When is it going to get better?

[julezdisney]

Just stay off the community board! Everyone fun & nice is in trip reports!

 

[eliza61]

Just stay off the community board! Everyone fun & nice is in trip reports!

I do take breaks now and then, when the hate starts getting really thick.
but then I'm the person who wishes the news would report a good story every now and then amongst all the doom and gloom.

 

[joviroxx]

I'm on a few messageboards on the internet. I will venture to say that this board is probably the tamest one. Now, this is my opinion but the common thread on all boards I see, when issues like these arise (and they arise on EVERY board) is that people tend to take things very personally and get chose to feel insulted.

We are a diverse group in this country. From all walks of life and all upbringings. Sometimes tone doesn't convey itself well in written form. But Ive never been able to understand how what someone in cyberspace says makes another feel so insulted and bashed. They are opinions, sometimes snarky, sometimes rude, sometimes not, but in no way do I get offended by what someone else says about me. I may not agree and argue vehemently, but I don't personally feel hurt, why should I? Heck if arguing over football can get viscious, you don't think Politics will? Its inevitable.

Rude, snarky, insulting can't be that way unless you choose to take it that way. Its what I teach my kids too. Is it kind? no. Is it polite? no But if you don't internalize it that way then they are just words and have no effect. It takes 2 to make an argument and some like to argue. Unless you purposely choose who to debate with , you need to be open to different kinds and go in with your eyes wide open. People sometimes just get their feelings hurt a little too easily. So skip it, there is so much more on this board!

Now again, its just my opinion...

 

[suzannen]

I agree with you. I think the Conservatives put up with ALOT of snarkiness the last 8 years. Now that the tables are turned I don't think the Libs enjoy that very much. I thin the saying "What comes around, goes around" is definately true.
Personally for the last few years every time it was cloudy, I was late with returning a library book, my dog pooped on the carpet, whatever happened that was bad I have a friend who would say to me "Oh, Thanks George Bush". I love her too much to let it bug me but you bet that now when it rains or she loses her keys or anything goes wrong I'll be the first to say to her "Oh, Thanks Obama!". All those things that were somehow George's fault can now be blamed on BO.

But between she and I it is not done in a spiteful, hateful way. We disagree and are on opposite sides of the aisle but we respect each other too much to let it put a rift in our friendship.

Allyson

Allyson what you say is true about "what comes around..." but I first came to this board in 1998 and at that time the conservatives were mercilessly bashing Clinton nonstop. Everything that Bush did in his early presidency was blamed on Clinton so much so that it got to be a game "how many posts before Clinton's name was brought up." It was usually by post 8 that blaming him and calling him names appeared. So some of the rude behavior from the more liberal side during the last 8 years was a reaction to that. Doesn't help anything and certainly does not excuse anything - rude and snarky behavior is the same regardless of which side you are on. But you can see what an awful cycle it is.

And, as you so nicely put at the end of your post - there is no reason folks can't agree to disagree and debate yet still be respectful. If we allowed honest, well-thought out discourse here, we might all actually learn something along the way.