CNN has finally grown some balls!!!

[Roxy66]

They are backing Lou Dobbs in his investigating the Dubai deal!!! I really didnt think they could stomach standing up to these thugs!! They said they would not back down to the threats of Dubai Ports World...

[Skittles]

1. male body parts are not required for courage eom

[barbaraann]

4. No kidding.

Bill O'Reilly vs. Cindy Sheehan - just for example.

[Mikimouse]

6. Ooooooh, I hear an ass-kickin' in the works...

probably mine, though.:dunce:

[Armstead]

15. Popcorn anyone?

[EuroObserver]

12. Balls are not necessarily male (and are very often female)

"Huevos" (eggs) we call them in Spanish, as well as the more usual term "Cojones": just a biology (¿hormone?)-based euphemism for COURAGE.

[Roxy66]

13. LOL!!

[Skittles]

22. balls is a tired, outdated euphemism

I expect more from a progressive site

[nofurylike]

24. well said. thank you. eom

[Roxy66]

33. How about Clankers?

[meow2u3]

74. What about gonads?

Or, more simply, 'nads?

[Beelzebud]

76. Or how about "Balls"?

[Raydawg1234]

37. hahahahaha

what we have here is a feminist fundamentalist

here at progressive sites we believe in freedom of speech!!! Which means it is our right to say balls, cajones, etc. If wee we feel like it. You can't have it one way and not the other. If we support freedom to speek out against the war, we must support the right to use tired outdated euphemisms. After all isn't that the American way?

[Roxy66]

39. lol.....what a crack-up

[Skittles]

44. even more tired than the outdated sayings

JEEZ

[mtnsnake]

65. Amen!

:toast:

[nofurylike]

68. it is a sexist slur. doesn't bother you that it is male-supremacist? it is

inappropriate here, and offensive, and hurtful. does that matter to you?

that kind of sexism is spreading back to children. it has become so commonplace, that you hear boys now taunting girls that they have balls and girls are pussies. does that sound familiar to you from ignorant days gone by?
what do you tell girls who ask you why it is okay to say that males are brave and females are cowards? or, rather, have you: those with balls are brave and those with pussies are cowards?

don't care still?

how about saying a black person is better if they have white skin?
do you get that?

does ANY of that help you decide to CHOOSE not to use that slur?

no, most here wuold not want to "censor" you. kindness is your choice, and most progressive dems choose kindness, especially once someone has expressed that something is a slur against them.

peace

[Starbucks Anarchist]

69. There's always going to be something to offend somebody.

I don't think the poster was purposely trying to be "male supremacist," whatever the hell that means nowadays.

Personally, I use the term as a universal one. For example, Cindy Sheehan or Barbara Boxer have "balls" in the metaphorical sense. True, I could easily substitute it with "spine," "backbone," etc., but I usually don't, and even if I did, I bet some ultra-PC people would label me "invertebrate-phobic" or some crap.

[nofurylike]

70. the phrase is male supremacist.

to say that Cindy and Barbara are better because, to see it as a compliment to them to say they "have balls," is saying you believe that females are improved, braver, stronger, whatever you mean by it, if they are male.

what is wrong with the word courage? brave?
too emotional, not manly enough? not "truck driver" or gruff enough?

it is kinder not to put someone down just for your own ease. your choice, but i will always protest that it is a slur against me. i will always alert it as a sexist slur.

while i am, again, reminded that too many so-called progressives just don't get it about male-supremacism. (the reason it remains a male-dominated movement.)


peace

[nonconformist]

87. Well I often use the term

"balls", "grow a pair", what have you. I use it when referring to both men and women, and also when referring to groups, networks, etc. And I'm a woman.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

89. You're reading too much into it.

And personally, I don't care what term you use -- courage, spine, etc. It's just my choice to sometimes use "balls," and I'm not going to change it or second-guess it just to satisfy someone with a perceived notion of sexism.

I'm curious how far you take this particular argument. Do you have a problem with the word "history," for example?

And as you can see by some of the other posts, some female DUers also use the term "balls." Are they being sexist against their own gender?

I don't think many male progressives "don't get it" about male supremacism. I'm sure we all recognize the existence of sexism, but we don't all try to obsess and break it down to the subatomic level like you seem to be doing.

[immoderate]

78. Yeah! Consider the feelings of octopi and jellyfish!

Mollusks deserve respect!

--IMM

[Wrinkle_In_Time]

41. Then use the term "Gonads" and lighten up, Francis. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

52. Or mountain oysters

That would be a big set, fer sure!

[Roxy66]

59. That's..... Rocky Mountain Oysters

I grew up with cattle....or should i say Steers

[Beelzebud]

77. You're going to offend people living in the Rocky Mountains!!!!!!!

You non-Rocky Mountain supremist!!!!!!!!!!

[RazzleDazzle]

49. well, you can EXPECT more, and I'm with ya

but we both know that won't matter if the "progressive site" is this one. Seems to me you and I were at odds over some sexist language issues recently.

[WillyT]

63. Wherever Did You Get THAT Idea ???

LOL!!!

Ducking now...

:hide::scared::wow::scared::hide:

[lonestarnot]

91. balls and bats!

[demosincebirth]

25. Huevos Rancheros...mmmm

[lonestarnot]

92. y cajones mmmmm

[StClone]

18. Yeah they cause more problems

Than they solve.

[nofurylike]

26. true. thank you. eom

[nofurylike]

23. ditto. thank you. eom

[Raydawg1234]

35. Do we have to be so politically corect all the time........yeesh

Not to be an ass but talk about a liberal cliche :)

[Skittles]

46. it's not being PC

it's just trying to get people to stop using utter sexist crap terms on a g.d. DEMOCRATIC site

[Shizaad]

51. I agree with you.

Men complimenting other men about their balls is the flip-side of the coin when men insult other men by calling them pussies.

It's distasteful and insulting to women. I consider myself a feminist, but I don't ever try to suppress my masculinity. I'm not ashamed of being a man and I try never to make women ashamed of being women.

[renate]

82. welcome to DU!!

:hi:

And how nice it is to see a man saying "I consider myself a feminist" when so many young women these days (not on DU but in the big wide world) are leery of calling themselves one, because they don't know the history of feminism or the real meaning of the word. Thanks! :hug:

[Raydawg1234]

83. I am a realist.......

The reason we act the way we do is a little thing called hormones. It's what gives us our sex drive and provides for the continuation of the species. It's just human nature, we are animals after all.

[Raydawg1234]

53. lets call it what it really is................censorship

reminds me of Fahrenheit 451


people like to talk here on DU like we are the high and mighty protectors of freedom of speech. But when someone says something that offends us and our "gang" we immediately demand censorship.....................hmmmmmmm......seems like something Bush would do. Or worse, the Nazis.

[Skittles]

56. no, I am not advocating DU *BAN* such sexist crap

I'm asking DUers to reconsider USING such sexist crap

[Raydawg1234]

57. censorship any way you cut it.

why don't you just disagree, move on to the next post.........or better yet, move to Utopia.


Come on, I really don't get how you can be sooooo offended by this term. It's pretty commonly used. The poster had no negative things to say about women. You know, some of us like to bash right-wing fundy religious types, but for you, feminism is religion. It must be respected at all times. If not, others will here about it.

[Skittles]

58. the "everyone does it" exuse does not cut it with me

how about YOU move one - to this century

[Shizaad]

66. Criticism is not the same as censorship.

The messages have not been censored at all.

[Raydawg1234]

81. You are trying to control the way people think.

Reminds me of George Orwell's 1984, you are calling people "thought criminals"

[TankLV]

67. I see your point, but then again I'm a man, so I think it's no big deal,

which sort of proves your point again, doesn't it.

Lots and LOTS of conditioning going on here.

Gonads, ovaries, balls, oh my!

Takes a lot of 'em all as far as I'm concerned!

But I digress...

On edit: They are playing ANOTHER impotence add on TV as I wrote this - they're as disgusing as the Tampoon adds - especially the one that's like a pinball machine...

You should see the add that was distributed around the internet for Trojans! Now that was "something"!

[Roxy66]

60. Oh, come on. I said Balls...and I'm a Feminist

Trust me.....I'm the farthist from sexist.....I try not to be too serious. I like to use truck driver speak when I'm fired up. It just feels good sometimes :):silly: :wtf:

[Beelzebud]

72. The right has their control freaks, and we have ours.

They want to ban abortion, and tell us how to live our private lives.

Ours want to ban public smoking, and tell us how to talk.

Both sides of that coin make me fucking sick.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

90. Preach it, brother!

:)

[Burried News]

42. Case in point ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022601382.html
Excerpt
TALL AFAR, Iraq -- Buzzing over this northern Iraqi city in her Kiowa scout helicopter, a .50-caliber machine gun and rockets at the ready, Capt. Sarah Piro has proved so skillful in combat missions to support U.S. ground troops that she's earned the nickname "Saint."

In recent months of fighting in Tall Afar, Piro, 26, of El Dorado Hills, Calif., has quietly sleuthed out targets, laid down suppressive fire for GIs in battle and chased insurgents through the narrow alleys of this medieval city -- maneuvering all the while to avoid being shot out of the sky. In one incident, she limped back to base in a bullet-riddled helicopter, ran to another aircraft and returned to the fight 10 minutes later.


"They call her 'Saint Piro' -- she's just that good," said her co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Todd Buckhouse, a 19-year Army veteran who has worked with Piro on two tours with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq.
End of Excerpt

[Mojorabbit]

43. I like "brass ovaries" myself.... eom

[RazzleDazzle]

50. What's wrong with SPINE for pete's sake

[Raydawg1234]

55. there are no words to describe what I am thinking

:puke:

[alarcojon]

47. I agree

how about "spine" instead?

[Raydawg1234]

85. doesn't have the same emphasis and power. spine?????????

Can we try any harder to sound like suburban middle class white people???

[alarcojon]

86. I'm not suburban and not white

but admit to being middle class. What's your point?

I see no problem with voluntarily rethinking the way we use language. We are all certainly free to go around using the N-word, for example, but all but the racists among us choose not to use it, out of respect and a sense of decency.

[nofurylike]

93. "choose...out of respect and a sense of decency." well said, alarcojon.

thank you.


peace and solidarity

[Beelzebud]

80. See this? It's a good example of why the left is in shambles as a movement

OP posts to celebrate that a news outlet is actually standing their ground to a foreign government trying to control their content.

what is the reaction?

A half-page of people WHINING about the use of the word "balls".

Give me a fucking break...

No wonder we liberals can't do shit... Look at us...

Can't even say "balls" without being told you are "male supremist"... WTF?

[Raydawg1234]

84. true, very true.

:toast:

[nonconformist]

88. Agreed. nt

[nofurylike]

94. now, that is exactly the problem with putting a slur in a subject line.

some of us recognize our responsibility to speak out against such slurs, even if it gets us treated like interlopers, or often, worse.


peace

[lovuian]

2. Whoo Hoo!!!

The truth shall set you free!!!

:kick:

[Ecumenist]

3. A-flippin-MEN

It's about damn time that someone besides Keith and Jack Cafferty stands up to this thug government,an actual network. Will Wonders Never Cease?? Hope springs eternal.. I see that this bodes ill for the BFEE:toast: :bounce: :party: :patriot:

[ConservativeDemocrat]

5. Hardly. They're just parroting the GOP Party line.

...which has crystallized against the President on this.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[Ecumenist]

11. I understand ConservativeDemocrat...

but I just want to say, WHATEVER WORKS. Remember, vaccination works on the same theory... You use the actual pathogen or a part thereof, to provoke a overwhleming response against the disease caused by the same pathogen.. i.e., prevent POLIO by injecting attenuated POLIO virus to produce antibodies to prevent POLIO... Problem solved....
Our country needed a booster. The last one(1776) only lasted 225 years.:think: :shrug: :applause:

[teriyaki jones]

19. What a great analogy . . .

did you hear that somewhere else or is it of your own conception?

[Ecumenist]

27. Nope, came straight from me Teriyaki...

Makes perfect sense from my vantage point. Basic immunological theory...:think: BTW Welcome to DU, Teriyaki:hi: Though, I'm hardly a vet, lol!!

[xultar]

7. HOLEE SHEEIT

[Roxy66]

10. Dobbs is going for the jugular...he is stopping all the bullshit talk

[AndyA]

8. Lou Dobbs: "Americans are pretty smart."

Disagree with that, but LOVE everything else!

Lou is throwing the sh!t at the fan!!

YOU GO, LOU!!!

[LSparkle]

9. Dobbs absolutely on fire tonight

Saying he doesn't call what the WH has been saying about the port deal misleading, he says he calls it ... LYING!!!!

[Ecumenist]

14. LOUIE BABY!!!!!!

:headbang: :applause: :woohoo: :bounce: :popcorn:

[BelgianMadCow]

16. Ding Ding Di *bell broke*

well CNN as a whole cannot redeem itself imho.

As much as I appreciate Dobbs' candour (ah, the word Kerry used in a debate series he won), I will never trust them again.

But that's just common sense I guess.

[Roxy66]

17. JUST IN..... Senate had "Closed Door Meeting"

I tell you, Collins should be a Dem!!! She's not falling into line! She says the deal was "Flawed"!!

[FreedomAngel82]

30. Did they really have a closed door meeting?

[Cha]

31. I'm glad they're not signing

off on it without reading it like they did "The Patriot Act"(1984)!

[mondo joe]

20. THey know which way the wind is blowing on this.

That's all.

[BelgianMadCow]

21. Simple. True.

[Roxy66]

29. I guess our SCREAMING finally worked!!!!!

Lets take a little credit in this......they had to give in eventually. If we werent screaming everyday and calling Bullshit....this may all be 10 times worse!!

[mondo joe]

34. Sadly, I don't think so.

It's the BROAD outrage over the Dubai deal.

Remember, cable news is like McDonalds - they aree just going for the biggest audience.

[Roxy66]

36. Oh, botherrrr.

Gee, I guess this is all a waste of time. Dang, cheer-up

[mondo joe]

45. I'm cheered. But no point in pretending.

The truth is good enough. :-)

[Roxy66]

48. The truth will set you free

[FreedomAngel82]

28. Good!

[LSK]

32. they showed signs of balls during Katrina, they will go back to normal

Probably by next week.

[tlsmith1963]

38. Hey, Will I Be Able to Watch Them Again?

I stopped watching CNN because they have been too soft on Bush. Could it be true? Could they be changing back to the old CNN I once loved? I hope so!

Tammy

[niallmac]

40. Regarding CNN and it's new found Cojones: Recall all the new angels at

Nuremburg? Everything from "I was just following orders." to " I was waiting for the right time to make my move."
Oh well, CNN has completed it's 12 step program and is ready to fight evil.

[npincus]

54. Falafels have balls, too!

[Roxy66]

61. Lest we offend....lol

[PhilipShore]

62. NewsBusters: Lou Dobbs Claims That DPW is Trying to Shut Him up

NewsBusters
Lou Dobbs Claims That Dubai Ports World is Trying to Shut Him Up

http://newsbusters.org/node/4207

On Monday’s installment of “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Dobbs claimed that officials from Dubai Ports World, the company in the middle of the current port controversy, are putting pressure on CNN to silence him and CNN’s coverage of this issue (video link to follow):

“Dubai Ports World tonight is making what I consider to be a rather astonishing new attempt to silence me and our coverage of this ports deal and our reporting of what at least I consider to be legitimate national security concerns about this transaction. Dubai Ports World has actually refused to grant CNN anymore interviews from Washington or London, and it's refused to allow CNN to videotape its operations in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong if we were to show you the video on this broadcast.”

Dobbs stated that such pressure has happened before:

“This is not the first time that Dubai Ports World has tried to silence me. Last week, a spokesman for the public relations firm that represents the company, Mark Dennis, declared, ‘CNN won't shut up Lou Dobbs.’ And as a result, they weren't going to cooperate.”

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

64. yeah, but they're still hiring professional douchbag glenn beck

who, incidentally was comparing illegally harvesting organs from corpes to stem cell research this morning on his show ( i hate my carpool since we picked up an asshole)

[Beelzebud]

71. Why would we want this company/country controlling our ports, when they

are now trying to control our news media?

[leeroysphitz]

73. Don't worry, those newly dropped testes aren't that big

and will retract soon enough...

[genieroze]

75. Lets all write CNN and congratulate them for growing a pair.

[Marr]

79. How many times a day do you suppose this happens?

By "this", I mean big money bullying some editor or producer into *not* covering something. It's nice to see that CNN isn't caving to Dubai in this particular case, but it makes you wonder how many similar travesties have been swept under the carpet.