A statement on Political Civility*****

Boy, oh boy, you just posted the $64,000.00 question.

I am dismayed by this all the time by this.

Poll after poll shows that we as the public hate this and they just keep doing it, the media I mean.

I also belong to another messageboard where this happens and it happens to a certain extent everywhere. It is very sad.

I agree that this is probably an eternal dilemma. I belong to three cyber communities including this one -- and one of the others is specifically a political debate site. While I can get as passionate as the next person when I'm expressing my opinion, I do try to do so with consideration for people who don't agree.

I think people are so afraid of not being listened to that they don't even TRY to listen to others. But that's just my perception.

There was a pretty good article in the last Readers Digest about the polarization of America that you might want to check out.

The politicians love this.
You divide the public and get your side so scared of the other side that they'll vote for you no matter what you say or do.

It's sad.


(BTW- I am not pointing fingers at either side of the aisle...both of them do it!)

Sometimes I think we should all just get so sick of the Dem and the Repubs we should all "Go Green" and that would fix their little red wagon.

I think a lot of the problem is with the system itself. Not the electoral college or the basic Representative Republic that we have, but with the 2 party system.

The most extreme on both sides get the face time on the media. So that's what the opposition party pick up on and make their constituents think that every Democrat is Feinstein or Kennedy or Kerry; or every Republican is Delay or Bush. This is the scare tactic.

The Presidential Nomination process only plays to the most extreme as well, so you end up with two candidates like Bush & Kerry. Most of the mainstream wouldn't vote for either of them given a real choice, but they don't HAVE a real choice.

The majority of Americans are not extreme right or left, but in the middle somewhere. Unfortunately, we don't have that choice for our representatives (for the most part).

Personally, I think that one of the parties is going to go the way of the Whigs and disappear altogether in a relatively short time frame (I'm thinking within 20 years). The one that remains will have to re-evaluate their position on everything to remain, because there will be 4-5 other new parties waiting in the wings to take their place.

I am appalled at the way the politicians talk about each other! The level of hatred is terrible. And the way the media presents one sided news is just crazy. I find it very disgusting, and sometimes wish I had never started to follow politics.

I agree that both sides are at fault. But the media is more at fault in my eyes. If they would have 2 producers for each news show, one from each side of the aisle, there would be a lot more fair reporting, and less cover-up of crooked politicians. That would help matters a lot, in my opinion. And they could stop reporting every stupid thing a pol says!

Its not only the politicians - its part of their job (in their mind) - they don't do it they don't get media attention and their constituents think they are doing nothing, and after working in politics I do see that happen. BUT there is no need for the way in which it is done. Also the level of hatred that politicians show in the media is not at all an indication of the way they actually act towards each other. You don't seem them in committees sharing notes and having dinner and at receptions agreeing on the same issue - the media only portrays what sells and agreement does not sell.

We elect politicians to make these decisions for us so they can do all the arguing and we can leave without it, but some boards I frequent - political or otherwise have 2 problems when it comes to debates that get political. Some shut down the conversation leaving bad feelings that spill into other posts and in others where their is less moderating or its a political only type forum where you can debate your heart out let the threads go too long to the point that people get too out of hand and people are being insulted because of their political view not the actual topic at hand. I haven't found a forum yet that has found a happy medium between these when it comes to political debate.

I think part of the problem is, and particularly for politics, the only people that post are people who have strong views one way or the other, and this causes too much friction as they tend to be on complete opposite sides of the political spectrum and the media have built up this unneeded communist/facist hate between parties that are only slightly right/left of being centrist which spills into our lives.

But the words to live by are, in my opinion:

"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death - your right to say it." - Voltaire

I voted for Ralph Nader one year. My heart told me to. My firends told me I was wasting my vote. They were right.
I hope you're right!