Posted on 02/04/2016 8:06:14 AM PST by HonorInPa
I’ll start off by saying, according to my profile, I’ve been a member of FR since September 2000, long enough to see the site evolve. I think the last three months have been a low point for FR with new lows being set every day.
FR used to be a place for interesting, sometimes contentious, but always considerate debate about issues important to the Conservative movement. Yes, during election cycles there was some push and shove concerning favorite candidates, but mostly involving their true conservative credentials.
Lately it is has become a reflection of the overall decline in civility in America. Gone are the reasoned arguments, peppered with humor, that were meant to persuade. Now many of the posts are nasty, ad hominem attacks – if you can’t use reason as a tool attack the person.
We’ve become, much like society, repeaters of the vulgar; he who speaks loudest or brashest must have the right opinion. We now live in a world where fame can start with leaked sex tapes, conspicuous consumption, and bad behavior (e.g. any Kardashian, Housewives of pick a city, etc.). No longer is much of the discussion here reflective of conservative principles – respect for the individual, reasoned consideration of all sides of an argument, and – dare I suggest – some level of morality.
Today, instead of working through solutions to the big problems facing America, our potential leaders toss out 140 character tweets meant to inflame their supporters or ridicule rivals. You can look at my post history and figure out who I’m supporting in this cycle (just as you can for previous elections) but I’m pointing my finger at all candidates. Put down the smartphones and talk to me like the intelligent adult I am. I know few of today’s issues are 100% black or white but I want to hear how you arrived at your solutions, your thought process, your ideals, your foundation. We’ve had enough of leaders who speak in platitudes or take a poll to decide what to have for lunch.
As a group we’re supposed to better than this. Over the years we’ve made fun of the idiocy over at DU but sadly of late, idiocy has found a new home here. We can raise the quality of the debate at this site. We can use this as a forum to demand that our candidates do the same. I will try my best to not get sucked into the morass and join in any undisciplined discussion.
I ask that each of us – myself included – take an extra second before pressing “post†to think about what we’ve typed. Does it insult needlessly? Does it raise the level of the debate? Is it a good reflection of our Conservative principles? Does it add fuel to the perceptions of others that the Right is made up of heartless, mean luddites?
Rather than sinking to the lowest common denominator, let’s all try to lead by example. Ok, flame away!
What an adorable puppy!
Politics is war without bullets. This is they way it should be. No silly posturing and out in the open warts and all.
Best primary season evah!
Well said! Thank you.
No flame here. Thank you for saying what I have been feeling also.
I understand what you’re saying here and thank you for saying it. The ugliness between Cruz/Trump supporters has really gotten out of hand. I’m going to vote for my guy in the primaries and wait and see what happens. Not much else I can truly do. I’m trying not to bad mouth anyone because the person I don’t care for may wind up as our nominee. I would much rather take this fight to the Democrats. I still believe that any of our current runners are better than theirs. Just waiting my turn here in Missouri!
Probably he used another tool like Word to compose it, then pasted it in. Most people don’t turn on the meta-data characters so you really don’t see what’s in your document.
Look at the gargle-characters.
They are tiny antennas.
One even says ‘TM’ (for transmit).
This is how the fed is listening to us, and infiltrating.
Completely agree.
Good post!
My puppy is cuter than your puppy.
Nothing will change here. The site owner Jim Robinson posted something similar yesterday and it seems to have had no effect.
“... you butthead..” Hey. I thought there wasn’t supposed to be any name calling. LOL!
Well said!
I agree with the general tenor of your post. I used to enjoy coming here for camaraderie, humor and education. I have learned so much on this site over the years. Lately, though, all of that feels like a fleeting memory. Tons of Trump and Cruz threads which I’ve stopped reading because the comments are not much more than bile and vitriol.
Identifying the correct fallacy quickly in these days is the real problem.
Testing:
Am I a “carrier” myself?
You cannot talk to ignorant fools that much of our society has become. We are at a crossroads of the end of America and these idiots cannot understand that lies and distortions are one of the reasons we are in the spot we have ended.
Keep your powder dry and
save your ammo for when it can
best destroy the enemy
The Internecine warfare is just adding
grist to the Demo Grindstones
Totally agree. Great post and very much needed.
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