Reply #417: First of all, thank you. I've been trying to analyze myself lately. I am much

[peacetalksforall]

less civil than I was for many, many years. I always thought I would try to practice what I was taught - stick with the facts AND (most especially) write from the 'I' and not the 'you'. Especially, without any facts to accompany the 'you'.

A combination of stating or inferring 'you' plus a cuss word, then running, is obvious and is easy for a moderator.

Writing from the 'I' gets into explaining or substantiating my position and furthers dialogue or clarifies dialogue - which is kinda/more democratic.

Hitting and running.......

I also find that I don't trust myself when it comes to civility and I become really tense when I come to DU and recognize a troll attack, especially when I find the subject revelatory. I may have just started reading a thread and after only about or less than 10 posts I 'KNOW' that the thread got hit with a team of trolls. They are out to kill the thread in order to kill the message or scramble the knowledge that newbies are getting or redirecting those who are not so knowledgeable about the subject. Redirecting their beliefs - with a one liner reason or pushing people by saying there is nothing to see here - the end result is intimidation and putting a stop to exploring the truth.

I have struck out (mostly) by asking for substantiation because for the most part their messages are hollow but delivered with so much emphasis and authority that they push people away which is their goal or get everyone to agree with them. They intimidate the writer and deny the facts with nothing more than a put down or flip reason. I started not letting them get away with it without cussing. Usually, there is no reply. I found out on two occasions that is was wrong because the two explained what they meant.

I bring this up because it is the number two reason for my tenseness and tendency to want to attack. They make a big difference in my patience and self discipline.

I also bring this up because I would like to know if we are going to have a 'talk' about trolls.

My last point of my self-analysis - is that I feel in a panic about the past last year. Sometimes I feel I'm in a time warp. I'm writing something and I notice that I am phrasing it as if Cheney was still President. It is difficult to lay back and pretend that there is a lot of time for things to get explained and changed. The pace of attacks at each other all across the country is accelerating. The U.S. has become a big lie pit.

OK one more ... I hope nothing in this new direction restricts attacking the DLC even if some DU members support the DLC. The DLC is my reason for my time warp problem - my number one reason for the feeling of panic. And for me, the DLC and Blue Dogs are the same package. Progressives shouldn't split away, but this DLC/Blue Dog rule should not get a free ride.

(My feeling of panic is demonstrated in this post. In the past I would simply say 'Thank you, Skinner and staff and mods')