Post in Blaming the Victims of Racism (was Re: Reminder)

2008 Jan 12 18:54 UTC

I have just received the post below.  That is what I just love about these
advocates of 'free speech'.  They support it of course but if you show any sign
of emotion or feeling then they will, as is clearly implied, ban you.  Being
the perfect bureaucrats they have nothing to say, of course, about what gave
rise to my reaction.  It's called blaming the victims of racism.

  And if people doubt what I say then they can go to the anti-Semitic site for
which Atzmon writes most frequently and which is basically his fan club,
PeacePalestine www.peacepalestine.blogspot.com and the latest little gem, above
Atzmon's turgid posts about the Brighton meeting.  Having talked to a number of
people who did attend, in particular a Black Sudanese guy, it is clear that
people weren't as impressed as Joyce Edmond Smith.  But again Black people have
a bit better understanding of racism than white ex-councillors.

  Having scanned through the rules in question I can see that they make no
mention of racism or any other forms of discrimination, in other words a
bureaucrats' charter.  In the circumstances I am treating the warning with the
contempt it so richly deserves.

  Tony Greenstein

  >>Dear Mike,

  I would also point out that there was an overtly anti-Semitic comment on the
site which I presume is also outside the said rules as that is, by definition,
discriminatory.  I assume that you have spoken to Bernard about it?

  Tony

Mike Snewin <email obscured>> wrote:
          Dear Tony

When you signed up for the e-democracy forum, you agreed to abide by its rules
two of which clearly state

Please discuss local issues only
Be fair, calm and polite at all times

A number of your recent posts have tended towards more global issues and
although we appreciate that they may have been prompted by local events, we
would ask you to focus on "local issues only" in future.

We are more concerned with the increasingly hostile tone of some of your recent
comments which we consider unacceptable in a civilised discussion forum.
Indeed, we have received a number of complaints from other forum members about
your "name calling" and must therefore insist that you stop this practice
immediately.

Please help us to maintain a constructive discuss forum by following the rules
and refraining from personally attacking those members whose opinions differ
from your own.

Mike Snewin
Forum Manager

NB: You can find a full list of the e-democracy rules by following this link

http://e-democracy.org/rules/