There have been problems on both sides that have been allowed to continue.......in the case of Laura, where vulgarity and slander in the name of 'decency' has been left alone, but worse in the case of dear Terri where evil things were being said by some freepers, and dozens of trolls posing on both sides of the issue. Rotten things were said about the Pope too...
Free speech is a good thing, but common decency and a compunction to tell the truth has been missing all over the place here lately, and if it's driven Ivan away (in addition to many others), it needs to be controlled.
This isn't about Laura any more, it is about the tone of FR - and the matter with Laura is the most recent episode of such incivility. So it is highly relevant to address that.
Free speech is a good thing, but common decency and a compunction to tell the truth has been missing all over the place here lately, and if it's driven Ivan away (in addition to many others), it needs to be controlled.
And as I said, one of the best ways to improve civility is to demand it of those on your own side. Did you call anyone on your side to task for excessive attacks? Or are you only concerned about the incivility of the other side?