Can we have a rule that you are not allowed to call other posters racists,please?

Seriously, I am sick and tired of people dismissing and derailing threads by calling people racists!!!

Don't like illegal immigration? You're a racist!

Disagree with Ferguson? Racist!

Agree with Ferguson? Racist!

Don't like Obama? Racist!

Like Obama? You're just Racist the other way!

I thought this was a violation of T&C anyway. It is NEVER constructive in a thread, it is divisive, dismissive, and confuses any thread it rears it's ugly head in.
When people call others racists here, they generally have no facts to support their arguments so the last bastion of ignorance manifests itself in a cry of "RACIST!!!!!"

Enough.

a reply to: abe froman

What if you're blatantly a racist though?

a reply to: Lynk3

That's what the ALERT button and MODS are for.

Even on ATS we are not allowed to take the law into our own hands.

Yeah and can some words that are Obviously Racist finally be considered racist on here? Imagine if someone posted words against people who aren't white? Instant ban, froth at the mouth. If we're denying ignorance we should be able to realize everybody is a victim of racism at times.

I'm expecting to be called racist any moment now.

There are already rules in place to prevent this. The problem is that the posts per day outnumber the staff by thousands. We cannot possibly see them all. So we rely upon the membership to use the alert function to give us a heads up. That gives the staff a chance to review the post and decide if it crosses the lines of civility and decorum or not.

a reply to: abe froman

They do it to get your goat. Ignore their ignorance.

a reply to: Lynk3

Is there a way to report posts as violating the T&C? That might be the wisest course?

a reply to: abe froman

People can't do a bit of modding themselves? If a whole post contributes but it clearly racist, anybody can tell that person they're being tacist and the person can take it upon themselves to edit before moderator action ia served, if they're smart. Like a nice little warning.

What, because we're not mods, we can't moderate? By that logic, people can't defend themselves and must wait for police. I can't make myself food without hiring a chef. People don't respond to negative backlash very well, and become rebellious, so a mod deleting their post is only going to kake it worse. If you calmy explain to someone how they're being a racist, instead of just labelling them one, the world will be a better place. Humans are like cats, only positive reinforcement works.

Mods are great, but they need help. If we can make a person edit their post to be within T&C before a mod removes it, everybody wins. Unlike a live conversation face to face, anything said in an internet discussion can actually be taken back.

its a nice idea but probably very difficult to implement..

what about homophobia? sexism? etc etc..

it has to fall under the general tag of civility and decorum, i am sure the mods can't watch every post

Q

a reply to: sdubya

Yes you alert the mods by clicking the little green guy under the poster's post count.

a reply to: sdubya

There is. In each post, in the members avatar, is a little green human torso shaped thingie. Click on that and a list pops up. One of the options in that list is "alert"

a reply to: Lynk3

Who watches the watchers? Who makes sure they're not as corrupt as the system they're trying to expose?

I would love to see a thread by Springer or Skeptic entitled " THE END OF PLAYING THE RACE CARD ON ATS".

a reply to: abe froman

Don't like Obama? Racist!

Wouldn't that be half a racist as he is not totally black or white, but mixed?

a reply to: abe froman

it is their way of shutting you up, the card holds no value anymore unless you let it

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

If you're paranoid, everybody is corrupt. By your logic, we need to police the police, then people need to ppilce those police, then police for those, and it's a never ending cycle of police thinking police are corrupt and need policing. This makes no sense, and is why we're in a police state.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: Lynk3

Who watches the watchers? Who makes sure they're not as corrupt as the system they're trying to expose?

a reply to: Lynk3

If there's obvious corruption and things that are overlooked is it not corrupt? Every system reminds me of Animal Farm, a new one is started and it eventually becomes the same system people fought against. It's human nature.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: Lynk3

Who watches the watchers? Who makes sure they're not as corrupt as the system they're trying to expose?

The membership does. The ability to complain about moderation exists through the exact same methods described above - alerting. Also you could post a Board and Business forum thread if you felt that one side was being too heavily represented.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

A system is only as corrupt as the people using it. If you want change, become a part of it, change it from the inside. If you don't want to do that, deal with it and stop moaning. Rebellions don't make things better.