Print
Return to online version

April 17, 2008

Not Enough Interest for the Effort

Justin Katz

The topic of Matt Jerzyk's family is hereafter off the table for comment discussion. I'd hoped to walk a subtle line and maybe pursue a lesson in rhetoric and persuasion, but it's apparently not possible.

This ban isn't instituted out of fear of lawsuits. It's not done to protect Matt or out of a reluctance to "expose" him. It's not done out of a lack of conviction that social reaction to immoral behavior is crucial in society. We simply have little interest in the topic, around here, and the effort to guide conversations on it is proving too costly in time and attention.

I've deleted some recent comments and will hereafter delete them upon posting.

Comments

In other words, it's still okay to be judgmental in self-righteous fashion.
Glad we got that squared away. Carry on with the lynching.

Posted by: rhody at April 17, 2008 8:12 PM

Rhody, did you post under the wrong thread? Or did you simply not read what Justin said?

Posted by: Monique at April 17, 2008 8:48 PM

Justin -

I appreciate your post and your actions.

I have and will continue to offer the same service at RIFuture: if there is a post or a comment that you find personally offensive, please notify me and it will be taken down.

I hope we can debate the REAL issues.

Posted by: Matt Jerzyk at April 17, 2008 9:33 PM

Yes Matt-the real issues-like immigration devoid of emotion and BS and about the facts

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 17, 2008 11:11 PM

I agree with Justin's decision on this matter. How many generations has it been since any member of the Mellon family had to work for a living? Did this invalidate the arguments made by Richard Mellon Scaife when he was the godfather of much of the alleged "vast right wing conspiracy" attacking the Clintons and Kerrys? Not to many readers of this blog would think so. Let Matt's arguments stand or fall on their own merits without reference to what his father has or hasn't achieved.

Posted by: observer at April 18, 2008 8:29 AM

Mike,

I do not want to do it, but if you do not stop, I will ban you.

Stop. Now.

Posted by: Justin Katz at April 18, 2008 10:15 AM

how does outing Jerzyk as a manipulator(i.e. PRySM) cross the line.I have been on his case for a while because he likes to meddle in a lot of places,but you deleted my post and I don't care if was dating Hillary Clinton(yech-what a revolting thought-even Jerzyk would retch)-my interest in him is as a paradigm of the Alinsky theory of destructive actiism.

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 18, 2008 3:56 PM

Joe,

Out of time and patience, last night, I was pretty loose with the delete button, but I tried to edit (rather than erase) comments that only mentioned the family issues. So, it could have been an accident; it could have been a deletion when an edit would have worked, or perhaps you mentioned the family issues.

I apologize for deleting legitimate comments; feel free to mention non-family matters again.

Which post was your comment to?

Posted by: Justin Katz at April 18, 2008 4:32 PM

I basically said his personal life was of no interest to most of us,but his activities were.And I asked why he felt compelled to tell us anything about his relationships.No biggie.

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 18, 2008 5:26 PM

Justin-my apologies.I must've been having a senior moment.You didn't delete or edit my post-it's on the original thread where all the controversy started.

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 18, 2008 7:22 PM

[snip]

If that is the case I think you are falling into "Nice-Guy Republicanism"-a disease suffered by most elected statewide Republicans in my lifetime. A disease which results in "nothing" being accomplished regardless of how many elections are won. Think Chafee, Traf, Levesque, Schneider, Machtley, the Farmers, fred Lippit, Cianci, Almond, Mayer, Sapinsley, Avedesian and countless more.

Posted by: Mike at April 18, 2008 8:52 PM

If you've got the cure, Mike, then I strongly advise you to start your own Web site and treat the disease's victims there. When you are saying things that folks don't want to hear — which we often do, here — they'll latch on to any excuse not to listen.

They'll try to dismiss and undermine us at every turn, and what people see when we actually succeed in getting them to give us a look will determine how quickly they conclude that the other side is right about us.

Posted by: Justin Katz at April 18, 2008 9:08 PM