Hot Air Has A Problem

The atheist running the site – who appears, in my estimation, to despise social conservatives – probably relishes the anti-Catholicism in the comboxes. And let’s not forget the site’s owner, who has come dangerously close to anti-Catholic bigotry herself:

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/18/open-borders-and-the-catholic-elite/

Whatever Ed Morrissey’s reasons for being associated with HotAir, his writing is clearly the only thing worthwhile about that site.

I must say that I disagree. Censoring comments is really a choice, and an unnecessary one at that (at least in most contexts). The great thing about free speech is that if someone says something wrong, you can respond. In fact, even in the example of Catholic-bashing that you linked to, people responded rather effectively. I think that the discussion that comes out of a free speech context can often seem more fruitful because you know that all objections are being aired.

A site that cannot maintain decency and decorum, and which cannot avoid falling into the trap of ad hominem attack that actually distracts from a conversation about the actual topic at issue, is NOT doing a service to anyone, and certainly isn’t promoting a “fruitful” or enlightened discussion. It becomes a free-for-all where insults are hurled and the actual topic at hand is ignored.

I mean, really. Is it really “fruitful” for a commenter to continually bring up the priest scandal as a means of disqualifying the Church from speaking out on the moral issues of the day? Case in point:

Given the fact that the Catholic Church has been complicit in covering up the rapes committed by its priests and complicit with the acts of Nazi Germany, (and these are only headline items) I find it highly entertaining that it tries to take moral stands and even more amusing that anyone takes it seriously.

And this:

When did schtupping boys and nuns get official sign off? Because I am pretty sure the Church has been complicit in that for at least the last thousand years.

“The mote in your eye” comes to mind.

And then this:

The Catholic Church and its adherents should clean up their house before trying to force feed their version of morality on the rest of the world. Admittedly they have had a great deal of success, especially in developing nations with under-educated populations, but its claim to any kind of moral authority is at best suspect given its disgraceful history of covering up sexual abuse and of course its collusion with the nazis and other totalitarians in the 20th century.

Enough.

I mean, seriously. What ends of “fruitful” dialogue are served by such ad hominem nonsense? I think many of you already know my views on this subject:

http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/godwins-law-for-sex-scandal-revisited.html

llowing bigots to run at large in comboxes merely produces endless threads of weary back and forth which are boring to read and shed precious little light on any subject, except to underline that the bigots really hate the target of their ire.

Sounds like another blog that I know.

Though I deviate from Dale and Paul concerning AllahPundit, I agree that if they do moderate the comments better, I would possibly return to reading Hot Air as I once did three years ago.

e. I know of one anti-Catholic bigot that Ed Morrissey has banned. My point of course is they need to do a great deal more.

Donna, I was a faithful reader of Captain’s Quarters also, and I only began to read Hot Air when Morrissey closed up shop and moved over there. At Hot Air I usually only read the posts by Morrissey.

Somebody dropped a link to your blog on Twitter and that is where I first found your site. I like the way you write and I am going to subscribe to read more whenever I can. Oh yeah, are you on Twitter yet?