Earlier today, and actually a few days ago too.....I, and other posters here, got involved in what turned out to be a pretty ugly 285Bound family feud.
In an attempt...perhaps misguided attempt.....to explain to one poster how the use of a throw away line like "you have no life" can actually be so close to the truth as to be hurtful, I let the whole situation get way out of hand.
I have tried to always keep the person separate from the opinion, always deal with the post....not the poster. it seems that is nearly impossible here, but I will continue to make that my goal, it's all about the ideas, opinions, issues, not about the person.
I do apologise for my part in hijacking more than one thread here trying to make myself understood, and failing miserably in the process. It was never my intent to use my health situation as an excuse, as a plea for sympathy, or even a reason for losing my cool, I simply wanted to illustrate that you can hit pretty close to home with a personal attack and maybe we shouldn't be personally attacking posters....just posts.
archer wrote: I feel I need to do a really big.....I'm sorry
Earlier today, and actually a few days ago too.....I, and other posters here, got involved in what turned out to be a pretty ugly 285Bound family feud.
In an attempt...perhaps misguided attempt.....to explain to one poster how the use of a throw away line like "you have no life" can actually be so close to the truth as to be hurtful, I let the whole situation get way out of hand.
I have tried to always keep the person separate from the opinion, always deal with the post....not the poster. it seems that is nearly impossible here, but I will continue to make that my goal, it's all about the ideas, opinions, issues, not about the person.
I do apologise for my part in hijacking more than one thread here trying to make myself understood, and failing miserably in the process. It was never my intent to use my health situation as an excuse, as a plea for sympathy, or even a reason for losing my cool, I simply wanted to illustrate that you can hit pretty close to home with a personal attack and maybe we shouldn't be personally attacking posters....just posts.
Yannow archer, we all see the world through our own lenses. Those lenses are crafted by our experiences - mostly the bad experiences. Those are the ones that have the greatest impact on our lives because we are never prepared to deal with them. You roll with the punches just as anybody else does, but nobody else can see through your lenses. At least we know you're real. No need for a Mea Culpa.
towermonkey wrote: Yannow archer, we all see the world through our own lenses. Those lenses are crafted by our experiences - mostly the bad experiences. Those are the ones that have the greatest impact on our lives because we are never prepared to deal with them. You roll with the punches just as anybody else does, but nobody else can see through your lenses. At least we know you're real. No need for a Mea Culpa.
yeah there is TM.....I know better than to let someone elses opinion of me get under my skin like that, it won't happen again. This isn't a playground, were supposed to be adults......it's time I started acting like one. If I do, maybe others will follow suit. For quite some time I have been uncomfortable with the tone of many of the threads here. We don't discuss issues, we hurl opinions and insults and sound bytes at each other like it's a snowball fight. The media has nothing on us for exaggerating the issues and blowing most of them way out of proportion.......whatever I have contributed to that tone, I hope to be able to stop. I won't back down (I aint that sorry) but I won't play the I hate you-you hate me game anymore.
From what I have learned over the months that you have been posting, this must have been tough for you to do Archer, and I, for one am impressed, though my opinion means nothing to you, I'm sure.
towermonkey wrote: Yannow archer, we all see the world through our own lenses. Those lenses are crafted by our experiences - mostly the bad experiences. Those are the ones that have the greatest impact on our lives because we are never prepared to deal with them. You roll with the punches just as anybody else does, but nobody else can see through your lenses. At least we know you're real. No need for a Mea Culpa.
yeah there is TM.....I know better than to let someone else's opinion of me get under my skin like that, it won't happen again. This isn't a playground, were supposed to be adults......it's time I started acting like one. If I do, maybe others will follow suit. For quite some time I have been uncomfortable with the tone of many of the threads here. We don't discuss issues, we hurl opinions and insults and sound bytes at each other like it's a snowball fight. The media has nothing on us for exaggerating the issues and blowing most of them way out of proportion.......whatever I have contributed to that tone, I hope to be able to stop. I won't back down (I aint that sorry) but I won't play the I hate you-you hate me game anymore.
For once I actually agree with you archer. I think the 'tone' of the first responses to a post usually gets that hateful snowball rolling. I've tried to be respectful to those who are respectful to me but I often lose a little self control with certain people who seem to only respond with broad brush negative generalizations.
In my ideal dream forum, members would respond to a post with a reasoned argument to counter or expand on the actual topic instead of immediately saying something like "You_______ are all idiots because you believe blah blah blah." To me that is about as ignorant as it gets (and I may be one who has done this).
I realize there are some OPs that appear to be hateful from the beginning and really don't even deserve a response. I just think that when a thread is started, the first person to add nothing but an ignorant insult or broad brush negative generalization should be called out for it. No need to remove the post or retaliate with another insult...just call that person out and move on.
I think over time we'll see who is actually willing to discuss the topic and present facts, good sources, and reasoned opinion.
For the record, I think the most considerate posters on both PC and here are Science Chic on the left and Printsmith on the right. I don't recall ever seeing them bash anyone even when provoked. I also have an opinion on the biggest instigators of hate on both sides but I see no reason to foul this thread with their names....we all know who they are.
I'll do my part to end the bullsh*t, even if there's just a few of us. Good post archer.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
This isn't a war and liberals are not my enemy. I find it a huge waste of energy to discuss politics with insults and accusations instead of just making a case and backing it up. If anyone needs to be disarmed, it's people who only come here to perpetuate hate.
I spent all of last year fighting cancer and came close to death when my lungs got filled with blood clots. I'm trying to remind myself how short life is and how idiotic it is to be angry at people on a forum I may never meet in person. I come here because I like talking politics, not because I like to fight....I don't have much fight left in me now anyway.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
CriticalBill wrote: This isn't a war and liberals are not my enemy. I find it a huge waste of energy to discuss politics with insults and accusations instead of just making a case and backing it up. If anyone needs to be disarmed, it's people who only come here to perpetuate hate.
I spent all of last year fighting cancer and came close to death when my lungs got filled with blood clots. I'm trying to remind myself how short life is and how idiotic it is to be angry at people on a forum I may never meet in person. I come here because I like talking politics, not because I like to fight....I don't have much fight left in me now anyway.
Bill, when you looked like this
do you think it would be fair to say that your parents and grandparents may have got pissed if they saw someone doing something they knew was going to make the rest of your life a struggle? There are higher callings than serving ones own interests. Sometimes it isn't just about you. Although if you are from the baby boomer generation y'all tend to think it is all about you. The "greatest generation" gave us the selfish generation
