I am a Bernie supporter.

[JDPriestly]

I hereby pledge that when called for a jury, I will only vote to remove a post if the post contains a clear and plainly stated threat of violence or a clear and plainly stated incitement for violence. And I mean clear and plainly stated.

We are repressing a lot of speech around here that is civil, and DU has become an unwelcoming, repressive place as a result.

The removal of posts is being used by BOTH SIDES of the primary contest as a means to silence the other.

Enough is enough.

We need to promote democracy and that means we need the free expression of diverse opinions.

Hiding posts that are not violent but merely reflect different points of view and political opinions even if they are harsh on a previous post and poster is authoritarian.

If we really favor democracy, we have to be able to listen to impolite as well as polite language from people who disagree with us about policies and candidates. That is what democracy is about.

At, for example, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the crowd cheered the lines they agreed with and reacted otherwise to those that they did not like. That is democracy.

We cannot claim to want democracy but then show intolerance when people poke fun at us or criticize us for our opinions or for what we write and say when we disagree with them.

We cannot claim to be a democracy when we have to consider very carefully what we say on a website called Democratic Underground lest we say something that will hurt someone's feelings or step on their toes.

So let's be Democrats and stop the removing of posts that are not violent but that merely express disagreement and criticism (however hurtful) of another DUer or DUer's ideas.

Get a thicker skin, everybody.

And don't use the jury system to eliminate unpleasant realities. We are human. Therefore we disagree on many things. And we aren't always feeling polite toward each other. Why are we imposing a phony, impossible standard on each other?

At least we Bernie supporters should defend freedom of expression on this website.

[Voice for Peace]

1. K&R! Replace urge to alert w Ignore or Trash

[Wilms]

2. I'd like to echo that.

And I've seen pretty innocuous posts getting a poster banned...from BOTH groups.

I would like to see this group's banned list smaller...but I recognize, that's just me.

[Kip Humphrey]

3. If I could only post what I really think of Hillary, Hillarians, the DNC, 3rd-Way Republicrats,

republicons, corporatism, globalism, globalization, racism, bigotry, greed, privatization of our commons, the worldwide ecological disaster befalling us, war & violence,etc., etc., etc.

I remember when we would go over to RedState just for kicks. Don't need to anymore; RedState came to us.

[Old Codger]

4. I have been here

For a while now and have alerted one time, I just trash and or ignore posters that I don't want to read..But as far as the jury system goes it is pretty badly bent now. They let a post stand that called Bernie "A condescending M*********er" if that stands then anything should be able to stand..

[mak3cats]

5. K & R...

I just wish there was a similar post in other groups. Thanks, JDPriestly.

[JFKDem62]

6. I agree. The primaries need to be a free wheeling open debate.

It is the only way to pick the best party nominee.
Candidates need to be vetted carefully and fully.

Just because we don't like a post does not mean it is inappropriate.
My .02.

[JDPriestly]

7. Thanks and welcome to DU.

[JFKDem62]

8. Thanks JD! nt