Years ago I called Ann Coulter, to her face, a pampered...

[11 Bravo]

"word currently being much-discussed at DU". I posted about it at the time, and did not employ any ***s or spoonerisms. Hideous creature that she was and is, I'm not proud of my outburst, and would not repeat it. She punched my button during a Q&A with a comment about liberals in the military, and I launched. (That's an explanation, not an excuse … there is no excuse, and to this day I truly regret my words.)

As I recall, my post was (rightly) hidden; but prior to its demise, some DUers whom I greatly respect indicated to me the hurtful nature of the word, and it's impact on them and many other women. I've never used the term again, and never will.

But I'm still here. I hope I've brought a little bit to the DU table in the intervening years, and I'm grateful for the pass I received.

However, from what I have read here today, there are many who believe I should have been immediately TSed, with no hope of future reinstatement.

I'm glad they didn't have the final word way back when.

[guillaumeb]

1. Agreed. While the word can never be taken as anything other than a vicious insult,

one single offense should not merit the "death penalty", so to speak. If the offense was one of a series, that would show a pattern, but absent a pattern, I think forgiveness would be in order. And I say this as a newcomer to DU.

[JI7]

2. things change. it use to be ok to insult coulter by saying she was trans

[pugetres]

3. I don't think sharing an anecdote is on par...

You weren't using this forum to refer to another by an offensive term. You were taken to task (rightfully) for something that occurred *outside* of the forum.

[11 Bravo]

6. Perhaps not. But there are clearly some here who disagree.

[Warpy]

4. Oh, I think under extreme provocation, even the foulest language can often be excused.

Years ago, an online friend cornered her in a grocery store and verbally lit into her.

I've never quite forgiven him for not flattening her.

Gentlemen. P'tooey.

However, he and thee were in real life. This is DU and rules are different here.

[BlueJazz]

5. All I can say is: "There's exceptions in life that call for drastic actions"