Atheist Ireland Rebukes PZ Myers

[onager]

8. It all started about 6 months ago.

And I'm not about to re-hash the whole thing here. If you want to know more (yes, that's a "Starship Troopers" reference!) you can find the whole story by searching. I've been following the blow-up off and on.

Shortest version I can manage:

1. Comments on Nugent's blog are mostly unmoderated and he doesn't ban people very often. Among the people posting there are some members of the board, The SlymePit.

2. Because of that - in a tweet, Myers accused Nugent of harboring "rapists, misogynists and harassers" in his blog Comments.

3. Nugent asked for an apology. Myers refused.

This part is strictly IMO - Myers went right off the rails with that accusation about Nugent's blog. As he did earlier when he pretty much called Michael Shermer a "rapist" on his own blog. (ETA - that's a whole other long story, also avaliable by searching).

Rape is a damned serious crime and a serious accusation to be levelled at anyone. If true, the rapist needs to be in jail. If untrue, it can destroy a reputation - at least. Rape is not a charge that should be decided in a Trial By Internet. And it shouldn't be tossed around as a casual insult.