When does an anti-Masonic stance become hate speech?

Personally, I'm not in the slightest worried. That said, replace Freemason in that post with any other identifiable group and would there be the same laisez-faire attitude? I think not.

As Augustus already pointed out, tolerating a double standard is intolerable. If you cut us, do we not bleed?

reply to post by Fitzgibbon

---

Psh. Masons don't bleed. You gt all of your blood pumped out during initiation and replaced with cheese to better serve the taste of your reptilian masters.

reply to post by Exoviewer

---

Yes but what if the truth is a lie? what then? Then they kept the secret that there are no secrets under the sun, the light of the intellect of mankind will by mathematical certainty undo what has been done, like me and my old mans first VCR I disassembled out of curiosity. Its like that. masons i think, because your beliefs transfer onto everything, and i mean this as no offense, just a kindly nudge in a cramped airplane..your everywhere, and your rich, and people are not. The people are by your nature, disenfranchised from nation, because a clique which despite its beliefs or personal reality, imposes unjustly on another whos non exclusive attachements to this world are circumsinct or key one, and yours dont matter. What right does one have not to acknowledge they dont have the right. When does the question of yourself, hit you to ask this to yourself. That is my question.

reply to post by Fitzgibbon

---

I don't let tongues cut me. What actions do you want initiated if any? It just seems like a waste of time. "He said this, let's discuss." The topic that is, not the discourse seems like a waste.

Nor do I. That's not the issue though.

Words of hate are directed at Freemasons, words that wouldn't be tolerated here or in society at large were they directed at another group. And words are the thin edge of the wedge. Sooner or later, words will lead to action by someone unhinged enough not to have the self-control to differentiate inciteful words from the ramification of acting on those words.



Equal treatment. Doesn't seem too out there, does it?

Quite frankly, words terrify me. They've inspired men to war, brought about peace, and brought us to great power.
However, they are bandied about as if they were less than toys.
They are easily the most powerful tools mankind has invented, and their use and impact and intention should never be underestimated.

Thats concerning. I used to be the same way. Words should Never impact you negativaly. When they do. Ask yourself why? For they shouldnt as they are only Words. Everything your senses pick up from your surroundings get instantly turned into a memory with an emotional tag attached to that memory so you remember how you felt at that time the memory was created. I think the subconsious takes care of this. Words we aquire throughout our lives also have emotional tags slapped on them, so that when we hear that particular word, we feel the emotion we felt when we first absorbed that word or topic. Be it a Curse word or a negative racial word for example. Not being influenced negatively but words is as simple as removing the emotional tag attached the the word or words that give your that negative emotion. You can do this by thinking of this word or words with a smile on your face. Then think for something else. Then repeat this process a few times and before too long you no longer feel negative towards those words. It works for me anyway You can successfully rewire your emotional relationship with your surroundings so you can make clearer judgements about things. No Fear!

reply to post by Exoviewer

---

The shared thread between Rune's post and mine that you don't seem to get is that it's the power of words to sway the actions of others to negative actions that's the real problem. When words are misused to generate hate in the minds of people toward a particular group, they cease to be just words. Mad oratory brought us the second World War, not the imposing physical presence of the orator.

Does this help frame things a little more clearly?

Fitz

I think of it like drawing a picture,when drawing a picture you have psysical facts you are producing,and when you a drawing a picture you have little to no facts about to me the only thing you can draw is a conclusion

reply to post by Oldtimer2

---

How can you draw a conclusion with no facts?

Saurus, meet ATS. ATS, this is Saurus.

Apologies for not seeing the 'ATS' in JoshNorton's original post. I was all up at arms after reading another 'hate speech' thread (how I found this one), and looked it over.

With regards to the discussion on ATS about Free Masons, I think it's all good as long as no one is advocating violence or wantonly harassing people. I mean, it's all part of the discussion right?

reply to post by JipStix

---

well, the point is people come in with comments like Josh has referenced "the only good Mason is a dead Mason" or numerous insults by various members which are usually moderated heavily in other forums.

"Cut the tall trees!" - Radio Rwanda, April 1994

I not talking about premeditated code words used to start massacres. Im talking about not allowing words on paper affect oneself negatively.

reply to post by Exoviewer

---

On the internet, what one says is something that is taken quite strongly, it's why so many hoaxes, campaigns, and blogs are able to survive online when they would never have gotten off the ground in the real world.
Especially on a site like ATS, which has a straightforward T&C which is supposed to dictate the minimum acceptable standards of social behavior, it should be expected that words or phrases, regardless of their actual impact on the reader, should be removed from conversation.

In example of why this is the case, would be if I were to go into the Religious forums here on ATS and open a new thread with the first post amounting to a large "Rude interpretation of sex at you and your beliefs!", this thread would quickly deteriorate into a pissing match between the various members who would weigh in for their say.
A person who posts there hoping for a actual response to a question would probably be left unanswered, and I know personally, would probably b turned off to the entire mess.
Which is why we have such rules on this site, to curb behavior like that, and to both encourage reasonable debate, and for people to examine their own personal reasons on a subject.

In a world were words can get you banned from entering a country, one would think that most would understand that words indeed have effect, good or bad. The issue here is the fair enforcement of the T & C of this page. I feel the the Mods are the ones which should answer the OP's question. How about it Mods?

[edit on 1-6-2009 by lost in the midwest]

Shhhhh. You'll wake them!

reply to post by JoshNorton

---

One question I do have, did you hit the alert button on the fellows' posts?
Otherwise the posts will slip by.

Yeah. I did on both. Even in an unrelated thread got AshleyD to look at the first via U2U, but no changes or punishment. I'm a good ATS citizen and probably use Alert 3-5 times a week as I see necessary. Too much? Maybe, but the mods always come back and say it's better to use it than not.