Originally Posted By Labuda Hey, all - I got an email from DAR earlier this week asking me to post a final message to WE for him. So, without further delay: First of all let me truly apologize for the outbursts towards others in World Events. I do have a temper and can say things that cross the line. And when you don't have the face to face interaction with people it's easier to say things. It is a cowardly way to make conflicts. I want to especially apologize to Doobie and Rebekah and everyone else who makes Laughing Place what it is. I stated that the site sucks, but I was more frustrated than anything. You guys do a wonderful job of maintaining the site and I know it can't be easy. One reason why I would get angry at people was not because they disagreed with me, I'm fine with people disagreeing but as time wore on I was made to feel as if my opinion didn't matter. That my opinion was looked down because I didn't agree with everyone else. Or I got the feeling I must not be intelligent because I thought differently. It wasn't everybody but a majority made me feel that way. Here's where I don't apologize. I don't apologize for any and all opinions I stated posting as DAR or in the past as DDMAN26 and Jafar30. I don't apologize for voting Republican. I don't apologize for thinking the media on both sides are the same. I don't apologize for questioning health care. I don't apologize for my stance on Guantanamo Bay. I don't apologize for any other opinions I had. Also remember that I was for gay marriage and fixing the environment, though I think the business of "green products" is a scam to consumers. And I don't apologize for a litany of other topics we discussed. These are my opinions nobody was ever going to get me to change. Which is why I asked to be banned from the site. If I did come back the same thing would happen again and again because I'm not going to change what I think. And I'm not going to say to someone, oh nevermind you're all right. I'm not doing that anymore. And I think it would best for everyone if I didn't interact. I wish everyone the best and happiness in any future endeavors that life brings to them. Damon
Originally Posted By Dabob2 That's too bad. I guess I missed the recent tirade (didn't get to that thread before the admin's did), but I liked DAR. I didn't like the non-sequiturs or responding to things nobody said that he was prone to sometimes (even here: did anyone ASK him to "apologize" for voting Republican? No, we asked him to explain "why vote against Feingold if your big issue is opposing lobbyists?"), but I liked him. But DAR had a fine sense of humor, was conservative without being a wacko, and was (to me, anyway) a valued voice around here. I know he felt ganged up on, which I understand - when I first got to WE, it was dominated by conservatives - and kinda lashed out in response sometimes rather than just keeping on keeping on. Anyway, if he doesn't come back, I wish him all the best as well.
Originally Posted By ecdc +1. If you're passionate enough about politics to talk about it in an open forum, you're bound to have a meltdown or the occasional lash-out. I sure have.
Originally Posted By gadzuux We could certainly use a conservative voice around here that would provide a counterpoint to the prevailing opinions. The problem is that's all but impossible to do these days. None of the shenanigans the republican party dishes up almost daily is defensible behavior. So obviously, no one wants to take on that job. Even the "pros" - GOP apologists like Rush and Hannity quickly become clowns because of the foolish things they're forced to say, day in and day out. So this wasn't just a failing of DARs - it's a fools errand for anyone to try.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt This is going to sound cold hearted but who cares? This is a discussion board and it should come as no surprise that people are going to have differing opinions - especially when religion or politics are on the table. There is really no need for all the drama. If you want to stop posting here then stop. Why all the theatrics?
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Yeah, okay, but it's always a little weird to me when a long-time poster just disappears without a word. Although I've only met a few of you, in a weird way I feel like I know quite a few of you. And to just leave without saying "goodbye" seems - in a equally weird way - sort of impolite, somehow. It doesn't have to be a "I'm leaving and here's why" followed by a two-page screed (as we've also seen here), but it seems only polite to at least say "goodbye."
Originally Posted By imadisneygal He didn't really have a choice to say goodbye. I'm pretty sure they banned him because of his final few profanity laden posts.
Originally Posted By tiggertoo <<We could certainly use a conservative voice around here that would provide a counterpoint to the prevailing opinions.>> We do. Wahooskipper, fkuruck, among a few others. Ultimately, it's not the conservative voice that's leaving, but Republicans pundits moving the goalposts. I still consider myself conservative, but on the ideological continuum, as far from Beck as I am from Stalin. The party platform is just getting harder and harder to justify.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka Maybe it's easier for some of you to miss him but him repeatedly calling me the "c" word and the horrible thing he said about my children, I will not miss him. I didn't even realize he hated me until he told me that if I were dying on the side of the road, he wouldn't help me. (Charming! What kind of person says something like that?) I think he's got some serious issues (especially with the opinionated women here) and they're obviously taking their toll on him. Hopefully he'll get some help. Until then, I am happy to not come into contact with him. There are hundreds of posts where we listened to his opinions and tried to discuss them with him and he, in turn, told us that Obama was our savior and that we wanted to give terrorists and murderers ticker tape parades. He was the one who completely blew off our opinions, not the other way around. (It's not my fault if he can't back up his opinions and, thus, feels less intelligent. It's not my job to make him feel smarter than he is.) But, in his typical DAR mode, he feels persecuted by us. Amazing.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones The guy plays dirty, which is fine by me, but then he gets bent out of shape when he gets a taste of his own medicine. I love it when people get into an argument, trade a few barbs and curse like a sailor and all that, but he takes the Internet a bit too seriously.
Originally Posted By tiggertoo <<him repeatedly calling me the "c" word and the horrible thing he said about my children>> Really! That's simply crass, and frankly, unmanly. I don't care how POed I was at a lady, there are lines that cannot be crossed. Sorry you had to endure that, mele.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "We do. Wahooskipper, fkuruck, among a few others." I guess I don't count anymore, as I'm for single payor healthcare and taxing the rich at wahat would be at least the same "real" rate as the middle class.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I didn't even realize he hated me until he told me that if I were dying on the side of the road, he wouldn't help me. (Charming! What kind of person says something like that?)." A conservative Republican does. Using their logic, if that happened to you, it most likely was some fault of your own and you should have known better than to get yourself into such a predicament....
Originally Posted By tiggertoo <<...it most likely was some fault of your own and you should have known better than to get yourself into such a predicament....>> Sounds like a pretty good rewrite of the parable of the Good Samaritan for the new conservative Bible.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka Thanks, tiggertoo. It didn't hurt my feelings; I've had entire threads on LP created to call me names. It goes along with being an opinionated female. For some reason, that always seems a bit more threatening than a man with an opinion. (At least, to some people.) I was sad when it first started happening, especially with DAR, because, even though we had differences of opinion, I had always liked him during my 6+ years of posting here. It makes me sad that he wasn't a grown up about it but not sad enough to stop giving my own opinions. There are other LPers I would miss too much to stop posting here entirely. It's sad that we can't agree to disagree and still find things to like about each other. I am sure I could use a refresher course on it, myself. (Goodie, one more thing to add to my "2011" to-do list!) ;-)
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I was a bit stunned at that too, mele. He had shared many a posts in other threads with us about award shows, movies, books, etc. So that I did not see coming either.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Me either, and I had forgotten about that, mele. That was way beyond the pale.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Me either, and I had forgotten about that, mele. That was way beyond the pale.<< Me too. I hope you don't take any comments about DAR as somehow not caring about the mistreatment you received, mele. Because that's definitely not the intention. I know how it feels - I get frustrated when people defend beau or just say he was funny. That guy said literally the worst things anyone has ever said to me. And hey, it's the Internet and these people clearly have screwed up lives so it's hard to care. But its still not cool when other people you do like defend them.
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance The only encounters I've ever had with Dar have been negative. I've tried many times to joke around with him and lighten the mood when things were getting a bit too serious, but every single attempt went unnoticed by him. So, my only experiences with him have been negative which also leads me to feel like I could care less about him not posting. He was one of these people who always said things they didn't mean, and would look like a fool when they went back on their word later. It was more annoying than anything else.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper There is no doubt that he crossed the line. In fact, he blew past it. But, his downfall wasn't in his opinions (in my opinion) but in his unwillingess to back those opinions up with any facts. I am conservative in nature but the Republican party left me behind the minute they endorsed Palin for VP. I think she is likely a fine person who got swept up in her flattery for being the chosen one. She is trying to make the most of that, and I am not sure I can blame her. In fact, most of us, if honest, would probably say they would milk it for all they could too. The problem in America today is best explained by this situation with DAR. We get so caught up in differences that we ignore all the similarities. I fault the "press" for that, to a large degree, but we are willing participants.
