I already miss my friend and brother, 1StrongBlackMan

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Much love

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. What happened?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=24834

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. So, was he TS'd, suspended, or what?

BTW, I think the jury idea sucks anyway.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. suspended

eom

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Thanks.

[LWolf]

3. Where did he go? nt

[stonecutter357]

7. he was silenced by cowards.

[Gothmog]

8. 1Strongblackman is a great poster and he will be back

[Baitball Blogger]

12. +1

[steve2470]

9. posted without comment

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1259&pid=8650

Star Member Skinner (60,641 posts)

1. 1StrongBlackMan is a smart person.

He knew he had 4 hides, and he knew that one more would lead to a suspension. Despite that, he went ahead and posted: "Idiot and Bernie supporter are not necessarily exclusive descriptors."

When he posted that, he knew that he was likely to get a 5th hide, and a suspension, but he did it anyway. That post was his choice.

There are currently a very small number of people who are on suspension for five hides. Two thirds of them (including 1StrongBlackMan) are people who have been previously suspended for five hides and know exactly how the system works. They are people of all different races, genders, and sexual orientations. They are supporters of Sanders and Clinton, and people who don't support any candidate. The one thing these people with multiple suspensions have in common is that they did not appear to make any effort to change their behavior. That is their choice.

But let me be clear: The people with multiple suspensions (and even people with just one suspension) are EXTREME outliers. They represent a fraction of a fraction of DU members. The vast majority of DU members are able to participate here without ever coming close to that 5-hide threshold. And the reason they never come close to being suspended is because they are making an effort to be civil, non-disruptive, even positive members of the community. It really isn't hard to do, but you have to actually try.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. This popped up while I was reading the "offending" posts, and...

while I understand the need for order and avoiding the impression that rules can be broken for "special" people, it's disingenuous, disgraceful, actually, for Skinner to blithely assume anyone would avoid such a post because of the odds of it being hidden. He could simply have said that rules are, unfortunately, rules, rather than blaming it 1SBM.

And 1StrongBlackMan is hardly the kind of outlier who typically racks up hides. As I said below, none of his posts deserved a hide. It may be too much to ask, but a look into who alerted and who voted to hide may be in order.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. Thanks for posting this.

It's good to get another perspective.

[steve2470]

19. my pleasure

With all due sincere respect to Mr. Skinner, I don't agree with him. Some on DU don't like 1SBM because of his race or his views or both, and I do think he's been alert stalked. I see far worse things being said that do not get hidden or even alerted upon.

I don't think we should have to walk on eggshells here. Yes, we need to be civil and even polite if we can manage that, but eggshells ? No. Sometimes the truth hurts or someone else's perception of the truth (if they're being sincere). I've never seen 1SBM lash out at any poster. I'm confident he's had moments when he would have loved to indulge that impulse, but he comes across as exceptionally restrained.

[Baitball Blogger]

20. This is a conundrum.

How do you keep a person's voice and opinion alive on a discussion board when there are people determined to silence that poster.

I am coming to the sad realization that the answer will be Voltairish. Not a perfect solution, but the only one available. Just another factor to consider when you're on a jury.

[randys1]

21. never mind

forget it

[gollygee]

18. I don't think so

Can you see one of the more vocal Sanders supporters getting hidden for saying that Clinton supporters and idiots are not mutually exclusive groups? (Both that and the statement that got 1SBM hidden are obviously true.)

I think there are two issues:

1. There is a huge majority of Sanders supporters and they simply have the numbers. They know pretty much who is on "the other team" or whatever, and more than that they know that most people of color are and 1SBM's user name makes it clear he's a person of color.

2. Many of the people getting hidden don't have stars and therefore can't fill up a good sized jury blacklist.

I have written things way more "hide worthy" than what 1SBM has been hidden over and I have never had a single hide. (Yet!) Imagine 1SBM (or bravenak, or any of a number of other people) starting this thread and not getting it hidden. http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251464949 I wrote in that or a similar thread to someone, "Yeah, you're who this is about" and still didn't get hidden. Imagine 1SBM doing that.

[SusanCalvin]

23. Oh give me a break.

This discounts all the posts that never should have been hidden, and the alert stalking. It's blaming one post when the system is broken.

Well, as I've said before, at least we're not (yet) getting booted for talking about it. I guess that's progress....

[GitRDun]

28. A comment on two things Skinner wrote

Skinner's comment:

There are currently a very small number of people who are on suspension for five hides. Two thirds of them (including 1StrongBlackMan) are people who have been previously suspended for five hides and know exactly how the system works.

They represent a fraction of a fraction of DU members.

I can name easily 5 posters who through their actions have changed this site from a Democratic site to largely a Bernie Sanders forum. Their daily posts against HRC are some times nothing more than screeds of negative opinion. The language used is oftentimes language that would never be used in a room full of live adults.

How is it possible to turn DU into largely a Bernie Sanders forum? By silencing a few key people whose collective posts represent a conscience if you will on DU..others that may be vociferous opposition.

Ask yourself this: If your 1SBM is it better to be silenced speaking your mind, or continue to post only those words your "dominators on DU" find acceptable. 1SBM's 5th hide comment was not offensive...just not acceptable to BS Underground.

Skinner's got this wrong...he's missing probably the biggest point of all...

[SusanCalvin]

32. I'm a Bernie supporter,

And I'm sick and tired of BS Underground. I think Bernie would be too.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. I looked at his hidden posts...

and I am seriously pissed that anyone would alert on them and even more so that they would be hidden. I would never have even thought about hiding any of them, and would be far more likely to have alerted on the alert.

I have no doubt he was alert stalked, and there are just enough assholes around here to make it stick.

His is a voice that should not be silenced. And that, perhaps, is why he was silenced.

[Baitball Blogger]

14. I also think he was alert stalked.

However, I think the lesson here is that if you have a strong position that you want to communicate, do it civilly.

[Bobbie Jo]

15. While on the other hand

Last edited Fri Sep 11, 2015, 02:24 PM - Edit history (1)

There is a group of DU'ers who CONTINUALLY get a pass on their obnoxious behavior, who don't have to weigh their words, who can hurl insults at will without ANY repercussions.

Here we have 1sbm, bravenak, and others who have to make particular efforts to communicate civilly?

Sorry, the multiple double standards at work here are just blatant and ridiculous.

[Baitball Blogger]

16. I feel your pain.

Absolutely know what you're saying. It's something that all members of a minority group have to work through. We know we have targets on our backs and we go through anxious moments trying to figure out how to get through life without getting pushed off course by someone who thinks we are over-stepping our bounds. It's problematic because most of us figure out early that we'll get penalized if we just resort to repeating the same behavior that is standard for everyone else. If we do it long enough, eventually we get some kind of negative feedback.

I know it and I have to say that the only way that I have seen my way around these hurdles is to remain civil and always anticipate the worst out of people. Most of the time, people meet my expectations, but they can't dock you for being civil.

It does, however, create problems when I'm around friends or family members who are solidly in the white camp. For example, I was coming out of a movie and heading for the parking lot when my hubby saw a car in the parking lot that was the same model as the one he was considering for purchase. He walked to it with absolutely no hesitation in order to get a better look. I knew that his curiosity would include looking at the dashboard through the windows and I was dying.

Can you imagine what would happen to dark skinned person if they showed that much interest in a parked car that didn't belong to them?

I begged my hubby to get away from the car and let's just go. He expressed his annoyance, because, in his mind he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Of course he wasn't doing anything wrong. None of us are doing anything wrong. But some of us keep getting targeted, just the same.

Every day I am painfully aware that people in our country are being split into two groups. One is being taught how to form alliances in order to overreach their legal parameters, and the other one is just a target.

So, if you can figure out a way to break the pattern, you be sure to share it with the rest of us.

Meanwhile, until someone comes up with a better plan, it's probably a good idea to learn how to say heavy things without being heavy-handed.

BTW, it shocks me that the groups do not have better protections.

[Bobbie Jo]

17. I know you get it

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

The frustration certainly wasn't directed at you. I don't have the answers, but enabling the behavior isn't among the solutions.

[SusanCalvin]

24. "BTW, it shocks me that the groups do not have better protections."

This. What's the point of a group if the alert stalkers can not only chase you there but summon random juries that can override the hosts? Hell, *hide* the hosts.

[ellenrr]

31. multiple double standards are at work - quite blatantly

I have been the victim of them.
not to divert the thread - but just to say - it is very easy to get a lot of people who oppose a certain view, or who oppose a certain person, and they alert,
and do that often enough and a "jury" says hide--
...
and there you are are.

to post at DU - if one has views which are not in accordance with the administrators/moderators/majority -
one can temper one's posts, tread on eggshells, or leave--

This place does not allow for the expression - the CIVIL expression - of divergent views.

[SusanCalvin]

33. Yep.

It's one of the best available, but that does not necessarily translate to "good."

[randys1]

22. If you are an uppity Black or uppity white who supports Blacks, you will get alerted on and silenced

if you are an uppity Hillary supporter, same thing


If you are Black or white supporter and are very calm and peaceful and submissive, no problem

[lovemydog]

25. I miss my friend and brother 1StongBlackMan

too! He's very kind, very smart and has so much insight to share. I've learned a lot from him about mentoring, volunteerism and civic duty. He has a great sense of humor.

If I was ever in real trouble he is one person that I would count on to be at my side.

I miss him.

[SusanCalvin]

26. I guess I really ought to

Temporarily suspend griping and state the obvious, that I miss him too.

[kwassa]

27. I miss him, Bravenak, and KMOD. This is all a travesty of what DU should be.

[SusanCalvin]

29. Yep.

[joshcryer]

30. DU is ostracizing good AA posters.

This is such bullshit.