[Imc-web] my last comment

[Mike Lehman]

I hid the comment for two reasons. One, you started your argument by 
arguing from the presumption that our editorial policy is a censorious 
one. Like any press, we have the right to make policy and choices about 
the sort of discourse that appears on our website.  Labeling it as 
"leftist" and "doctrinaire" is simply a gratuitous and unwarranted 
attack on our editorial policy, as well as a very inaccurate 
generalization about UC IMC members and users of the website. Anyone who 
has been following the recent discussion of the workings of white 
supremacy in the Champaign County justice system can see that this is 
not the case. For instance, do you consider yourself as part of this 
"leftist" crowd you're attacking? If not, then you have just disproved 
the statement you made. In addition, discussion of our editorial policy 
(as it typically does for the great majority of such web-based services) 
takes place in two places -- on this list or in face to face meetings -- 
and not as comments to unrelated stories.

In addition, you chose to use a fundamentally racist presumption::
> many on the Left refuse to acknowledge the fact that black people 
> commit more violent crimes, as a percentage of their population, than 
> non-blacks. This is backed up by the higher rates of arrest and 
> conviction (and the total absence of evidence for some kind of white 
> supremacist conspiracy), and, just as importantly, the higher 
> victimization rate of blacks.
Given the string of unproven assumptions, your anonymous comments, and 
the chip you so proudly display on your shoulder about them -- a 
conclusion reinforced by the tone of your email here -- I concluded that 
you were trolling per our policy.
Mike Lehman

Kevin Heinrich wrote:
> Why did you hide the "I must support Bush?" comment?
>
> It certainly seems like you've decided to shut down discussion (and 
> give yourself the last word. Cute.).
>
> My comment was not abusive, it made arguments, and offered a diagnosis 
> of the motives and consequences of errors made by leftist activists. 
> (And, btw, you let an IMC person call me a fascist,) Yes, there were 
> criticisms of the left.
>
> It looks like you're taking a page from the right-wing playbook: no 
> criticism! no dissent!
>
> Anyway, tell me what rules I violated, and I'll repost a new comment 
> with the same arguments and conclusions, but without the supposedly 
> offending elements. I assume you'll allow this, unless the ideas 
> themselves are not acceptable (then I'll know whether you're censoring 
> ideas or not. And you'll have to face up to what you're doing).
>
> -Right of IMC, left of center