as read
exercises their free speech.
That's a thing of beauty.
A wonderful ally.
One of them even had the gall to try this 'more important things' bullshit WHILE KICKING THE FUCKING MESS.
Stupidity knows no bounds.
I kept pointing out that you had done nothing more than politely express an opinion, but they all saw through it to your evil super powers of remote-controlling-what-other-people-read!
That's a perfect example: It's OK for her to express her opinion that "As far as I am concerned the RP doesn't need to change." But your opinion that he should avoid racist and homophobic slurs MUST NOT BE SPOKEN!!!!! And you, somehow in that pretzel logic, are the one censoring. 
You meany.
OMG! I just looked into her eyes, and someone took over my eyes and hands! I can't say or think anything I want to!
***I love Dick Cheney***
Dammit, Boston, cut it out!!!!!
My take? I support freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean that I don't want standards for the communities I'm a part of. I see this in our society, too. Because we can do something, we do do it. Why? Somethings are harmful to decent communities & we should be able to say, okay, you have the right to say this, but we have the right to shame you because those don't meet the standards of our community.
There is a very junior high element in this community that is allowed to stand. I use the hide thread feature more than ever. A few weeks ago when they went through their titty phase I was clicking fast & furious. How many times have members said, "If only so-and-so (insert big name democrat here) read DU." And when they come here & see some of this crap? 
Prudets! They're what's for dinner!
BUT
The ones that make me chuckle are:
1) All the people screaming that YOU NEED TO SHUT UP AND STOP TELLING ME TO SHUT UP!!1!!1elevens!!! Because STIFLING FREE SPEECH is the WORST THING EVAH!!1!!! SO SHUT UP and STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!1!!!
(how do they not see the complete circular logic fail in that?)
2) As mentioned upthread, people who REPEATEDLY kick these threads whinging about WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON ACTUAL IMPORTANT THINGS!!1!!!!q!
Oh god that makes me
LOOK IN THE FLIPPING MIRROR.
DU is way overdue for a purge of the people who want to censor the people I agree with!
Edited to take out quotes, because it isn't a direct quote.
Oh. my God. How is it possible to have so little self-awareness? 
on a post in HOF from more than six months ago, a post neither I nor Boston saw, that they saw and somehow insist it is our responsibility to spot within the 24 hour window and alert on it. There is no end to the hypocrisy. If they just came out and said what they mean: They and people who think exactly like them should be able to say anything and everything without censure, but anyone who disagrees with them should be silenced and banned. It really is no more complicated than that, but they lack the self-awareness and intellectual honesty to say so.
For the record, after surveying the various regular posters in this group, I don't actually think the alert on the Rude Pundit came from a HOF member, despite conspiracy theories to the contrary. It just shows how every incident on this site is but an opportunity to scapegoat. Here's a newflash. Feminists have free speech rights too. If you don't like our speech, don't read it! Quit surveilling HOF and its members 24/7 looking to alert on everything, including fucking threads about soccer games.
Of course they didn't alert on that post they complained about. If they were so concerned, they could have alerted even this weekend, but someone had bookmarks saved from many months ago, so obviously they saw it at some point.
Folks are evidently too busy alerting on my posts about soccer games and for "race baiting," observing that cops look very differently at African Americans who open carry than white people. Duh. 
Un-fucking real.
I think you are right that they aren't aware. That was clear in that thread insisting people had no right to suggest the RP moderate his language, but it's evident in virtually every conversation on the subject. I suppose my pointing out the hypocrisy is what has motivated this recent spree of alert stalking of me.
We've all acted hypocritically at points in life, but I like to think I have some awareness of it, or at least am capable of understanding that when it is pointed out.