From the Coffee Party web site:

"Someone posted the same video to YouTube and called the people who are interviewed "left wing extremists." Do you buy this person's claim that St. Louis is teaming with extremists? On what do you suppose it was based?

NEW: For the sake of discussion, let's assume something about the person who labeled fellow Americans "extremists." Let's assume he is someone who identifies strongly with the Tea Party. He fills uncomfortable or angry when he sees this spot, and his way of coping is to search his mind for a word that is insulting and dismissive. Maybe the word "extremist" comes to mind because this is a word that he doesn't like to hear when people describe the Tea Party. That's understandable, isn't it?

There are many, many good souls who identify with the Tea Party, and it is unfair when someone labels the entire network "extremist" just because of one speech by a former presidential candidate, or a few outrageous hand-made signs. This is why we encourage participants in the Coffee Party NOT paint ANYONE or any group with broad brushes.

We have decided as a group to stop using the term "teabagger," which we should all by now understand is both insulting and dismissive. By the same token, we really do prefer that the word "racist" not be applied to any person or any group. That is a word that is deeply insulting and incredibly dismissive. When you insult and dismiss people, it makes dialogue impossible. And we're the ones who are supposed to be PROMOTING dialouge right? So can I get some buy in on this? Can we agree that Coffee Party supporters and members should not indulge in these types of pejoritive attacks?

We can say someone's actions were extreme with calling them an extremist.

We can say someone's words expressed anxiety over demographic shifts, rather than saying the person who said those words is a racist.

We have much to gain by being polite. And much to lose by not being polite. As we can see, harsh words hurts people's feelings, they internalize it, and then they project that anger out as someone else. This is a cylce we need to break. "

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I think it's time for people to recognize that on mudcat, also, it is not constructive to alienate people who don't agree, and it may be time to pull back and examine how it just leads to trolling and endless backlash.
Alice