WingColors

I think it's pretty low that as soon as you get someone that disagrees with you your first instinct is to find some way to have them silenced, whether by publicly shaming them through a thread calling them out or to have the powers that be impart some kind of penalty.

*Tyme slips in to say we're watching the discussion. I've been watching it from the beginning. I won't let it go too far. Carry on....*

Every flare up where someone loses their cool and attacks you just reinforces your point, not theirs.

Look, it's obvious you're talking about me. What exactly have I done wrong?

You are all dogs.

Thanks Paul =)

TJenkins - sorry to let you down, but you're not the only one I'm talking about. You're not even the person that prompted this note. I don't know you - or at least I don't remember you.

This note is aimed at the people who I've spent approaching two years talking with. People who usually hold themselves up well are ending up in little scuffles for no particular reason. I think we can do better as a group and I'm just trying to highlight that it doesn't need to be like this.

In short this is aimed at others who can moderate themselves.

I enjoy reading everyone's comments most of the time. I agree we are not going to all agree with each other and this is also true in everyday life. I am very opinionated when it comes to most subjects, but when talking to someone I normally will respect their views without getting nasty about it. It seems that people are not always so respectful when they are writing something from the comfort of their home or cubicle.

TJenkins - sorry to let you down, but you're not the only one I'm talking about. You're not even the person that prompted this note. I don't know you - or at least I don't remember you.

Well considering you mentioned today's active threads prompting this, and of the 4 active threads today I've been active in all of them as a kind of counter push to the prevailing liberal opinion I assumed you meant me.

Tyme should already have my opinion on things as of late in her inbox. :)

You certainly haven't helped abate the flames but many people on both sides of the fence have lost their rag at some point recently.

We can talk about these things respectfully.

People have different fundamental beliefs on what is right and what government should be. With that in mind, you (to all of us) have to respect that just saying "you're wrong" probably isn't going to get your argument across.

If you want your view understood, you have to explain yourself. If you don't care, you might as well not post.

I don't recall losing my cool anytime recently... I like coming here because people with polar opposite views were able to converse about the most hot button issues without acting like children.

As of late it seems like that ability has left many people here.

@RightOn - I should? *Tyme frantically goes to hunt through email*

Edit: I see it - responding.

Carry on.....

I don't recall just saying "you're wrong" or not respecting anyone.

Well I wasn't going to quote or name people directly, but if people are going to stand up and say they're not involved when I think they are... Well that's something else.

James: "I'm not even going to bother addressing the crap in here" - It's not losing your cool but it's hardy "tact 101". There are better ways to start a rebuke. If you didn't mean what we had written before you comment, you should have phrased it better. You might argue that it's not your responsibility to spell out every nuance of your thinking but that depends on how much you want to be understood.

TJ: If I was being really critical, I'd cite most of your posts in the Palin thread as non-constructive or plain inflammatory. You swept in on fuscom's coattails and said we got all our opinions from dailykos. The rest of the thread is a spiral into "you said this" and "you said that"; something that wasn't purely your fault, but you've kept it alive and off-topic.

While I realise neither of you will see directly eye-to-eye with me on this little review, I'm not looking to develop this into another all-out-thread-meltdown. You're not the only people I've thought crossed the line; just the only two who've said they're not responsible. It is just coincidence that you're both Republican so try not to read this reply as politics. This is all Oli.

what "line"? Not blindly following the desired slant of the thread?

I'll presume that a good portion of the blame falls on me (and perhaps I'm Oli's inspiration for the post; or perhaps I falter myself.)

Mia culpa.

I will admit to having lost my temper, though I don't believe I engaged in personal attacks until they actually started reaching me. To one, I will admit to have been baited. Should've controlled myself better and I didn't, partially because, not having been involved in a good political flamewar in a while, I was rather enjoying letting lose. (It doesn't help that I've been under some stress recently, something which doesn't excuse the behavior.) To the other, I stopped it once the (more direct) personal attack came. I thought about firing back, but honestly it wasn't worth it.

So for any trouble I may have caused, my apologies.

This election has been a polarizing one. I've been surprised by things I've learned about a lot of people. Who knew my high-school boyfriend, the well-read and compassionate punk-rocker, would be so afraid of people whom they *heard* might be Muslims? Or that my own cousin voted for a candidate based on her anatomy?
These issues are personal to many of us and when things get personal, feelings inevitably get hurt.

Let's remember, we can agree to disagree without being hateful. We owe it to one another to discuss our differences respectfully; otherwise we won't get anything done.

Luckily I guess, I don't have time these day for this here, but I'm sure it is not only here.

Identity politics gets ugly, and that is exactly what this, and most elections are about-here. I'm not sure how it is there, but in this country unfortunately politics gets ugly because our politics is based on identity and the framing, and those who feel their identity is threatened often get ugly about it, on either side.

Now I'll have to go see what all the hoopla is about.

I've actually been off-line for most of the past few months, studying, so it was a really strange feeling to wake up (hey, let's go check out Chawlk like you used to 24/7!) and stumble across this thread.

I'm not going to comment on what happened: I'm not American, I don't really understand the nuances of the current race (though I'm very, very interested), and anyway I wasn't a part of the spat.

But I'd like to say that Chawlk-ers have always been good at arguing and making up. And what Oli did above is stellar. Points to him. I may not be active at the moment but I'm glad to see that this place hasn't died.

I can't wait to get back.

Till then.

PS: my exams end December 4th. What a bloody long time to wait. Sigh.