Banned by Alternet!

Posted Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 9:51 am
A couple weeks back Alternet deleted a comment I left. Now, after having successfully left another comment, I've been banned. The comment that drove them over the edge is below.

Alternet frequently posts articles supporting illegal immigration, and until the last two incidents I've been able to post a dozen or two comments pointing out issues with those posts without a problem. Due to the non-abusive nature of my comments, the issue is that Alternet is afraid of an open debate and only wants an echo chamber.

Here's the email they sent me:
AlterNet commenting privileges suspended
Grounds: Violations of AlterNet's community policies and/or complaints from other readers.
As previously discussed, I can't find those "community policies" and they didn't respond to the email I sent after the earlier comment was removed.

Here's the comment that apparently caused the ban, which still appears at post time on alternet.org/blogs/peek/93035:
The people being discussed are IllegalAliens, i.e., citizens of another country who are here illegally. Needless to say, giving them discounted educations would encourage even more people to come here illegally with their children. In other words, it would be horrible public policy. Not only that, but every college spot or discount given to an IllegalAlien is one that's taken away from our own fellow citizens. That's even worse public policy.

(Note: the last time I posted a comment here, Alternet deleted it. Hopefully that won't happen again.)

Tags: 
deleted comments
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Comments

petty bourgeois (not verified)

Tue, 07/29/2008 - 20:20

You could use a big stick to beat them over the head with: tell them they published a lie about you (that you violated the terms of service) and that you are going to seek damages from them as your character has been defamed because of this falsehood. Demand they cease and desist, print a retraction that you did not violate the terms of service, and you seek a million dollars in damages as your reputation in the marketplace of ideas has been permanently tarnished. Find one of those Hollywood lawyers to fire off a letter for $100 and see what happens. That should make them think a little.

Mary (not verified)

Wed, 07/30/2008 - 00:15

AND make sure you tell them that you are also an illegal alien...then you can do whatever you want!!

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 07/30/2008 - 05:39

It had to be done. We want a real, hard-hitting debate but what you posted keeps that from happening by poisoning our non-debate. Your 'post', which borders on hate (Mark Potok will officially weigh in shortly), brings up points undermining a position we uniformly agree with, no questions asked. You expect us to consider a different point of view and that goes too far. It's almost like you want to argue or something. Argument has no place in a non-debate, especially one as sensitive as this one. We're onto you and you'll be hearing from our soon to be elected officials who vow to stop people like you (who the First Amendment does not apply to). You gave yourself away by using the inherently anti-immigrant term '@lien' (we have a strict policy of not using that vile word).

eh (not verified)

Wed, 07/30/2008 - 09:44

For those who don't bother to make the trip, the alternet piece was written by someone whose last name is Jimenez. You'll never change some people's minds about things like 'The Dream Act', which is more emotion and ideology-driven than most other aspects of illegal immigration.