Liberals don't bother. You will just be in a bad mood the rest of the day.

[Susan Horn]

More than once I've been called an idealist and a dreamer. Usually folks calling me names like that mean it as an insult, but I rather like such accolades. Without ideals and dreams, how do you have a vision for where you're going? Shoot for the stars, and even if you miss, etc.etc.etc

So. One of my dreams is that there could be a real or virtual (or both) place of civil public discourse, where people could hold informed and informative, respectful discussions -- meaningful exchange of opinion/information, and where people might spend at least some of their time hoping to understand or at least accept different points of view. Occasionally, I see that energy here, though often it gets murdered with the nastiness before it can really take off.

I keep trying, and whenever it gets mean and nasty, I have to evaporate. Not because I am scared, but because it is a waste of my precious time and energy. I also do what I can on the ground, working for positive change. I hope other idealists and dreamers among us will do the same!

 

[Jdarg]

More than once I've been called an idealist and a dreamer. Usually folks calling me names like that mean it as an insult, but I rather like such accolades. Without ideals and dreams, how do you have a vision for where you're going? Shoot for the stars, and even if you miss, etc.etc.etc

So. One of my dreams is that there could be a real or virtual (or both) place of civil public discourse, where people could hold informed and informative, respectful discussions -- meaningful exchange of opinion/information, and where people might spend at least some of their time hoping to understand or at least accept different points of view. Occasionally, I see that energy here, though often it gets murdered with the nastiness before it can really take off.

I keep trying, and whenever it gets mean and nasty, I have to evaporate. Not because I am scared, but because it is a waste of my precious time and energy. I also do what I can on the ground, working for positive change. I hope other idealists and dreamers among us will do the same!

Great post Susan.

I love the way this thread turned around- yes, we all love funny (and I thought all the vids were funny in different ways and probably for different reasons than the posters intended!).

It all goes back to "pure" discussion- which is impossible when some of the participants are anonymous, and can really dig without having anyone know their identity. I prefer having "in person" political discussions with ourfriends, who, contrary to popular belief, are not all liberals, and that makes the conversation more lively and our lives richer. It really is possible to have friends with different political beliefs, when everyone's core values are the same. Thankfully, there are people in Walton County who do wish to work together despite party affiliations! I am meeting more and more all the time.

 

[Miss Kitty]

WOW..that was a class, A-1 post jdarg...AND an awakening for me, TRULY. Back and forth is just that--like playing a tennis game forever with no discernable winner!!

I am done on the Political Threads--thanks for the intervention, JD!!

I think I can better serve the world and the county by showing up consistently and doing the real work of the "Party" of my choice here in Walton County.

When pigs fly....oink oink zoom! It's okay, hnooe...it's a free country and a free forum!

scootyb...I admire you, but IMO, red chickleting a thread title (that had been up for days!) seems :roll:. It is, of course, your right to use the red bomb, but, wrobert is a known commodity around these parts...it's like, nothing new, move on.

I have seen FAR worse political stuff from both sides over the past year. Yes, jdarg....back and forth and the same ol' same ol', although sometimes if you sift through, you can actually learn a new angle or understand why people think the way they do. Some posters are so predictable to me that I can almost post for them!

Off my box. Let's all sing kumbaya and do a dance.

 

[scooterbug44]

MK, I chicleted it a couple hours after he posted it - not days later. The only reason I started commenting in the thread days later was because WR sent me PMs and posted about it. :roll:

I was just frustrated because it seems like we can't have a civil discussion anymore - pretty sad in a small community and a non-election year.

 

[Rita]

I agree that the title was provoking and annoying. (sorry wrobert - but it just kinda came off that way ) Just posting the videos would have been best as it created an atmosphere of division right from the get-go.

G

wrobert, you do have a propensity to use titles trying to state your "agenda" without actually coming out and saying what you mean. Anyone who's been on here very long knows that.

Nail on head here Gidget:
"We have to ask ourselves, when we post, what is our reason for posting? Is it to share ideas and try and find the common ground? Is it to try and understand the other side? Is political humor posted to inflame the other side or just to have a laugh with those of the same ideology?"

.

 

[Gidget]

It isn't always futile and they shouldn't be "scared" to post. If they want to contribute to the conversation they should, but because a comment is political in nature, they should know that some will disagree with them in a nice way, and some will not. Most political conversations rarely stay "clean"- the political forum on SoWal is very tame in comparison to others I have seen. Some days I'm in the mood for it, other days not, usually depending on who is "playing" that day and the topic.

And remember that most political discussions here are not "pure" as in everyone is on equal footing and is anonymous. Many frequent posters are heavily involved in local politics and government, which makes the game a little more interesting due to the vast amount of "back story".

The SoWal.com political forum has been a huge asset and info sharing spot for those interested in local politics, and to share political ideas and plans.

If you want to see really ugly, look no further than the online commentary on stories in the NWFlorida Daily News or sometimes the Walton Sun- most comments will make you lose your lunch. I had to stop reading them, along with the sound off section in the NWFDN- so much bitterness and hate, so little time.....

:clap_1: Excellent post and very true.

 

[Gidget]

wrobert, you do have a propensity to use titles trying to state your "agenda" without actually coming out and saying what you mean. Anyone who's been on here very long knows that.

Nail on head here Gidget:
"We have to ask ourselves, when we post, what is our reason for posting? Is it to share ideas and try and find the common ground? Is it to try and understand the other side? Is political humor posted to inflame the other side or just to have a laugh with those of the same ideology?"

.

 

[Gidget]

[FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~Richard Armour

[/FONT][FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]Hell, I never vote for anybody, I always vote against. ~W.C. Fields[/FONT]

[FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right. ~H.L. Mencken, 1956[/FONT]

[FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]George Washington is the only president who didn't blame the previous administration for his troubles. ~Author Unknown[/FONT] ;-)

and last but not least

[FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]Politics - I don't know why, but they seem to have a tendency to separate us, to keep us from one another, while nature is always and ever making efforts to bring us together. ~Sean O'Casey[/FONT]

 

[Miss Kitty]

MK, I chicleted it a couple hours after he posted it - not days later. The only reason I started commenting in the thread days later was because WR sent me PMs and posted about it. :roll:

I was just frustrated because it seems like we can't have a civil discussion anymore - pretty sad in a small community and a non-election year.

I am sorry...I am lost in Maine and thought this thread had been up for at least a week. ;-)

I know the frustration and I also know that sometimes it is hard to hold back. I need to add that it was not particularly a good move on wrobert's part to make a private communication, public, imo. But, a red chicklet probably makes people do strange things!

wrobert, you do have a propensity to use titles trying to state your "agenda" without actually coming out and saying what you mean. Anyone who's been on here very long knows that.

I guess it all has to do with where one sits, Rita. I really thought the title was humorous and would have laughed if it had said conservatives, too. Was it the message or the messenger?

.

 

[Winnie]

,*******
We have to ask ourselves, when we post, what is our reason for posting? Is it to share ideas and try and find the common ground? Is it to try and understand the other side? Is political humor posted to inflame the other side or just to have a laugh with those of the same ideology?

I don't know what wrobert's intentions were when posting the thread, but I can't believe that we have a red chiclet button! Seems like that can get out of control.... not sure I like that side of the forum.

I don't know wrobert's intentions either but I appreciate having "a laugh with those of the same ideology" sometimes. I like to think that is why he posted it.

Did the thread title change or is the current title the one that is causing some offense?