Hate to plonk, guys, but "mother" as a term of horror, and "witches" (in real life - presently in some countries, and famously in post-Medieval Europe) were powerless scapegoats, usually women. Sounds like all the movie lacks is a Hillary with a stake thru her... P.S. - it's unsettling to think of people going to watch "eviserations" etc. for fun...

Charming.

Here's an idea - a show about foul-mouthed, foul-brained bigots busily biggoting. A documentary for the future when, hopefully, their disgusting lifestyle has become history.

Meanwhile, Slate editors, why is Akingu88's nasty post still up?

Alex Perez - good catch on the "88". I had a quick look at Akingu's other letters and see he signed one of them with the Aleister Crowley slogan, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law". (a) SOME people who say that mean THEY should do what they wilt - all over us, but not vice versa, (b) hardly anyone quotes the saying in its entirety - the rest of it is, "Love is the law - love under will." Who knows what that means...but it is no rationale for White Supremacy.

Anyway...

JCourt - said

"He's just tyring to be an asshole and get attention. I don't agree with what he says, but we, as open-minded, thinking individuals should defend his right to say what he (or she) says and be the idiot he (or she) is."

I don't think that as open-minded thinking individuals we should put up with that kind of crap. (As thecatspyjamas says, it makes you want to go take a shower. And I would add that it can drive away people interested in decent exchange of ideas.) And the freedom to say what he (from the other letters, it appears that he's a he) likes does not mean that any and every forum has to carry it. Salon is also free to delete what they consider inappropriate for whatever reason.

And they DO. However, as btrader said, it's hard to figure out their criteria. My example is the deletion of a post (not mine) that mentioned - without editorializing - the truth that Ifa (a Voudon/Santeria-like religion) practices animal sacrifice. ?? A little disturbing to us of the sheltered non-manual classes, but we should think of the MILLIONS of animals sacrificed continually for our hamburgers and Buffalo wings. And even contemplation of the meat industry pales before Akingu's sadistic fantasies...

It's unfortunate that this subject has, to some extent, hijacked the discussion of Heather's (as usual) enjoyable column, but I feel this is important and Salon staff should take note (I've also sent a letter to the editors, Cbart).

P.S. - a shout-out to Moonbat from this Canadian!

Paul Krugman had an interesting article in the NYT today, arguing that Obama's success comes in part from Political Correctness that has eliminated most overt and implied racism in public speech and this has had a positive effect on the majority mind.

I fear that the unbridled blather on the internet may undermine all that...

And responsible forums like this have a, um, responsibility to delete the worst of the anonymous internet foul-mouthed ravings post to it and encourage decent expression. (Even people like Mr. 88 could express their 'ideas' in a quasi-decent way ["Homosexuality and non-WASPS make me uneasy"]. One might raise one's eyebrows, but not have to run for the shower...

for removing that offensive post.

The posters who routinely condescend to Joan make reading the letters annoying-to-impossible, depending on my mood. Anonymous (which is synonymous with cowardly) people who castigate someone who puts her name and face to what she says - and, as Greenie points out, the outrage comes from Joan's not being totally in sync with their opinions. It's not as if they've caught her advocating kicking puppies.

People, it really is possible to say what you think without couching it in personal insults. And WITH giving a teensy bit of thought to other people's feelings.

A passing thought - perhaps this phenomenon of the Salon letters demonstrates what Maureen Dowd in the referenced column called the "sulfurous national game of “Kill the witch.”" (Which Dowd herself indulged in ad infinitum re Clinton.) Do any of the male Salon writers engender (haha) this kind of response?

"Quick survey of the letters...Confirms my belief that there's really not much point in reading Salon.com letters anymore, as editor Joan Walsh has allowed the site to become overrun with nasty little Rethuglican trolls."

I am finding that reading the letters is depressing (tho not all the trolls and other unpleasant people are Rethuglican). But I'm wondering how Joan "allowed" this? People write in on their own initiative. The only way to disallow nastiness is to require that letter writers post their real names and their faces, all same as Joan and the other writers on this forum. Otherwise, anonymity will always be a venue for viciousness.

I don't know where these people think they're getting their "information" about how our medical system in Canada is "failing". I live in the country near a small town and have lots of medical practitioners and facilities at hand, and never have to worry about not being able to pay for care. Comes out of taxes, sure, but proportionately to income. What gets Americans all worried, I think, is that the "single payer" is the government. But the system seems to work quite efficiently and there is no insurance-company profiteering. What is the big deal about government paying the doctors? You Americans want private organizations running your highways, your bridges, your army? (Oh wait a minute, re the latter, seems you DO have a private army thing going on in Iraq...)

This is what I think all people posting in these forums should do - give their name and address. Especially the ones who excoriate the columnists.

(However, as a woman living alone, and having experience of the kind of abuse that is possible, I'm not following suit!!!)