# If someone wants to commit suicide by mod, you should let them **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 25, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072 "2018-11-25T20:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/41 "2018-11-26T04:19:17Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > This “joke” was one against a single person, Michelle Obama, who does not claim to be transgender. It was a comment on her “manly” appearance, but like how Chimp for G.W.B. and Cheeto for Trump are comments on appearances. > > And, again, if the rules are now construed that insults against groups of people, because members of that group are posters here, are now against the rules, then we need to take a delete key to most of Great Debates and Elections because they are mostly insults against Trump supporters and conservatives. I thought the ruling was that the “joke” was made solely to get a rise out of people, not to get a laugh: it was trolling. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/42 "2018-11-26T04:21:08Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > So, no criticism of pedophilia allowed? That’s an illness. How about alcoholism? If you dad came home drunk every night and you call him an asshole, do you get a mod note or a warning? > > **And you are moving the goalposts here.** There is no rule against being “hateful.” Look at all of the comments about how Trump is overweight, eats junk food, etc. > > There is just a rule against the ever changing definition of “hate speech” creating class after class of untouchables, which again, just by dumb luck, happen to coincide with the latest group that the left has decided to favor. Dude, you’ve taken the goalposts down, stuffed them in your pocket and are now trying to dance your way to a touchdown. What part of being hateful do you think is not also being a jerk? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/43 "2018-11-26T04:32:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Dude, you’ve taken the goalposts down, stuffed them in your pocket and are now trying to dance your way to a touchdown. > > What part of being hateful do you think is not also being a jerk? We are allowed to be hateful to non-posters!! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/44 "2018-11-26T04:35:00Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > We are allowed to be hateful to non-posters!! Not the kind of hateful that brought on this discussion. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/45 "2018-11-26T04:35:53Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > So, no criticism of pedophilia allowed? That’s an illness. How about alcoholism? If you dad came home drunk every night and you call him an asshole, do you get a mod note or a warning? > > And you are moving the goalposts here. Move them? I can’t even find them now unless you draw me a map. I give you enough credit to doubt that you really need me to chase those particular goal posts down for you. It’s either that, or else there’s literally no point in trying. (Seriously, though, have you just been doing a Trump bit the whole time?) ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/46 "2018-11-26T04:36:26Z")
An insult towards Trump as having an incestuous relationship with his daughter is an insult to Trump himself. It’s origin is derived from his comments about the attractiveness of his daughter. It’s specific to him. This type of criticism hasn’t been leveled at anyone else because they haven’t made the same type of comments toward members of their own family. Comments about M. Obama having a penis is based on her being black and tall, and possibly because she is fit. I interpret it as a similar type insult as other race based insult - disparaging towards a race of people. > [@UltraVires](#): > > So, no criticism of pedophilia allowed? That’s an illness. How about alcoholism? If you dad came home drunk every night and you call him an asshole, do you get a mod note or a warning? > > And you are moving the goalposts here. There is no rule against being “hateful.” Look at all of the comments about how Trump is overweight, eats junk food, etc. > > There is just a rule against the ever changing definition of “hate speech” creating class after class of untouchables, which again, just by dumb luck, happen to coincide with the latest group that the left has decided to favor. If the comment is that Ray Moore is probably a pedophile, that is likely based on his past history of trying to date young girls. If the comment is that a gay person is probably a pedophile because of the gayness, then that is entirely different and not acceptable. If someone says Kavanaugh is a drunk because of his past drinking history, that is directed to him. If they say he is a drunk because he is Irish, that is not acceptable. And yes, people called Bush 43 a chimp. A childish insult, but fair game. The same would not be allowed towards Obama because that shit is racist. It also wouldn’t be allowed towards Colin Powell either and has nothing to do with their political affiliation. Is that a double standard? Not even close. The standard is that dehumanizing black people has a long racist history and doing so is shitty in a different way than calling Bush 43 a chimp is. Context is important and if that is unacceptable to you, well, tough. That’s reality in the world and reality on this board. Context tells me that the dig that M. Obama has a penis I consider trolling. The context of the origin of that insult is hateful and racist. And to be claer, the warning under discussion was for being a jerk, not hate speech. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/47 "2018-11-26T04:43:06Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I thought the ruling was that the “joke” was made solely to get a rise out of people, not to get a laugh: it was trolling. Trolling? Okay, that’s about the fifth different thing I have heard about what the reason for modding it was. If that is the case, then Cheeto should be modded as well as it serves no purpose other than to get a rise out of Trump supporters. Is it too much to ask to get a definitive answer to why this was modded and then ask that whatever the answer that it be modded equally to posts about Trump and his supporters? **Octopus** has asked that above. Many conservatives have asks this. Why can the mods not give a specific answer about this double standard? Like **Bone** , I wish we had a more civil discourse on this board. But we don’t get there by having rules that say that these posts that are mean to these groups of people over here are not allowed, but these posts that are mean to those groups of people over there are a-okay, just part of fighting ignorance. Again, which would you consider more insulting if directed at you personally: 1) That you are having sex with your child, or 2) that you have a penis (or vagina) opposite to your gender? I pick #2 as least insulting, yet #1 is allowed and #2 is prohibited. ETA: I was typing my post as Bone’s above came through. I will review. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/48 "2018-11-26T04:48:28Z")
Response to Bone above: If M. Obama was white, tall, and fit, then the post would have been okay? If (years ago when it was relevant) someone said that Janet Reno had a penis, it’s all good? ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/49 "2018-11-26T04:52:08Z")
Do it. Do it, do it. Do the deed, do the deed. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/50 "2018-11-26T04:58:21Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > And to be claer, the warning under discussion was for being a jerk, not hate speech. To be clear, when I responded, this read that the warning was under discussion for trolling, not hate speech. So now it is being a jerk? To blacks, to M. Obama? To whom? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/51 "2018-11-26T05:06:06Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Response to Bone above: If M. Obama was white, tall, and fit, then the post would have been okay? No, because implying that tall and fit women have penes is transphobic. With Michelle Obama, it includes the context of hundreds of years of denigrating black women as being less ladylike, animalistic and savage. > [@](#): > > If (years ago when it was relevant) someone said that Janet Reno had a penis, it’s all good? In fact Janet Reno was regularly subjected to transphobic and sexist jokes, as this article from Vox discusses: > **[Janet Reno’s long and storied career was plagued by sexist "jokes"](https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/11/7/13550286/janet-reno-snl-impression-will-ferrell)** > > According to SNL and others, the relentlessly focused attorney general was an emasculating Hulk. > [@Vox article](#): > > One particularly representative example came from Jay Leno, who referred to an appointment decision Reno had to make as “her toughest decision since ‘boxers or briefs.’” The article goes on to discuss the sexism in SNL’s portrayal of her, where the basic joke was basically, “Janet Reno looks like a dude”. Will Farrell, who portrayed Reno, tries to excuse it all by saying, > [@Vox article](#): > > According to Ferrell, though, his impression of a woman who was “perceived as almost asexual” at least gave her “the benefit of the doubt,” because SNL chose “to portray her as being repressed and dreaming about — men." > > God forbid Reno be anything other than a heterosexual woman. Then the show might really have had too much material to mock. Bottom line: jokes about women implying that they aren’t feminine enough to be real women are sexist and transphobic. Such jokes about a black women also carry the baggage of racist stereotypes that define black women as manly and unfeminine. Whether the woman identifies as a Liberal or a conservative is irrelevant for this discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/52 "2018-11-26T05:07:09Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > We are allowed to be hateful to non-posters!! Is hatred really _that_ important to you? ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/53 "2018-11-26T05:08:16Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > To be clear, when I responded, this read that the warning was under discussion for trolling, not hate speech. > > So now it is being a jerk? To blacks, to M. Obama? To whom? Yes, I misrembered and when I went to verify I realized and corrected my mistake with the edit. Being a jerk doesn’t have to be directed at anyone. I don’t know about your Reno hypo. Context would control. Let me ask you, do you think it should be allowed to call Obama a chimp in the same way it is allowed to call Bush 43 a chimp? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/54 "2018-11-26T05:15:57Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > To be clear, when I responded, this read that the warning was under discussion for trolling, not hate speech. > > So now it is being a jerk? To blacks, to M. Obama? To whom? To humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/55 "2018-11-26T05:25:10Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Trolling? Okay, that’s about the fifth different thing I have heard about what the reason for modding it was. > > \ > > Is it too much to ask to get a definitive answer to why this was modded and then ask that whatever the answer that it be modded equally to posts about Trump and his supporters? **Octopus** has asked that above. Many conservatives have asks this. Why can the mods not give a specific answer about this double standard? > [@UltraVires](#): > > To be clear, when I responded, this read that the warning was under discussion for trolling, not hate speech. > > So now it is being a jerk? To blacks, to M. Obama? To whom? Jerks troll. Trolling is jerkish. Why are you having such a hard time with this concept? I mean, several thousand other posters here get it; why are you the outlier? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/56 "2018-11-26T05:36:25Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Yes, I misrembered and when I went to verify I realized and corrected my mistake with the edit. Being a jerk doesn’t have to be directed at anyone. > > I don’t know about your Reno hypo. Context would control. Let me ask you, do you think it should be allowed to call Obama a chimp in the same way it is allowed to call Bush 43 a chimp? I, for one, think people should be treated equally. I don’t think explicit double standards as you just stated are healthy for the long term. I mean if an insult is directed at a left wing figure not only will the insulter potentially run afoul of some ever expanding list of bigoted or “hate” speech they will very likely get dinged with “trolling” or the so-called “jerk” rule. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/57 "2018-11-26T05:48:07Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I, for one, think people should be treated equally. I don’t think explicit double standards as you just stated are healthy for the long term. > > I mean if an insult is directed at a left wing figure not only will the insulter potentially run afoul of some ever expanding list of bigoted or “hate” speech they will very likely get dinged with “trolling” or the so-called “jerk” rule. Whereas this leftist’s perception is that the mods will go out of their way to \*not \*warn or ban rightist jerks if they can possibly help it. This thread’s OP is my cite. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/58 "2018-11-26T05:54:22Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Whereas this leftist’s perception is that the mods will go out of their way to \*not \*warn or ban rightist jerks if they can possibly help it. This thread’s OP is my cite. What are you talking about? The person got warned. The thread where the person got warned was triggered by a warning. Seems like those two warnings contradict your “cite.” What you don’t get but is obvious is that right of center posters engage in vastly more self censorship than left of center posters. The double standards are chilling. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/59 "2018-11-26T05:56:33Z")
There’s a conservative arguing that being against hate speech is an inherently liberal perspective. Is hate an inherently conservative position? ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072/60 "2018-11-26T06:05:59Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I, for one, think people should be treated equally. I don’t think explicit double standards as you just stated are healthy for the long term. > > I mean if an insult is directed at a left wing figure not only will the insulter potentially run afoul of some ever expanding list of bigoted or “hate” speech they will very likely get dinged with “trolling” or the so-called “jerk” rule. That is not addressing the question. Don’t go to the general when the question is specific. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-wants-to-commit-suicide-by-mod-you-should-let-them/825072.md?page=4)