Yeah - there's a frenzied hysteria around really big events. And I have a feeling many wake up the next morning and say "Did I really say ~that~?"
Some in our midst are just jerks. Sometimes I want to fight with them, and sometimes I don't. Sometimes it's fun and sometimes it isn't. This issue isn't fun.
Most times it's great spectacle. Grab your popcorn and watch. I still think this is the best forum on the net.
I agree... we are the best forum on the net, and for many varied reasons. Most of all, the thing that makes it work is that it is well moderated. Policing a forum like this, or for that matter anything... is an art form, not a science.
We do need to work on the fast-breaking live thread though. Sometimes we not only lose our civility but get downright savage. That's the whole point of your MLK quote above. You're right, it's a great quote, and a good lesson. :-)
Hair, the sad thing is, I feel a goodly number of them never question themselves.