Restatement on comments (rated R)

As I have mentioned a time or two before, we seek to maintain a tone appropriate to civil discourse on this site. As new commenters have joined the conversation, a restatement of ground rules may be appropriate.

We not only strive to maintain an appropriate tone, we seek to elevate the tone. It is a tone that comes naturally to most of our readers and commenters.

I review comments for abuse and vulgarity. Most of our commenters have no problem speaking in language fit for polite company. However, every day I moderate comments by commenters who are routinely vulgar and comments that cross the line. Some commenters appear to be incapable of expressing themselves without recourse to words such as “ass” or “asshole” or “dumbass” or “whore or “bastard” or “shit” or “bullshit” or “fuck” or “balls” (of the anatomical variety) or the like and their many colorful variants. One commenter specializes in “libtard,” a word which is not acceptable here. Words with the suffix “-tard,” ditto.

The comment software generally holds such comments and prevents them from appearing without approval. Those of you who use such language in comments are warned. Those of you who persist in using such language are cordially invited to take your business elsewhere.

We will not always toe the line ourselves. Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.

Personal abuse of fellow commenters or of the proprietors of this site is also discouraged. Even without vulgarity, personal abuse is unwelcome. Commenters who engage in it may be banned summarily.

These are the guidelines we apply:

We prize civil discourse and ask our commenters to observe elementary courtesies.

Exceptions may be made, and the line may be blurry, but vulgarity is prohibited.

Personal abuse of Power Line authors and commenters is prohibited.

Anonymous/pseudonymous comments are discouraged. If you have a good reason for hiding behind a pseudonym, send a message to my attention at our email address and I will entertain it.

These guidelines are not exhaustive. They may be applied inconsistently and their violation may result in the deletion of comments and the banning of commenters.

Thank you for your courtesies and consideration.

Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.

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