"Being an American is No Excuse!" Topic

One of our members broke forum rules recently – posting some comments about current politics – and his account was Dawghoused. Editor Gwen explained it to him in an email.

His response to Editor Gwen was:

Why don't you shove your dog house up your ass! I'm an American and I can speak my mind any time I want. Cancel my account and go yourself!

Well, forums have rules, and 'being American' does not give a free pass for bad behavior.

His account was, of course, Locked. It was his third account, he'll probably be back again… LOL

"The Ugly American"

link

I've always worked from the premise that visiting TMP is analogous to visiting someone's home. All the rules of basic respect and decorum apply.

If someone visited my home and invoked that kind of language, they would be summarily invited to express themselves as they saw fit, as long as it was somewhere else.

And don't let the doorknob hit you on the way out.

There is human decency no matter where your from

No, he's right, he's free to say what he wants. And then he's free to take the consequences of what he says. That's the balance – freedom of speech is not freedom from consequence.

Otherwise no-one would ever be found guilty of fraud because otherwise a perfectly reasonable defence would be: "yeah, I said that this was a lump of silver when I sold it, even though I knew it was lead. I was using my right to free speech."

I hope Editor Gwen is not too upset? That is out of line.

This individual is truly the south end of a north bound horse. Hopefully he is banned never to return.

I hope Editor Gwen is not too upset?

She feels better now.

Hopefully he is banned never to return.

The internet technology means he will probably come back under some new name and email address, if he wants to…

I bet the guy is a real joy to game with.

"The internet technology means he will probably come back under some new name and email address, if he wants to…"

Identify by IP address? Also pattern of posts?

I can't remember who said it (Jefferson? Franklin?) but, "only good men want freedom, everyone else wants license" might be best thought on by a person before he/she demands his/her 'right' to freedom of speech.

Identify by IP address? Also pattern of posts?

IP addresses can be hidden. But he'll probably return to his bad behavior and get expelled again.

TMP is a business like any other. If you acted that way to waitstaff in a restaurant any manager worth his salt would toss you out, as well he should. My parents owned a drugstore in a very small town in West Texas. If you were rude to our employees you would be removed from the store and told to go elsewhere. "Elsewhere" meant a 70 mile drive one way to the nearest pharmacy. Rude behavior has consequences.

Everyone does have the right to say what they want. The problem is that everyone who hears them has the right to respond appropriately. If you are a privately owned forum, that includes banning them.

Consequences are a real pain that way. It comes with adulthood, but we should actively train younger folks to be ready for them.

I don't know why (some) folks can't "act right." Lack of humility, maybe.
Man, I've had a boatload of humility in my life. God has been very kind to me. I'm grateful for that.

No, no, no … you all misunderstand. The person in questions is simply saying that he has the right to act the way he wants and you have the right to act the way he wants…

The Internet is the opposite of a private home. It's probably the most public most of us can be.

Honestly, I do not care what people do in their private space that stays in their private space. Being on the Internet is like standing in the threshold of your house with the door open and speaking into a public street where (millions and millions of) people can hear you.

I have a very low threshold for people who loudly proclaim rights while remaining totally ignorant of the actual legal basis of those rights.

The entire US First Amendment to the Constitution reads –

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

TMP is a privately owned legal entity and your free speech rights are exactly whatever that owner feels like defining. While the somewhat complex but single sentence amendment is subject to legal interpretation, it affects only public policy and any whinging over 'rights' on a private internet forum merely marks the writer as an ignorant twit.

Wow. May I suggest an anger management course. Just a bit of an over reaction to being dawghoused.

Good riddance. He should be glad he didn't say it around Cap'n
Call, a former Texas Ranger who "could not abide rude behavior in a man!"

Bill's house, Bill's rules. No shirt, no shoes no service.

No problems with any internet service making their own rules. BIG problem when the Government sends FBI agents to social media platforms to demand censorship on the Government's behalf.

Name and shame Bill, they deserve it!

You have to follow guidelines in every forum. Everyone knows that. Excuses for being rude do not work.

"'being American' does not give a free pass for bad behavior."
That, sir, is simply crazy talk!
:)

Name and shame Bill, they deserve it!

The membership was "Jack McGurne" – but that seems to be a reference to a mobster: link

He had a previous account as "Hymie Weiss" – another mobster reference: link

Another previous account: "Rifleman1965"

He also uses the name "Charles Conners". Chuck Connors played The Rifleman on TV.

Several of his IP addresses track to Indiana: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Valparaiso, or Portage.

Invoking the "I'm an American" phrase to get something. Not cool!

Invoking the "I'm an American" phrase to get something.

I believe travel will broaden this fellows horizons.

I suggest he use that phrase, loudly, in Moscow, Tehran, Damascus, Kabul or Rafah. I would certainly hope he gets the appropriate response.