Telltale Signs of A Scarier America

Some folks just don't have a sense of humor. Or maybe some folks have a selective sense of humor.

Within the Findagrave.com discussion forums last night, as a thread where an enthusiastic discussion over Obama's proof of eligibility (or the lack thereof) was dieing down, the admins saw fit to lock it. I didn't care as it was fast coming to the point of "we must agree to disagree". This was a thread I started by posting a comment about the fact that a thread I had started minutes before had been deleted, after about 2 comments. In that thread I had posted a link to my previous blog entry, "Obama Truth Seekers to Get Day in Court?"

People have the right to disagree with my views. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with the lack of tolerance for other points of view. I'll come back to this, the bigger picture.

This morning I posted a "news story" from carbolicsmoke.com, a satire news site. The headline read, 'Obama Says Sotomayor's "Castrate White Males" Comment Taken Out of Context'. Posting a satirical piece, as others have done WITHOUT reprisals, was just an attempt on my part to be funny. I guess not.

When did we get to this point of such intolerance in even the smallest areas in our lives? The Lounge in the Findagrave "Discussion" Forums is the proper place to post anything. I can understand not posting slanderous and out-right hate mongering topics. I am not without reason.

So now I have joined the ranks of those (discussion participants) who have been punished for their views and outspoken nature. My understanding is, even a few have been locked out more than once.

Agreed, it is not my site and they can do as they wish, but when you create an environment whereby people are invited to appropriately discuss anything as long as you aren't calling people names, etc. then WHY be so sensitive? It really is baffling to me.

The Bigger Picture

There was a time in Nazi Germany when to disagree with the State was to invite the SS into your life. Are we on the brink of this lack of tolerance for free thinking? Are we seeing the fringes of such a mass acceptance of intolerance, started in the most unassuming places only to have it spread out into all areas of our lives?

Getting locked out of a discussion group is, by itself, a nothing issue but step back and look at the bigger picture. The topics were directly or indirectly about Obama.

This small and seemingly insignificant act points to a much larger and scarier image of America to me. It is an image of an America I do not like.