Honestly, I despise doing it. But what I despise even more is someone who is nasty, irrational, abrasive, and abusive, and won’t even take the time to explain what it is they may have taken issue with.
I really like this website. I’m coming up on my 20th anniversary soon as well as my hundred thousandth post. The majority of that as a The majority of that as a monthly paying customer to use Jim Robinson‘s website.
What I found out here on Free Republic is that any time you make a statement, you have to be prepared to justify and explain it.
We do have a modicum of free speech here (within the bounds of a private website run and owned by Jim Robinson who I have had the privilege to meet in person a few times) but with that freedom comes responsibility to be prepared to engage in rational discourse and defend your speech in a semi-public forum.
Everyone has a bad day. I’ve had plenty of mine, And this is a personal failing of mine that I can tend to be hotheaded. Which for me isn’t good because when I get angry, I can become irrational and pig-headed.
But I always try to apologize in a public way when I insult somebody, which I occasionally have done it a mean, spirited way. In all my years share, can count less than one hand people that I simply avoid and don’t talk to.
I can’t help it if someone drinks when they’re posting, is bipolar, or just a fundamentally mean person, and I try to take human variability into account, but someone who does it on a regular basis shouldn’t be allowed unlimited license to do so.
I certainly don’t want to tolerate it.
Everyone has a bad day, maybe a bad week or more. But everyday the sun comes up and it’s a new day. Someone who’s had ups and downs knows this and learns to deal with it. It’s called maturity. Yet then again there are those who just never learn, never grow. If I had pity, I would give them that, but I cannot tolerate a first and angry strike unprovoked.