There was a nice little article about the San Jose Pride Parade in the Mercury News; it described the parade as more mainstream than in the past but also touched on a small clutch of religious protesters.
And then the comments began. More and more I am of the opinion that letting everyone express their opinion is getting old, getting annoying, and getting pointless. Because more often than not, website comments are posted by flamers, trolls, idiots, or morons.
Here’s an example of the comments from the Mercury News story.
Oh boy… When talking to people who have never been to CA, I always tell them, California is not all like SF. I live in San Jose, nothing like SF… Guess I can stop defending San Jose, time to stop telling people where I am from…Embarrassing and shameful
Posted by: DebA person’s sexuality is their own business; I see no reason to parade it around the street like a freak show.
Posted by: LynnKeep it in San Fran. this ain’t the gay mecca down here so we don’t need this disgusting advertisement of mental perversion.
Posted by:What is to be proud of? Your son wearing a pink tutu? your daughter who cuts her hair to look like a man shaves to encourage facial hair? Please!
Posted by: Hombre SecuridadRaised in Santa Clara too…orchards and family values were popular when I was growing up….
I am assuming that you meant the bible belt is where there are still morals and values, no freak shows paraded through their downtown streets.. ??? The negative is??
Posted by: DebbieThe gay pride event should be renamed freak and misfit pride. The SJ event is lightweight compared to the largest freak show on earth that will be in SF in a few weeks. I’m sure there are thousands of gays who live decent lives. But the gay pride event has become a platform for individuals who would be misfits/freaks no matter what sexual orientation they have. The Pride event displays little to be proud of.
Posted by: Tom
As a more blue collar town, San Jose has a bit more in common with its central valley counterparts, podunk places like Stockton and Fresno, where men are men and sheep are nervous. Having grown up in the South, it’s not hard for me to smell redneck in the air. One of the many reasons we left the south bay and moved to SF.
I say we only allow certain people to have free speach.
Hummmm, on second thought maybe that’s not such a good idea.
How ’bout free speach if you can pass this simple I.Q. test? I’m pretty sure the commentors on your post would have trouble with the ‘Draw Winkie’ portion.
That’ll filter ’em out.
It’s not that I am against free speech — far from it. But I’m concerned that the advent of open comments boards on the internet has muddied the waters to such an extent that “speech” is no longer reasoned or intelligent, that the idea of free speech has degenerated into a willingness to allow any hateful screed or moronic idiocy.
Would a newspaper publish those comments in print on its letters page? Of course not. And if not, would they be accused of stifling free speech? Probably not.
So why would they allow such hateful comments on their website?
The only thing is, it’s pretty easy for a reasonably intelligent person to separate the drek from the thoughtful comments. I think that the more exposed ignorant and hateful comments are, the easier it is to show that these kinds of people are not a serious “silent majority,” but rather a lunatic fringe that has much more in common with the KKK than ordinary society.