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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:43 pm
Well, yeah. Like I ended with, there is an insane amount of replies to any Pro-Life post in the Debate. Mostly because there is usually one or two Pro-Lifers in at a time, while there are always tons of Pro-Choicers. If there were multiple Pro-Lifers in the Debate, in near the numbers of Pro-Choicers, it would be less of a problem.
Replying with the same replies to all of the posts will get you in trouble, because not only is it against the rules, but it is just annoying. Do not copy and paste your entire posts (as there was someone who did that a few month ago). I find it best, in long winded threads to go just sort of work your way there. A forum is not supposed to be about being on the last page, and multiple people in the Debate do respond to older posts until they get to the front page.
If you want to get a ton of attention, be a Pro-Lifer in the Debate, as everyone will show up to talk to you. Most of them will point out flaws in your arguments (be they spelling, logical, or what-have-you) but you will be quite popular in an infamous sort of way.
I think of it this way: Most of the Pro-Lifers who go into the Debate are not good debators. They'll use words incorrectly (or possibly use other definitions for words than the ones that I use, hard to tell) they'll make points they can't back up (or sometimes use websites as sources that don't back up the points they make or othertimes use websites that have no sources for the information the site shares). And for the most part, these Pro-Lifers are not (yet) in the Guild. So the resident Pro-Choicers really do rip their posts to shreds, and figuratively sharpen their claws. This gives many Pro-Choicers the idea that all Pro-Lifers are bad debators, and stupid (which is not true, though it is hard to tell in many pages of the Debate). So anytime an intelligent, well-written logical Pro-Lifer goes into the Debate, they are treated like the rest of the "rabble" Pro-Lifers.
Is it fair or right that some Pro-Choicers are rude or downright mean to Pro-Lifers in general? No. But by "hiding" (*grin*), that is to say, avoiding the Debate, you are by far making the problem worse. Pro-Choicers only deal with stereotypical Pro-Lifers, who make the same arguments over and over again (so much so that half of the replies are just quotes of previous replies) and so by now many of them really do believe that Pro-Lifers are all like the post-and-run debator that dare to come into the Debate.
Am I saying that everyone here should go into the Debate? No. I wouldn't if I were a Pro-Lifer. People are mean in there. I barely go in now, just because I have gotten so angry at how mean some of the post were getting (if one more person tells me that all Pro-Lifers hate women, bad things will happen - *grin*). Though it is slightly better now, slightly, at least from my point of view.
What do you think of the Pro-Life thread in ED? I haven't read all of it (though I was around for most of the first time it was active) yet, but it seems at least a little more civil.
I don't know what the solution to the problem is, other than just avoiding the Debate in the hopes that a few dozens of Pro-Lifers with mad debating skills will show up (which, if this happens would make me very happy, as I would get to debate with them).
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:10 pm
Cyanna We have a lot of people who are brave. But masochism is not a prerequisite for bravery. Exactly. I take offense, Waters, to the fact that you are inferring that I am a coward because I do not go into a thread filled with "enemies," who don't care to be respectful in debate towards me. I debated in there (The old one, rather) day in and day out for about a year; Every time I was on Gaia, I was in there debating. But after that year, I realized that it was a near complete waste of time to debate in there. Now, I do believe that it is good for new Pro-Lifers to debate for a while, in order to hone their arguments and reasoning, but I see no point to be in there any more, because my argument is as honed as debating on Gaia will hone it. And honestly? Pro-Choicers in the ED thread typically do not play fair at all. They are hypocrits. They say things like that they have the scientific side. But their proof, frequently? The fact that I am Catholic. Just because I'm Catholic, that means that all my arguments, fact based or not, are irrelevant because my opinion is clearly tinged by my religion. Which is ridiculous, but there you have it. And they bring up supposedly non-biased pages supporting their side, and call our supposedly non-biased pages biased simply because they do not support their side. Etc. Etc. Etc. I feel like a hermit saying this, but I'd rather stay away from the debate and live out my Gaian life in peace. I'm not hiding. Any Pro-Choicer that wishes to speak to me can feel free. Even if they want to start a debate, I'll do it. Recently, even the two civilized debates I've had one on one with Pro-Choicers have lasted only about ten posts. We hit the impass that I know is there and that I fully expect: It comes down to whether the personhood/life of the fetus overrules the mother's bodily integrity, and that is a matter of opinion, and cannot be proven one way or the other, no matter how many facts you bring in. confused So why should I waste my decreasing amount of available time actively seeking arguments with people I'm not going to convince, and who aren't going to convince me?
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:09 pm
I.Am Cyanna We have a lot of people who are brave. But masochism is not a prerequisite for bravery. Exactly. I take offense, Waters, to the fact that you are inferring that I am a coward ... Just because one does not go into the Debate does not mean that one is brave. I was simply trying to say that it takes an especially brave Pro-Lifer to go into the Debate. I am not inferring that anyone is not brave. I have no idea if you are brave or not. I don't even know you. For all I know, you kill giant radioactive rats with your bare hands eight times a day, or you are scared to leave the closet you live in, or you are twelve feet tall and eat only live bears. If there were a number of Pro-Lifers in the Debate that was near the number of Pro-Choicers in it, and all were able to debate equally well, it would be a completely different thread. A handful of amazing, wonderful, brave, splendid, pretty, charming, other compliments, Pro-Lifers who manage to go in occasionally and debate in there is wonderful, but isn't going to change things anytime soon. Like I said in my second post, I don't blame any Pro-Lifers for avoiding the Debate, if I were Pro-Life I wouldn't go in either. I'm really hoping for a team of like professionally trained Pro-Life debators to show up and help out. If only because I would get the pleasure of debating with them. In conclusion, everyone everwhere is increadibly brave, all of the time. *grin*
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:08 pm
Honestly, I really don't think it would change even if there were an equal number of professional Pro-Life debators. I don't know if you were around then, but waaay back when, right before guild forums were introduced to Gaia, there -were- about an equal number of Pro-Lifers as Pro-Choicers. A few more Pro-Choicers, perhaps, but it was a lot closer. That's when I debated.
And nothing has changed, except the number of Pro-Lifers in the thread. confused Actually, I think that it might actually be slightly -nicer- right now, because I couldn't imagine Neth defending men against sexism, which I saw in there earlier today. Maybe she's just feeling nice today, though. But the point is, the number of intelligent and experienced Pro-Life debators doesn't have anything to do with how nice the debate thread is. And it's not necessarily the Pro-Choicers' fault. The thread really isn't a very good place to debate about anything, because everyone's "yelling" to be "heard" over everyone else, because everyone is posting at the same time. You can't really establish a posting order, because that would exclude newbies. So you end up trying to reply to as many people as you can, all at the same time, all while more people are posting, and if you don't reply to someone who replied to you you get yelled at, and if you reply to someone who wasn't replying to you you still might get yelled at... It's really not a good forum for debate.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:12 pm
Waters, the best advice I can give oyu on this subject is to perhaps quite while you are ahead. I took the same offense IAm did, and I still take offence to what you're saying.
You just can't see...or refuse to see...what we do. The majority of those in the debate thread arnt debating. They are giving their opinoin and then shuttign themselves down to anythingese and attackign any one who challanges them. The make snide comments but expect us to show them some kind of respect. When ever they flame us they expect to get off scot free, but when we flame them we get a mod called on us. They give us unfounded titles like "anti-choice" and "anti-woman" but expect us to call them by what they want to be called.
It dosn't take any amount of bravery to go in their, Waters. None at all. It takes pasceince. And quite frankly, we've lost ours.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:24 pm
Yeah... I don't know if you know this, Waters, but men don't like to be considered anything less then the bravest you possibly could be. sweatdrop To say that "You have to be really brave to go in there," says that we aren't as brave as people who do go in there. Even worse, it implies that we aren't as brave as Pro-Choicers, our opponents, who go in there. It comes as a challenge. And, since it's something we don't plan on doing, and that you know we don't plan on doing, it's an unwelcome and insulting challenge.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:01 pm
We're on touchy subject matter, guys.
Play nice.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:31 pm
Ya really, Waters is only explaining to us what is going on, and at least we are getting an honest pro-choice opinion on the matter. I'd advise you both to take in what they might think of what we are before being brash.
Thank you Waters, for your input and kindness. I hope we can provide better hospitality than what was given to us in the PCG (well at least in my experience).
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:44 pm
Master Kaiser Ya really, Waters is only explaining to us what is going on, and at least we are getting an honest pro-choice opinion on the matter. I'd advise you both to take in what they might think of what we are before being brash. Thank you Waters, for your input and kindness. I hope we can provide better hospitality than what was given to us in the PCG (well at least in my experience). heart Tolerance = love.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:54 pm
Honostly, I'm being about as nice as I can with what i feel to be a fox in the hen house.
KP, I already knew what they though of us before waters cam ein here. Every thing she just said was pretty much what i colcluded them as thinking, but in a fare less harsh tone.
Also, i in no way have to tolerate what she's saying. As far as I'm concerned, I've put up with them for long enough. I beleive I already made my opinoin on this mater very clear.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:57 am
King_Seth Funkspawn King_Seth Post in there and you'll see. They twist our words and b***h at us. I go in every week or so, sometimes just saying things against rampant teen sex (under 16) and I get yelled at. Well, why were you talking about rampant teen sex in an abortion thread? Was it in an off-topic context, or on-topic? Someone had posted that when they got pregnant at 15 and got their abortion that they had used all contraceptives then asked what they did wong. I told them it was having underage sex...and it escalated. Well, for a start, their age is completely irrelevant. Sure, they may have been having "unaderage sex", however you define it, but that still doesn't affect the abortion issue.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:46 am
Funkspawn King_Seth Funkspawn King_Seth Post in there and you'll see. They twist our words and b***h at us. I go in every week or so, sometimes just saying things against rampant teen sex (under 16) and I get yelled at. Well, why were you talking about rampant teen sex in an abortion thread? Was it in an off-topic context, or on-topic? Someone had posted that when they got pregnant at 15 and got their abortion that they had used all contraceptives then asked what they did wong. I told them it was having underage sex...and it escalated. Well, for a start, their age is completely irrelevant. Sure, they may have been having "unaderage sex", however you define it, but that still doesn't affect the abortion issue. She got an abortion at the age of fifteen. Why the hell should 15 year olds be getting abortions. See the relavance?
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:47 am
I work full-time. And I try to have a life besides work and Gaia. That's my excuse...
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:49 am
i'd go in there very once and again to clear up some of thier stupidity
("an orange is a vegetable!" "a fetus isn't alive/human!!!")
however, some aspects stop me-
first, the flaming. i am called names constantly in that debate. be it "baby daddy", "woman hater", "mysogonist". just for trying to protect the lives of the unborn.
furthermore, i cannot flame back. i get banned while they say "haha we won cuz the mod is pro-choice too and now you don't post anymore so we WON'T put two and two together and assume we're smarter than you!"
plus, i have been banned from the debate by the maker of the thread. who is, surprise, pro choice. and the lovely hypocrite talon at that.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:32 pm
ED? what is this forum? or thread. where is it?
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