I have deleted Paxton’s new comments (four).

I think it is notable that we always have to make a point of noticing when he makes a “very sensible and civil response.”

Yes, you can do that Paxton. That’s what makes it particularly annoying when once again you resort to vitriol and abuse.

To make it clear Paxton, I told you months ago that if you continued your unwarranted attacks on Jerry Coyne you would be banned. Your personal obsession with him, and the warped lens through which you view him, means your ongoing slurs have not stopped. You do not have evidence as you claim, you have an opinion, and it is distorted.

As I said earlier, this is an extension of my home, and your own actions mean you are no longer welcome here.

I have heard of plenty of people being de-platformed but I have not heard a single one of them claiming it deprives them of free speech. I think you have completely misunderstood this whole issue from start to finish. The criticism is that it’s a poor way to deal with ideas you don’t like.

To *repeatedly* generalize about someone’s character and motivations after you have been asked to stop, and after you have made the same accusation dozens of times already, is, I’m sorry, simply lack of manners.

I met Jerry this year briefly — I went to his talk in Poland 2 hours from Berlin where I live. I wouldn’t go to listen to a bigot who “stokes fear and loathing of Muslims”. It’s ridiculous.

It’s perfectly normal and in order to set rules for commenters, especially when a topic starts rehashing old territory — a blog is not an open discussion forum, and the articles Heather writes are carefully researched and made freely available. It is her right to decide how and if she wants discussion after her writing to proceed. It is not a free speech issue. And your views are well known here and you have been given a very generous amount of space to express them, including a guest post.

Your statements about Jerry also come across to me as personal and unfair attacks on his character.

Sorry Heather if this comment is out of order.

“Your inability to understand the difference between criticizing a belief system and individuals is frustrating in the extreme.”

Exactly. Seemed more like a decision to play dumb rather than an “inability to understand,” as P seems smart enough to get the idea. Or, rather than “playing dumb,” just refusing to ever address the subject, effectively ignoring the many times any of us went to great lengths thinking we could explain it to him. Very Trumpian of him.

(Sorry if this violates the rules too, Heather. Please feel free to delete it if so.)

You’ve been de-platformed by your own failure to be fair or courteous. As it says in the Comments Guidelines, this is an extension of my home. I expect people to behave as they would there. You have repeatedly abused and insulted a friend of mine despite my asking you repeatedly not to. Perhaps you have forgotten that you e-mailed me this snarky comment (among several others):

Thanks for the reprieve Heather, but clearly it is time for me to move on. I will never be able to satisfy your restrictions on what I can say. Now you can join your friends in stoking fear and loathing of Muslims, without the inconvenience of hearing the other side of the story.

I’ve had enough. Your inability to understand the difference between criticizing a belief system and individuals is frustrating in the extreme. And, when it comes to Jerry, you’re like a petulant child. You have made me choose between him and you by your behaviour. He is my friend, and I don’t abandon my friends.

I’ve been deplatformed by the two arch enemies of deplatforming. Irony or hypocrisy?

Sorry my words were so hurtful. I should have provided trigger warnings.

Ok snowflake. You’ve got your safe space.

If you want to attack my friends in a public forum, you can find somewhere else to do it, I am not obliged to provide you with a platform. You’ve pushed your luck once too often.

No need to apologize – you’ve already expressed yourself properly here. And I certainly understand the desire to respond.