I can prove it.  The following is something I found while reading then news; captured a screenshot, and saved it.

Now, let’s  think about this a second.
A comment with 2 green thumbs and 8 red is hidden due to a low rating.  A comment with 1 green thumb and 8 red is shown.  The one showing childish ignorance about the President is rewarded.  Or at least, not punished even though it is less popular than the one that is punished (hidden).

If it was entirely automatic, then how could this situation be possible?  If there were some intervention, then somebody is responsible.

Ratings change over time as readers rate comments.  You may (or may not), find it at the following URL.
Congress wants tough stance with China over trade
It’s around post #128 or so…

How many times have we heard it?  Ground Zero is now “hallowed ground”.  Therefore, no mosque (or family center) should be built there or anywhere nearby.  They are essentially arguing that ground zero, and all adjacent lands should be “mosque free”.

But just how far away should one be before it is no longer “hallowed ground” (and therefore should be mosque free)?

Is 11.5 miles far enough away for you?
Queens: Drunk desecrates mosque

Is 889.5 miles far enough?
Murfreesboro Tn: Anti Mosque protests “get ugly”, includes arson.

How about 947 miles?
Jacksonville Fl: Man attacks mosque – largely ignored by media.

How about over 2900 miles? Is that far enough away to to be “no longer on hallowed 9/11 grounds”, and therefore  should be “mosque free”?
Fresno Ca: Islamic center vandalism

Seriously, just how far away from ground zero does one have to get before the “hallowed ground” argument morphs into one of just plain hate?

We’ve been here before.  In fact, we’ve taken this path so many times before that it is ultimately predictable.  So predictable that it goes beyond boring.  We have plenty of historical examples from which to draw the pattern.

The Inquisition
The Salem witch trials
The KKK
The Holocaust
The rounding up of Japanese Americans in 1942
McCarthy
Iraq war.

These examples, and hundreds more throughout world history, show the pattern.  Fear leads to anger leads to emotional catharsis leads to immoral behavior.  Already, we have politicians supporting this behavior, pundits feeding the fear and hate, and the forums are literally covered in people goading each other into taking the next step toward violence.

Nobody wants to participate in creating a dark blot on Americas history.  But with far too many examples of such goading and fear mongering to cite here, that is exactly the direction this is heading.  If those sympathetic to this emotional catharsis gain political power, we will have to add another instance of Americans doing wrong to our history books.

If history teaches anything, it’s not to trust demagogues who feed the hateful passions of others.

There is still ways to stop the madness.   We’ve done it before.  Federal intervention stopped the KKK from becoming a well organized machine.  The governors intervention stopped the Salem witch trials. The military stopped the holocaust. McCarthy stopped when noteworthy personae began challenging his claims in public. In all cases, it took popular backlash or an authority figure to force an end to the immorality. When no authority was found to stop them, they were only stopped with military force and only after a great many innocents died.

We can stop this by actively seeking the defeat of those demagogues running for office and by publicly rejecting their shills. Barring that, we can stop them with challenges by those with authority. Failing that, only military force can prevent a bloodbath. Make no mistake, this is a moral issue. Will you be the one who stands idle as hundreds,  thousands, or even millions of innocent lives are destroyed?