There were several reasons why I started this blog. Principally it was meant to be a bit of fun. And an occasional antidote to the simpering, Daily Mail hypocrisy of our Greatest Living Thanetian. I think you know who I'm talking about.
It's not much fun, however, to be labelled a paedophile by some knuckle-dragger who Dr Simon Moores' claims to be one of his supporters, and even less fun to be told that there are 'several peple already who want to put me in a coma'.
It's an irony that the most abusive, foul and violently aggressive comments that have been made about me have come from Tory supporters, a party that claims to put law and order at the forefront of its policies.
Well bollocks to them.
21 comments:
I'm lucky enough to have a completely sterile blog without any controversy!
Keep the chin up old man. No one deserves comments like that. We need balance in our blogs and the chance for reasonable debate, argument, and comment otherwise we'd be living in China where you'd probably be imprisoned by now with Blogger having handed over your details to the government!
Thanks for the kind words Adem. Hmm, that's given me an idea.
I see Biggles blog today spins that anyone agin him is a Labour supporter: a typically blind swipe from a Tory who seems ignorant that many locals trust neither hue. I could go on at length about the man's inconsistencies and some of the causal nastiness he has exuded on his blog, but I am sure ECR you are more than capable of holding forth on such iniquity and inconsistency on your own.
I am loath to become embroiled in this current nastiness, but you do appear to have blown things out of all proportion. I am sure there are plenty of people in the Labour Party who would espouse similar views concerning paedophiles, who are universally considered scum of the earth, and quite rightly so in my opinion.
However, one individual who happens to be a supporter of Dr Moores 'letting off steam' does not make 'paedophile bashing', to use your term, the official or even unofficial policy of my party, or of Dr Moores. You are bound to attract strong opinion as you dish it out yourself. It is only to be expected that the most virulent comments you have received on your blog have come from people with opposing political views to yourself.
I visit this blog because, as a conscientious local representative, I like to think I am capable of entertaining at least some of the the views of all my constituents, and occasionally your alternative view on Thanet and local politics has given me food for thought. It does not become you, however, to continue this current slanging match, and if you do I am afraid I am one Conservative reader who will be forced to cancel his subscription.
As a multi-award winning journalist and news and current affairs producer for the BBC and ITV, I have a pretty thorough grounding in the laws of libel, and I'm afraid that previous remark crossed over the boundaries.
As you know, I rarely if ever delete comments, or turn on comment moderation. Most of the time this site is pretty self-regulating, even when the level of debate becomes quite heated as it is at the moment.
Calling someone a paedophile might well be actionable, but it's hardly likely to get to court when the object of the alleged libel is a fictional, satirical character.
However, alleging that a real, identifiable person is a 'kiddie fiddler' really would get this blog, and the previous commentator, into some very deep water indeed.
Apologies for the pompous sounding intro to this comment, but I felt you needed to know exactly where I was coming from as I hardly ever delete comments and will tolerate most things.
I really do not know what this fuss is all about ECR. If some-one is sounding off on some-one else's blog, how does that become an issue to attack Thanetlife and Doc Moores? Just because I read Thanetonian or come to visit ECR for your particular take on things, which, by the way, have been a source of much laughter, I do not become a Leftwing socialist or an aspiring snob. As I have urged One Voice to do, I also urge you to do; drop the invective and ire and argue issues in your own witty way; it would become your persona better.
Sorry, just need to make another thing clear about that comment deletion - it appeared to be part of some kind of random vendetta, and was not associated with any of the people named or mentioned in any recent posts.
I'm risking a severe tongue lashing having escaped Mrs Me work detail but
I always saw myself as thanets greatest living er thanetonyan any ho its a nice sunny day boys so have a drink and get some sun
Anonymous 3.14pm I totally take your point. But that a well known local figure running for office on behalf of Her Majesty's Opposition could find amusement in the description of even a fictional internet persona as a paedophile who should consequently end up in a coma is frankly jaw dropping.
Good idea Mr Flaig sir - I'm off for a beer!
One again... Where is this imaginary remark to being amused by any reference to paedophile bashing?
It may well be that any amusement on my part may have been generated by the remark - which appeared first - over the sharing of attributes between ECR and OVIT in the first anonymous comment rather than the second!
Now wouldn't that make rather more sense to an astute observer?
But hey.. whipping up the paedophile bashing remark that I had no part in and before an election is a much better story without doubt!
ECR, I think you are surrounded by more than enough supporters of your blog, to rise above all that stupid crap dished out by people who have an ego that is as large as their carbon footprint. Poncing around the country by motorbike, car & emission belching Cessna. Give em enough rope & they'll hang themselves. Keep your chin up. The 'Bentley Flying Toss' winner.
'MR X'
Well Dr Moores, your exact words were:
I have to admit that some of the comments I read - quite obviously from a TL supporter - were quite amusing.
However, I'm quite prepared to believe that you're unlikely to be personally in favour of bashing paedophiles into a coma, although at least one of your more cerebrally challenged supporters clearly is.
Not that I'm an apologist for paedophiles, you understand. However, your supporter does strike me as the kind of person who might easily cripple an innocent paediatrician.
Let's leave it there, shall we?
No apology then?
Why are people now assuming that ECR and OVIT are one and the same? Is it really beyond the realms of possibility that there is more than one person in Thanet that doesn't like Simon Moores, or what he stands for?
This debate now seems to be going on a monthly cycle and the blue team seem to be getting more savage everytime!
On a personal note, i really really can't wait for election results time! I think that will give Simon a better indication of his popularity than the 250,000 hits on his blooger (home) page which aren't unique visitors or unique visits. Everytime you click a story and then go back to the main page it adds another impression! Simon, elections do not work like that!
Apology? For what? For pointing out that one of your supporters thinks I'm a paedophile and would like to stove my head in? And that you considered that, in your own words, 'amusing'?
I've conceded that you probably don't personally condone such behaviour, and it appears you have reconsidered your original comments and subsequently denied that it was the nonce-bashing part that amused you. Perhaps you should have clarified that in the first place before you made such a sweeping and ill-considered statement.
But if anything I think it's me that deserves the apology!
But if it makes you feel better and helps you move on, sorry Simon.
Thank you for the apology but you know exactly what I'm talking about and from the look of the response, here and elsewhere so did your readers. Time I think to contribute more to the local community than running it into the ground!
"Yes its true. One Voice and I are two halves of the same moron". "??
Simon, it's really unattractive to see you parade round Thanet and cyberspace like some modern day saint! Can you honestly say your community based actions are for the good of the community and not for the promotion of your good self?
You must be reading a different set of comments from me, Simes old fruit. And no, I don't exactly know what you're talking about, although you clearly do, so would you care to be more specific?
As for running the local community into the ground, you Tories have already done a pretty good job of that over the past four years.
And me and OVIT two halves of the same moron? I am my own moron thank you very much. Don't know him (or her), never met him (or her). Admire him (or her) a lot, though, for exposing oxymorons like 'public spirited Tory'.
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