mythago
Hero
Allow me to try to explain. Supposing I am responding to your post (as I actually am), and instead of saying what I am saying now I responded:
"So what you are basically saying is that puppies deserved to be kicked and caged? You're basically defending animal cruelty! Do you run a dog fighting ring?"
You would probably see that and wonder how in the heck I construe such nonsense from your post, or how I managed to come up with such an uncharitable response to what you said. You'd also probably think that I had underlying intent to slander you and present you in the worst possible light, and give mythago the name and reputation of one that abused animals.
And I read your post, and it's not as exaggerated as my hypothetical puppy kicking response but it seems to be in the same spirit.
We're neighbors. I would never be so rude to you as to report you to the moderators, in the same way I'd never call the police on my neighbors for playing their music too loud.
So I didn't in fact use an ad hominem attack or accuse the person I was responding to of being an awful person - I criticized their post with an interpretation you felt was unfair and in a tone you didn't like, and you accused me of being disingenous and "hateful". I trust you see the irony here?
As for moderators, you asked why my post was not "treated as" aggressive and hateful. That's an odd comment to make ("treated by" whom?) unless it was a complaint that I was unfairly escaping the modhammer.
I get that you disagree strongly with me on a wide variety of subjects, and that's fine. But I really don't understand rushing to the defense of a post that mocks and, yes, overgeneralizes about a group they allegedly disagree with and then complaining about civility.