# David B, I'd like to discuss something with you.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-b-id-like-to-discuss-something-with-you/155157>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 14, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-b-id-like-to-discuss-something-with-you/155157 "2003-02-14T21:33:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-b-id-like-to-discuss-something-with-you/155157/161 "2003-02-16T14:12:15Z")

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Airman Doors said:

> [@](#):
>
> All that is required here is a ruling, is hurling an insult like “murderers” acceptable? It’s not my decision, and I thought it was an important enough one that it should be made publicly.

A direct insult is not acceptable in GD. That is why you got a warning. His remark, however, was not considered to violate that rule. As has been noted by other people here, it was akin to saying that all lawyers are ambulance chasers or all pro-choicers are baby killers or all Republicans are brainless Bush followers.

Was it an inflammatory remark? Hell yes. Sometimes people do that in GD. Your response should have been to point out that it was an inflammatory remark and further to call him on it, thus showing yourself to be a better debater and a bigger man. Instead, you flamed him and broke the rules. Thus, you got warned and he got what he wanted.

If you wanted to ask about the situation, you should have e-mailed me. I have stated many times in many threads that I don’t follow the Pit. The only reason I even knew about this thread was because somebody else told me about it. Indeed, _anybody_ here could have e-mailed me to ask about the reason, but instead you all decided to speculate uselessly. I especially am amused by those (you know who you are, **Libertarian** who conjecture that I acted because of some bias that they can’t figure out. That is, frankly, idiotic, as somebody who has been here any length of time _should_ know. The GD moderators will warn _anybody_ who violates the rules, no matter what their opinions are.

So, in closing, the statement in question was not considered to be a violation of GD rules. That said, I do not recommend that people decide to try to use this as a loophole to find ways to insult people (for example, saying, “Anybody named David B is an idiot”), as we do not take kindly to such things.

Now, since Airman Doors indicated that all that was required here was a ruling, I am closing this thread, as it has shifted from its original question to a completely different argument anyway. If you want to debate the overall issue, there is a GD thread for it. If you still don’t understand this ruling, feel free to e-mail me. I’m not going to waste my time in the Pit now that I’ve explained the rules, though.

– David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator

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