MY LAST HURRAH?
By David Vance On July 23rd, 2012Mahons posted a lovely piece recently called “The Last Hurrah”. I read it, pressed the little LIKE button out of respect for the quality and humanity of it, and left it like that. A touching tribute to his father in law.
I am now aware of how the conversation thread developed and in particular regard how something was said with regard to ATW long time stalwart Paul McMahon. Now Paul and I might not agree on many things (think we have similar music tastes though!) but I will not allow ATW to be used to suggest things whichare hurtful and indeed untrue. They could also have legal consequences.
Three points:
1. I want to apologise to Paul personally for the comment left. I have erased it and am sincerely sorry I was unaware of it. As you know I do not have time to read all the stuff that goes up here.
2. I want to put on record my appreciation of Paul and all those others who do NOT agree with me but who are always agreeable to me.
3. If this sort of thing continues, and I have to get involved, I will head for the exit door.
Again, Paul – my apols.
Good man David.
Paul’s one of the good guys.
All shame on the individual who made the comment.
I’ve not looked at that thread since yesterday, but I doubt I’ll need three guesses to work it out.
Appreciated David.
Some things are just beyond the pale.
Bravo, David!
Nicely done, David.
Think I can guess who it was too. Someone, unlike Paul, with absolutely no class.
It’s sad when things get so unnecessarily personal that David has to intervene. I wish it didn’t have to happen at all.
“If this sort of thing continues, and I have to get involved, I will head for the exit door.”
I hope it doesn’t come to that.
These things happen, and the esteemed host of this site reacted like an esteemed host – and a gentleman.
It also has to be said that far too many people here – including you, Paul – take this gent too seriously, or rather take him seriously at all.
There will always be people like that, and people like that say things like that.
And blogging isn’t the most serious thing in the world. Lighten up. I could(n’t) care less what accusations people make against me (why, Colm insulted me very personally and intimately last night
, and least of all the guy in question. If you can’t have fun with him, ignore him.
The comments implied something much more sinister and serious than the personal attacks which occasionally occur Noel. It was absolutely out of order and, as David explained, had potential legal and other implications.
David has acted accordingly and for me the matter is closed. I sincerely hope that this type of thing never raises it’s ugly head again.
Noel – Clearly you didn’t see the comment.
Well said David.
I think it said that someone was a member of some illegal organisation.
So what?
You’re a friend Paul, but David has enough on his plate already, I should think, and with all due respect if I were he I’d give any complainant the short answer.
There are fools around, they say foolish things. Nobody is going to take them seriously, so no harm can be done.
Fair enough Noel. As I said previously it’s done and for me the matter is closed.
Why should DV see this as potentially HIS “last Hurrah”? Why not simply deal with the actual problem commenter in question and make it HIS last Hurrah on here? I warned you before that he is trouble, and as long as that puerile jerk is allowed to continue to spout his rubbish on here, then the matter is only closed until the next time he decides to mouth off his nonsense. He ruins and spoils every thread he is allowed to post on. Mark my words, this will all happen again until the problem is actually dealt with.
Tom,
Agreed. He pollutes ATW. 100% troll.
I feel like the guest who came and made dinner and then left it to the host to clean up. I have a bit of ebb and flow in my fondness for posting, and when you run the whole thing as David has for years I am sure it is a far more dismaying task when dealing with such matters.
Paul is one of the good guys as noted above.
You did the right thing Mr. Vance, as usual. This place still draws a wide range of opinions and you deserve credit for keeping us engaged.
I still am shocked at the angst.
it wasn’t like I wrote about my mother-in-law…..
I agree with Tom.
Show the obnoxious lunatic the door. All heat, no light…
I missed the whole thing….
I hope that troll comment wasn’t thrown at me Petr?
I love and hate you all. We have a nice twisted group that at times gets cantankerous but rarely to the point that everyone on this thread is implying.
I admit freely that I have insulted each of you at some point or another, I think the only person on here that I haven’t insulted is David, and I believe David is the only person on here that hasn’t insulted me.
Look we are a unique group of people, we have spent years discussing every issue that effects this world of ours. There are points we agree on and points we disagree on.
Whatever was said should be apologized for. Has it been?
This site is a line of communication, between nations, religions, and differing philosophies. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I have benefited from the interactions on this site. I have seen and learned points of view that I would never had been exposed to. Whenever we loose someone like MAD, Felix, Andrew, we loose a piece of the puzzle.
For this site, and the different views it has provided me I am eternally grateful to David for giving me the opportunity to experience them.
Am I alone in these feelings?
LU went way beyond our usual slaps of personal insult and harsh disagreement, Troll.
No, he hasn’t apologized. I doubt he has the integrity to do so.
For this site, and the different views it has provided me I am eternally grateful to David for giving me the opportunity to experience them.
Am I alone in these feelings?
No darlin’, that’s why so many of us are hooked on atw.
I was away for a few days and missed the whole thing. Paul has been the subject of a few very personal, insulting comments on here over the past few years, despite being polite and courteous in all his debating. Paul is a very close personal friend of mine (I’m very proud to say), and know that he always rises above what idiots write about him here, but if he himself said that what LU wrote was ‘beyond the pale’, and demanded a retraction and apology, I’d guess whatever it was was more personal and insulting than usual.
Fair play to you, David, for removing it, and for apologising, though I don’t think you need to apologise for anything. You provide a forum where people may speak their minds, and the only stipulation is that they keep it civil. That LU couldn’t and didn’t do that is a reflection on him, not you. I echo those who have already written – don’t head for any exit just yet – I and many others here have plenty more spleen to vent
So LU made a comment linking PM to a terrorist organisation? If so, then LU should apologise and the matter will be closed. LU just seems to lose it over threads involving Northern Ireland which is exactly the opposite of what he should be doing where an issue is important to him.
He doesn’t just lose it on threads to do with Northern Ireland because he goes out of his way to make every thread about Northern Ireland. If it is a thread about football he makes it about Northern Ireland. If it is a thread about the EU he makes it about Northern Ireland. If it is a thread about Obama and America he makes it about Northern Ireland. And if it is a moving tribute from Mahons to his father-in-law he makes it about Northern Ireland by making a disgusting accusation because someone asked him to back up a claim.
So lets not pretend he only loses it over threads involving Northern Ireland because the thread in question had absolutely nothing to do with Northern Ireland.
Seamus,
There’s two things that could happen then.
One LU is barred or two those who find him offensive ignore him.
That’s the grown up way.
The other way is to keep responding to his posts, and therby feed whatever monster seeks to devour him and the respondent.
I do not find him offensive. I do not find Paul offensive. They talk about things outside my experience. I pick up on the hurt and the pain.
I would like LU to apologise to Paul. I would like them to agree to disagree.
I don’t like to see anyone leave ATW.
Consider Allan. A self confessed BNP member and exposer of pretend Jews. I find some of his stuff highly offensive from a human point of view. He has had more insults heaped on him from all sides (especially mine), but he is tolerated here. He is a fixture. Even I would miss him if he left.
So let’s ALL make allowances. Let’s not rub each other’s noses in things that have happened, and let’s see past the rights and wrongs of Northern Ireland to the people most affected.
Can’t undo it. Can move on.
Let’s clarify some things here. The BNP is a legal organisation which is state-owned and I am not a member of it. The banking clique claims to be Jewish in order to use ‘anti-semitism’ (a fraudulent term) as a shield behind which they can continue to steal from the world, including the ordinary jews in Israel. And as for being “tolerated”, is it in your remit, Agit, to ‘tolerate’ me and my opinions, which are always backed by supporting evidence hence your unfortunate and frequent recourse to insult?
I haven’t responded to LU’s posts in weeks Agit nor his insults or attempts to bait me. It simply isn’t worth my time.
There are many people here I don’t agree with (in fact there is no one here who I would agree with on every issue). But they are civilised and generally interested in debating the issues.
LU isn’t. He isn’t civil to other people, trolls threads, destroys threads rather than adding to them, attacks people who have posted here for a long time for asking him to having common courtesy and is just generally unpleasant.