Peace. Maybe it should begin right here.

[JeffR]

I don't take the flame wars, the candidate wars and whatever other little virtual wars there are here as seriously as some people do. Usually.

But some people need to get a grip. Aren't the mods busy enough monitoring a site this size? Aren't the admins busy enough running it and constantly working to improve it?

And aren't there enough challenges facing the nation and the world to satisfy even the most loquacious DUer? Aren't there enough real enemies to be faced without turning fellow DUers into enemies?

[true_notes]

1. I agree n/a

[karlrschneider]

2. I don't know what the hell happened. In the last couple months, dozens of DUers have turned into

whining crybabies. I've hidden more threads in the last 24 hours than the previous 4 years.
:eyes:

[Breeze54]

6. Truthfully;

I think college is out on spring break and maybe a lot of high schools too.
The kids are bored and have an ax to grind or someone has put them up to it.

"We're goin' to teach all them du'ers a lesson! Payback is a byotch!" :eyes:

Who's been tomb stoned lately? :shrug:

-------------------------------

Well said OP! Recommended.

[lonestarnot]

3. Hi JeffR...

What enemies. And who turned who into one? Hmmm...

[JeffR]

8. It starts with provocation

which is one thing if it's inadvertant, but quite another if it's just deliberate pump-priming.

Obviously there are topics that are very contentious, that arouse a lot of passion and sometimes crude debate. But it's another thing entirely to see people carrying these animosities around from topic to topic, cheapening the discussion.

No doubt there are trolls out in the weeds too, plenty of them. They probably enjoy times like these, since a lot of work is being done for them by DUers I believe are "real" DUers. Granted, these days it gets hard to tell the difference sometimes...

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks for the wise words, JeffR. Now if only some people would take

them to heart.

[H2O Man]

5. Thank you. n/t

[blondie58]

7. well said, Jeff

what about the turn the other cheek? And hey- we have the new option of ignore now. The mods do have a thankless job- and their job is not to babysit us- we should be old enough.

When I first started posting, I found a couple of the responses to be a little argumentative and less than positive. But as I get older- and wiser- I realize that there are actually people who enjoy fighting- the banter- the debate - what have you.

Now, as for me- I am a big time wussy pacifist. I crave peace and harmony above all. And those who respond to me in such a manner, I try to take it with a grain of salt and just not respond if it is hurtful.

In the wise words of Rodney King "can't we all just get along?"

[JeffR]

9. A fight now and then is probably healthy for debate

if it's honest. But I'm with you. Peace should be our goal, and the quest for it should govern our conduct on this earth. And here.

[NanceGreggs]

10. Amen.

:kick:

[brer cat]

11. Thanks, JeffR. I just hope you reach beyond the choir

with this post. I have been appalled by some of the threads recently. I don't understand why some people just "have" to make their digs, instead of stating a reasoned opinion or simply ignoring the post.

We can learn much from debate on DU, but it can all be lost in a flood of personal attacks and flame wars.

Thanks for taking the initiative with this post, and I hope it reaches a wide audience.

K&R

[NMDemDist2]

12. hear, hear! K&N n/t

[crappyjazz]

13. The power of ignore

I don't mean the use of the ignore function; just ignoring things you know are contentious makes for peace - maybe just you're own, but nontheless, that can be pretty powerful

OTOH, I know some discussions by nature are going to be heated which can happen now again; people are passionate about their politics and much of the time that is okay ... it's when the personal attacks come in that it is usually best to step away ... after all, once someone has nothing to resort to but personal attacks, they've lost and you've won :)

[kineneb]

14. DU folks are amateurs, I work with musicians, actors, and artists.

Now if you want to see a bunch of prima donnas and thin-skinned folk, just direct a musical group, or work with a group of actors. And the artists are just weird (I include myself in that description).

One develops a sense of humor and takes everything with a (big)grain of salt.

So, gentlefolk of our virtual village, treat each other kindly, and don't take the occasional attack personally. This is a political forum, not Real Life (tm).

:hi:

[rosesaylavee]

15. Thank you...

It has been particularly nasty this week. What gives? The full moon was last week.