Reply #9: It's the way of the Internets

[frazzled]

I generally ignore the bullies. Though sometimes I find even myself having written something, with no rancor--merely an intent to contest an opinion and argue a different way--and wonder if my post looks bullyish, too. Without tone of voice, it's really difficult to impart the subtle things that personal communication allows.

That said, you have a point: I think that on both the left and right, the kind of Internet communication has leaked out into the real world, in effect coarsening our entire conversation about politics. We see it on tv every day. I was remembering back to the days of William F. Buckley and Crossfire. Didn't agree with a thing the guy said or stood for, but he was a gentleman, more or less, and respected his adversaries. That just wouldn't happen today.