Family Scholars Blogger says: Curse them because they don't deserve any respect at all.

Corruption of public discourse, part 2.

Barry Deutsch has been guest blogging at the Institute for American Values' Family Scholars Blog. He is also known as the blogger, Ampersand, and has crossposted blogposts at both FSB and his own blog, "Amptoons", and comments under his own blogposts at both sites. He also moderates those discussions.

Here is his stated view of those with whom he disagrees in the conflict between the SSM idea and the marriage idea:

"There is no reason any particular person needs to be polite to them if they don't want to be. I treat them with respect 1) because my personal preference is for conversations in a respectful tone, 2) because I think some lurkers are more likely to find a respectful tone persuasive, and 3) I have a talent for maintaining a respectful tone.

"But that's just me. If someone else, on their own blog space or whatever, wants to curse people like Mr. [Robert] George out in every way they can, I don't object to that. Especially if that person is lgbt, then I think it's entirely understandable if they don't accord Mr. George or his fellow thinkers any respect at all"

[Comment by Ampersand, December 21, 2010 at 7:47 PM on his blogsite, Amptoons. ]

www.amptoons.com//2010/12/21/what-is-marriage/comment-page-1/#comment-196297

Here Mr. Deutsch has excused ad hom attacks. He clearly invoked gay identity politics as superseding civility.

Mr Deutsch also happened to overstate his preference for a respectful tone. His heavily biased performance as a moderator speaks louder than the sound of his patting himself on the back. He also plainly states that the appearance of a respectful tone in his blogposts, comments, and efforts at moderating amounts to a merely superficial display and thus an insincere ploy that is used to thinly disguise true animus. Whatever talent this bespeaks, it is not one conducive to productive civil discourse in which disgreements are aired, where opponents seek common understanding of one another's views, and where misunderstandings or misrepresentations are generously and thoughtfully reconsidered. It encourages bad faith commentary and the impugning of motives of those who'd disagree with Mr. Deutsch's barely-under-his-breath disrespect for fellow commenters and bloggers.

With his excuse making and promised support, he has, in effect, invited his fellow SSMers, especially in the name of the gay identity group, to make the personal attacks that his precious tactical pose supposedly guards against.

Just because Mr. Deutsch admittedly acts in bad faith and disguises his animus with an admittedly thin veneer of respect does not mean that Mr. George and other like-minded citizens do as Mr. Deutsch would and does. This is an example of the SSMer who imagines himself above reproach even as he encourages disrespect and incivility. He'd smear or have others do it for him and then stand back, arms folded across his chest, his chin thrust upward, nodding approvingly.

Perhaps that is the best that Mr Deutsch is prepared to do. His devotion to the cause and his reliance on gay identity politics might have shackled his hands and his mind. Or perhaps not. I invite him and his fellow SSMers to do better. Much better. I invite people on all sides of this contentious conflict of ideas to do much better. I will endeavor alongside those who'd accept that open invitation. Here at Opine or elsewhere.

Our Opine motto is one that may be tough to adopt and even tougher to live up to in the heat of the contest but it is our guiding light.

"Defending marriage on the firm ground of reason and respect for human dignity."

To those SSM supporters who believe and think that they defend marriage, thusly, the invitation ought to be irresistable.

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The motto of the Family Scholars Blog is very compatible with ours: "Engaging the key debates."

See: FamilyScholars.org