by Mark Silva
2010.
The mere mention of it causes pause for anyone who has been around the better part of six decades.
The Swamp is a young one, by comparison -- turning four years old during the first week of the new decade.
Like any four-year-old, The Swamp has learned some lessons the hard way. We have opened the door to literally hundreds of thousands of comments from readers these four years, and we haven't always been thrilled by what has crossed the threshhold.
We think we know obscenity when we see it, and the posting rules say that comments will be screened for it. We certainly know racism and religious prejudice, sexism, too. Obscenities, in their own way.
Sometimes we have been accused of censorship -- but trust us, you're happier for what you haven't had to read behind the delete button. If you want to play dirty, you can always find a soapbox.
There remains this one other tabu: "Over-the-top personal attacks.'' The rules forbid them. It's a lot more difficult, however, to draw a hard line between expression and outrage. We really are interested in a robust debate, and we invite criticism. But we've grown weary, near the end of these four years, of commentary worthy of four-year-olds.
So be it resolved, here in the Swamp, at the dawn of this new year of 2010, that commentary published here will land somewhere under the top of personal assault. We don't excise words -- in other words, we're not going to clean you up. That will be up to you. But when commentary veers into personal assault, we will be pressing the delete button a little more often. We hope you will appreciate the result.
We again wish all who pass through these e-pages a happy and civil New Year.
Comments
Good luck Mark. Here's to a "new" year.
Posted by: bill r. | December 31, 2009 6:25 PM
Mark you state "turning four years old during the first week of the new decade". Do you mean next year (2011) the start of the next decade. Seeing how 2010 is the last year in this decade.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | December 31, 2009 6:45 PM
I guess we can expect to see a lot fewer posts from Terry.
Posted by: writerofwrongs | December 31, 2009 8:37 PM
Still Writing Wrongs,
I didn't see anything about Silva eliminating posts that dismantle liberals with facts.
Isn't that "Teabagging Terry" to you or are you cleaning you act up?
Posted by: Terry | December 31, 2009 9:19 PM
Can I still use Dr. Christian Szell as a proxy for Richard ("Dick") Cheney?
Posted by: ornery | January 1, 2010 7:17 AM
Oh, yeah !! Why that Tom was a #&*#*%!$@#!!&@^#$%! and Dick was sure full (*&*#^%$!!**()$#@$&%$#, while Harry just blabbed his old !%**$#%!#%@%^&^*#*%$#$##. So much for the New Year !I
We read you, Mr. Silva, watch our language and be civil !! Now, if we could just get those Republican-Libertarians to find a cleaner and more civil lexicon !! Don't hold your noses !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO THE MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR ARMED FORCES.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | January 1, 2010 7:28 AM
Don Fitzgerald Good post it put a smile on my face, Thanks. Every one have a great New Year.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | January 1, 2010 10:33 AM
terry:Still Writing Wrongs,
I didn't see anything about Silva eliminating posts that dismantle liberals with facts.
(snip)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't flatter yourself.
Demonstrating callous indifference bordering on hate toward the plight of other Americans who have lost their homes, jobs, medical insurance-access and lives hardly qualifies as
" dismantling facts " but more like dismantling the shreds of any hope they may have left.
To the r-cons, these human beings are roadkill. Useless eaters, breeders and takers in the game of live where only the strong survive and vote republicon.
My new years wish for you, Terry, is that you never wind up on the flip side of things because your fellow r-cons will abandon you but then, again, maybe this will be the ointment in your eyes so that you may see clearer.
You need to take a walk in the shoes of others.
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 1, 2010 11:07 AM
Wrong,
Not flattering myself, Just presenting facts, such as the use of the definitions of words.
If you consider getting dismantled in a debate of ideas - hate, then I guess I have been hating you for a while. That's all I have been doing is dismantling your ideas with facts - and a little humor.
As for something bad happening to me such as losing my house, job, or medical insurance, that could always happen. However, I hope I won't I won't whine about it and blame it on BO. I prepared my family for such an occurrance by setting aside a "rainy-day" fund that would allow us to get by in this instance. Also, I have prepared myself by having a ggod skill set that employers would find desirable. The whole key is preparing and living within one's means.
To you flatliners, you want you too take tax money (as you have proven - others' tax money) and provide not a safety net, but a hammock for those that can't/won't provide for themselves.
Since you feel so strongly about these gov't programs, why not take you income tax liability this year and add 10% and sent to the gov't.
Posted by: Terry | January 1, 2010 12:52 PM
"Terry, is that you never wind up on the flip side of things because your fellow r-cons will abandon you"
******************
Oh brother.
Terry, alls I can say to you this new year is us 'cons' have got your back, no matter what the left hear says.
Best of luck in the New Year!
Posted by: MAJMark | January 1, 2010 4:16 PM
Major Mark,
Thanks for that, the best help is from individuals not the gov't.
Posted by: Terry | January 1, 2010 5:28 PM
Writerofwrongs, sorry but study after study shows that the most giving people in this country to charities are CONSERVATVES and Christians to boot. They gave more and they give more often and more of their income. In fact, I do believe that in recent years when Bush and Cheney and other Republicans' tax forms were released they gave lots more to charity and a higher percentage of their income to charities. If memory serves me correctly, I believe in 2003, John Kerry gave something like $10,000 to charity while Bush tens of thousands more than that for the same year. Liberals generally don't like giving of their own money, they generally just want to give other people's money away. Perhaps that is why no matter how much liberals despide Bush tax cuts, for instance, they never give any of that money back to the government or to a charity.
Posted by: John D | January 1, 2010 11:28 PM
terry:
Major Mark,
Thanks for that, the best help is from individuals not the gov't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
so you and Mark are starting your very own private:
library law enforcement schools waste disposal water treatment facility post office food and drug administration social security trust air national guard
When?
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 2, 2010 9:00 AM
writerofwrongs
so you and Mark are starting your very own private:
library law enforcement schools waste disposal water treatment facility post office food and drug administration social security trust air national guard
When?
*************
As the Constitutions preamble states, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare.
Posted by: MAJMark | January 2, 2010 11:03 AM
john d:
No one ever asked me my political or religious leanings when helping out other people.
Who cares anyway ? As human beings, we should want to help others, regardless of anyones politics, and they should do so quietly and not make a political statement about it in the process.
I have noticed however that those with the least tend to be the most generous.
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 2, 2010 2:54 PM
Still Writing Wrongs,
You have a point in your last sentence
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-12-biden-financial_N.htm
Posted by: Terry | January 2, 2010 7:20 PM
lil baby ter-ter:
Still Writing Wrongs,
You have a point in your last sentence
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-12-biden-financial_N.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
or better yet, ask any pizza deliverer:
" the longer the driveway, the shorter the tip "
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 2, 2010 10:34 PM
Still Writing Worngs,
How can people still be ordering delivery pizza in the "depression"?
Posted by: Terry | January 3, 2010 4:42 PM
t the t :
Still Writing Worngs,
How can people still be ordering delivery pizza in the "depression"?
~~~~~~~~~~~
gotta eat I guess. the folks who deliver will tell you that for the most part, it's the working areas that tip better.
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 3, 2010 6:57 PM
Writer of Wrongs,
If this was a depression, I wouldn't be ordering out for a pizza. I would get the frozen pizzas in the fridge and save a few bucks.
Posted by: Terry | January 3, 2010 9:16 PM
terry:
Writer of Wrongs,
If this was a depression, I wouldn't be ordering out for a pizza. I would get the frozen pizzas in the fridge and save a few bucks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
better yet, make a pot of soup.
ps: pizza carryout biz way down due to economy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 4, 2010 9:26 AM
terry:
Writer of Wrongs,
If this was a depression, I wouldn't be ordering out for a pizza. I would get the frozen pizzas in the fridge and save a few bucks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
better yet, make a pot of soup.
ps: pizza carryout biz way down due to economy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posted by: writerofwrongs | January 4, 2010 9:26 AM
Still Writing Wrongs,
Once again, hit the post the button only once to show off your lack of intellgence.
What is your source of knowing the pizza carryout biz is way down due to the economy?
Posted by: Terry | January 4, 2010 7:04 PM