How....
How did we as a country get to this state? The state where civil discourse is considered a novelty. Where irrational fear drives so many of our decisions. Where virulent hate is the norm.
Is it the anonymity of the Internet that makes us feel safe to be complete and utter asshats to one another? After all, I don't really know you, so why does it matter if I'm nice and respectful to you? Except that mentality has been adopted in many face-to-face encounters, as well.
Sure there were signs of it in the past. A good example is "The Brothers" - those guys who would visit college campuses and condemn all college students to hell for their variety of sins. While they could be entertaining - I still have fond memories of my little fire - too often it devolved into a mob of ridicule ... and in one case at the University of Oregon an actual fist fight. But even then, they could be engaged in civil discourse (one of the best religious conversations I've ever had was with one of them as we talked about how we came to hold the beliefs that we each did). But today, I fear that the fist fights would be even more prevalent.
I know I should just stop reading online news comments ... they seem to be a sampling of the worst of the worst. But it amazes me that ANYONE, let alone HUNDREDS of people, would think that what they're writing is a) constructive to the conversation, b) intelligent or c) even remotely civil. And don't start with "I have a right to say what I want to say." Yes, yes you do. But I have the right to call you on your shit ... and I believe that with that right comes a responsibility to actually think.
But back to the opening question: How did we get to this state? How did we get to a point where threatening rape victims is acceptable? Where we lament the result of heinous choices? Where discussion of the death penalty devolves into "Bring back public executions!" within 5 minutes? Where the first response to mentioning gun control is "Don't take my guns! Condemn the tyranny!"? (Ed. Note: Reasonable gun control doesn't necessarily mean taking away guns ... But in my opinion, it includes you having responsibility for your guns.)
Where everything is now an us against them.
And the more important question: How can we get out of this state?
Is it the anonymity of the Internet that makes us feel safe to be complete and utter asshats to one another? After all, I don't really know you, so why does it matter if I'm nice and respectful to you? Except that mentality has been adopted in many face-to-face encounters, as well.
Sure there were signs of it in the past. A good example is "The Brothers" - those guys who would visit college campuses and condemn all college students to hell for their variety of sins. While they could be entertaining - I still have fond memories of my little fire - too often it devolved into a mob of ridicule ... and in one case at the University of Oregon an actual fist fight. But even then, they could be engaged in civil discourse (one of the best religious conversations I've ever had was with one of them as we talked about how we came to hold the beliefs that we each did). But today, I fear that the fist fights would be even more prevalent.
I know I should just stop reading online news comments ... they seem to be a sampling of the worst of the worst. But it amazes me that ANYONE, let alone HUNDREDS of people, would think that what they're writing is a) constructive to the conversation, b) intelligent or c) even remotely civil. And don't start with "I have a right to say what I want to say." Yes, yes you do. But I have the right to call you on your shit ... and I believe that with that right comes a responsibility to actually think.
But back to the opening question: How did we get to this state? How did we get to a point where threatening rape victims is acceptable? Where we lament the result of heinous choices? Where discussion of the death penalty devolves into "Bring back public executions!" within 5 minutes? Where the first response to mentioning gun control is "Don't take my guns! Condemn the tyranny!"? (Ed. Note: Reasonable gun control doesn't necessarily mean taking away guns ... But in my opinion, it includes you having responsibility for your guns.)
Where everything is now an us against them.
And the more important question: How can we get out of this state?