Shouldn't progressives/liberals treat women as human beings?

[BainsBane]

How is it that on DU it is acceptable to demean half of the population of the planet and the majority of the Democratic Party in the most vulgar and deliberately insulting terms? We are told they are our allies. Do allies resent your existence so much that they call you a "c...t.'? Do they so resent the fact that one time, for one jury, someone might once have a post hidden for calling a woman a "bi..h"? Would a liberal man see the idea that he might have to treat a woman like a human being as so objectionable that he has to post a thread to complain how oppressed he is for having to treat half the human race as thought we aren't less than human, as dogs in heat? Never mind the fact that word "bi...h" is rarely hidden. No, that's not enough. They double down and call us the foulest word in the English language to refer to women, and a jury lets it stand. The message is loud and clear. Enraged men can call you what they want; they can insist you are less than human. Women don't exist as anything except photoshopped images in Sport Illustrated for their arousal, for "steak and a BJ day," and if you don't conform to that, or perhaps even if you do, you exist only as outlets for your anger. This is an anger that you infringe even slightly on their sense of entitlement, a fury that they should be expected to behave as a civilized person toward you, a mere woman.

Is this what it now means to be a "liberal"? Does being a liberal mean that half the human race is unworthy of even the most minimal respect? Juries rule such behavior acceptable. And they want us to believe they are our allies? What kind of ally so despises you that he feels compelled to use the foulest words in the English language to demean you? What kind of ally rules that acceptable? Is a juror that calls hateful terms toward women "acceptable" a liberal or an ally? What kind of version of liberalism is DU now advancing that writes women out of the body politic?

As for the content of the poster's comment: I would submit an adult should use a vocabulary of an educated person rather than relying on either of the terms listed. One could actually explain the substance of his or her objection to whatever idea or action is being critiqued rather than relying on insults. If someone lacks sufficient command of the English language to think of appropriate alternatives, I suggest this: http://thesaurus.com/

On Sat Feb 15, 2014, 05:03 PM you sent an alert on the following post:

Well cunt-ish wouldn't be okay. I guess we have to stick with dick-ish. nt
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1114&pid=12936

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

Offensive use of vulgar, misogynist language. "Cuntish" = cunt = ish. What kind of person thinks that kind of thing is okay? This level of hatred for women and their bodies is pathological not fitting a civilized website. The Democratic Party includes women. This is way over the top.

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Sat Feb 15, 2014, 05:09 PM, and voted 2-4 to LEAVE IT ALONE.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: ...on-going debate over acceptable hate-terms, nothing to see, folks, keep moving...
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This is a comparison and complaint about the use of various sexist remarks, it is not an endorsement nor use of the word
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: But Dickish is OK? Whole thread is immature and childish. The whole thing should be wiped clean. But this one post being worse than the others? Nope.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: "But he/she did it first" is no defense. Way over the top. The 'c' word, yet. shameful.
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. the derp is strong in TMG, Baines.

[seabeyond]

2. any man using the c word is bottom feeding filth and for particular people to use that

as often as they can, with no sensitivity what so ever for the women on du, i think of them as garbage. that simple. that word is vile. men have made sure that word is beyond vile. yet... there is a glee in using t and a chuckle getting away with it.

and this is what is stinking du.

[seabeyond]

3. he is a friggen HOST of the mens group. way to lead. and not a SINGLE man was manly enough

to ask him to delete or edit his post, .... leaving the c word for the guys to chortle at self righteously and offend any woman coming across it.

un fucking believable.

the HOST

[redqueen]

10. Far from unbelievable, really. This is par for the course and we all know it.

Other highlights of the hosts in there: Posting links to MRA sites, and posting bullshit studies promoting 'no means no is a myth' rape apologia.

[seabeyond]

12. it is disgusting. in a life time, i was not around men that went after that word to offend women.

what kind of man does that. beyond my scope pertaining to men.

[Scootaloo]

4. I have low expectations of people who work so hard to not get called "liberal"

[seabeyond]

5. and another thing. i was told today by the other host that this is all about retaliation.

i am not sure exactly what we wimminz have done, but it is dire enough for them to pull out their naked women and use the c word.

[BainsBane]

18. Retaliation for what?

He didn't give any reason?

[seabeyond]

19. we are bullies. i will see if i can find the link. nt

[seabeyond]

20. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4504496

[BainsBane]

21. Oh, retaliation for having the nerve to disagree with a man

I see. For daring to think we are human beings with equal rights, so they will make clear they see women as worthless outside of bikini spreads and porn.

I think that's over that comment TA made months ago that they still pissed off over. If I had that kind of memory for every insult made against me, there would be no room in my brain for anything else. It only shows their incredible sense of entitlement that they think an insult against them and their clique is more serious than insults to any other DUers or indeed half the human race. That same member complained for more than six months about his hide accusing those in support of rape prevention campaigns of "haranguing men." He believes himself so important that he can display a chilling callousness toward rape victims and face no consequences. That hide was everyone else's fault, the alerter, mine, MIRT's, but never his. Why should he have to show anything but absolute contempt for victims who have their lives ravaged by violent assault? Their rapes are trivial compared to the indignity he has to suffer in coming across an occasional anti-rape PSA online. Poor him. It's always poor them. Nothing else matters but their tender egos, least of all women.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I had never engaged in a single discussion with that person they insist that all women on DU are somehow responsible for bullying. (Or if they gripe is against HOF, why post something deliberately insulting to all women?). I have seen her make a number of nasty comments about me personaly in a group that I'm banned from, and when I saw her doing the same in a thread in GD, I asked her what her issue with me was. That's the extent of my conversation with her. I find people like that far too tedious to deal with, and I haven't even discussed an issue with her let alone bully her. That comment itself reveals that he sees her as unable to stand up for herself, as somehow weak. I assume everyone on DU is perfectly capable of expressing their own views and that no one requires special protection.

The fact is, I ignore most if not all of those people. (I did correct some blatantly false info they were posting about the Woody Allen case and linked to the court record, which naturally they ignored because vilifying and shaming a woman and child who reported a pedophile was far more important than the legal Finding of Fact.) Some I use the ignore function with and others I just plain ignore. I have that group in the trash can and haven't looked in there in months until Seabeyond asked me to alert on that post today. What pisses me off is not even that the poster uses vulgar slurs about women. That members views are well known, and I expect the worst from him. What angers me and why I posted this thread is that a jury allow it to stand and one jury even called that incredibly offensive word "acceptable."

That thread in the "safe haven" serves the same purpose as the SI thread. To mark their territory as exclusive space for old reactionary men, where feminists and others concerned with equal rights are not welcome. Some appear to want this site to become a haven for white male supremacists. The African American and Muslim members have felt under assault for some time, which anyone knows who reads the threads in those groups. Meanwhile, the post Sea links to and other actions by various members make clear they want feminists gone as well. They indeed are succeeding. Bully for them. DU is become increasingly intolerant of feminists, Muslims, African Americans, and the voices of anyone but people exactly like them. That, however, doesn't change the fact that time marches on and whatever they do on DU has zero impact on the real world. They can create their reactionary territory online where the perspectives of feminists and people of color are treated with complete contempt but it won't change the fact that the world around them has moved on. They can't stop progress. They can't change the fact that being born white and male no longer guarantees them absolute and unchecked privilege over everyone else, and we have all seen just how pissed they are about that. Despising progress won't turn back the clock. Creating a reactionary space online that excludes everyone but themselves and their sycophants won't change the fact that they are relics of a half century ago. It's not going to improve their education, their jobs, or their personal relationships. They will still be the same resentful men they always have been and will go to their graves full of anger that women are increasing in power and strength while they continue to feel themselves outclassed in life.

My advice is when more of those flamebait threads appear in GD, simply trash them. Alert but don't take their bait. You know they post them with the explicit purpose of causing offense, so don't give them the satisfaction of participating. They want to get a rise out of you, so don't give it to them.

[JI7]

6. that one seems to really hate and resent women

there was a thread once on a woman who had 2 sons and both of them were shot to death. and he viewed sympathy for her as being anti men or some shit.

[seabeyond]

8. yes. he uses the word whenever he can. about half get hid. guess he is feeling pretty comfortable

pulling out such an offensive word. and ALL the men in that thread do not man up

[seabeyond]

7. one other thing.... i advocated hiding dick with the few men complaining cause they were all in

outrage over the double standard. and when i stood up for them, totally understanding it was bullshit in the first place, they ALL said dick really was not a big deal, or much of an insult, they were merely making a point.

which is what we knew all along

which warren confirmed in that thread, and others

if they do not get to call us the b or the c word, then by gosh, life simply is not fair.

disgusting. fucking disgusting. i gotta get off du a bit

for men to feel their right, telling us what men they are, reducing women to a c word

fuck em

[redqueen]

11. Yep, they don't even try to hide the fact that they're playing bullshit games.

But hey, they have female allies helping hem, so that means it's all like TOTES FEMINIST!

[seabeyond]

13. skinner says using the c word is tos. this poster has a history. he did it today to be as offensive

and disgusting as he could come up with because their SI thread wasnt enough.

[awoke_in_2003]

9. The jury system sucks...

more than anything that has ever sucked before.

[seabeyond]

14. it is bullshit. the c word is tos'able per skinner. start tossing. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

16. I agree. nt

[Maedhros]

15. All persons - women, men, transgendered, genderfluid - should be treated has human beings.

To be honest, we shouldn't be leveling hateful language at anyone. Doing so simply weakens one's argument and cheapens the quality of discourse on the site.

[MadrasT]

17. Actual progressives/liberals DO treat women as human beings.

Disruptors and brogressives, not so much.

[ismnotwasm]

23. 1+

[seabeyond]

22. here is one that was hid.

Cunt?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4510455

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

It is not ok to use this sexist slur on du. It is a tos'able offense. This poster is a newbie and is purposely being offensive.

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Sun Feb 16, 2014, 01:42 PM, and voted 5-1 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Considering the entire thread, which is a mess that ought to be locked and hidden, can't see the point in hiding this one comment. The thread is a sewer. If this comment occurred in another thread that was of a different "nature" than this one, I could see hiding it. But in this one. Well, it's the context.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Absolutely useless comment. Adds absolutely nothing to the thread, which by the way is disgusting.
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: We all know what the c-word is. No need to write it out like that.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: This is not a debatable word. It's offensive and disrespectful of a whole gender.
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Gross. Paging MIRT!

[Texasgal]

24. I'm disgusted.

Not surprised though, par for the course here on DU anymore.