It cuts both ways.

[Cults4Bush]

Our long long knives. Blades gleaming brightly with epitaphs and running red with a thousand pokes of everyones back.

This is not so hard to figure out. A few small groups of people from every side (almost always more than two) of every argument here are quite frankly horrible communicators or downright..well.. nasty. Clinton hater, Koochie wooo woo freak, disloyal fuck, fanatical lefty, dlc corporatist... it goes on and on.

These knives are wielded by the knave and angry. Sometimes ignorant, sometimes hurt and every now and then just downright pissed. Rarely are they your true enemy. Once in a while they are what you dont like about yourself.

There is hypocrisy to be had here, yes. There is also truth. There are also calm heads not wanting to bother speaking their minds in such a hostile atmosphere. Who can blame them? Say something even handed and you will most likely still be attacked. I ask the calm heads around here to please speak up! In OPs that do not seek to get a rise out of those who will oppose you anyway and dont bother with threads that start off with snark and/or snide even if veiled. Right now almost anything is flame bait....And its just so damn hard to have a decent debate with someone without it being this all or nothing death struggle of ideas. However if people purposefully try and limit their derision on any given subject so as to receive a true and measured response from their fellow DUers we could possibly get quite further along... develop unified strategies to help bring the change that is desperately needed.

Its not that hard to place someone on ignore who is obviously over the top or just over your line of tolerance. What's more, its not that hard to report someone who is abusing the site rules. To do much of anything else is only serving to inflame and widen the wedge.

People should be able to raise concerns about Obamas picks without being called a concern troll, people should be able to defend Hil without being called a war monger here. I am in no way advocating anyone holding their tongues or silencing their responses. I am only begging for more civilized discourse on issues that require tact to get a point across. Think about that please. Tact is not triangulation or manipulation it is adapting your approach on an idea or thought you wish to convey so that its intended audience will be more receptive to it. If you really care about an issue try being tactful if you want to change minds, because if you dont...Here at DU with the inter tubes being what they are and what not, it comes off as ego stroking, ranting, chest thumping, choir preaching or some other such thing or combination there of. Those things I guess have their place here at DU as well but in a serious thread about serious issues where the dialogue was civil until a rant took place, it only comes off as distasteful and usually only serves to harm your cause with possible supporters. Once again just try some tact, instead of ranting or posting a snide comment try some links and be open and heartfelt about why you oppose such and such a thing.

So yeah I am uhmmm begging you more level headed types from across the Democratic spectrum to post OPs that will encourage your rivals to speak up and give lively debate.. without rhetoric, memes of ill repute and long winded hyperbole. All sides here have people who have done this and I just think its time the rest of us smile at their knives for what they are, an empty sheath that is somehow bringing them comfort. Let them have their comfort while the rest of us debate our ideals in goodwill.

I used to burn up the threads here quite often if I ever really pissed some of you off I am sorry. Ive learned some things and seek only to share that tiny bit of knowledge.

Oh and please try not to flame me too hard, my fire proof suit has warn awfully thin and I cant afford a new one. Also a pre-emptive apology for my usually atrocious grammar.

on edit- wow extra bad grammar this time (there's still a bunch but its a bit more readable now ;) )

[HCE SuiGeneris]

1. Is this a worning?

:hide:

[Cults4Bush]

2. No no not at all... :(

I hope it didnt come off like that at all. Its an honest plea for more care and tact here, honestly.

on edit: too many "all"s

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. I am afraid my attempts at humor,

are oft times lost in the tubes...

In your last sentence, you typed, "Oh and please try not to flame me too hard, my fire proof suit has warn awfully thin and I cant afford a new one. Also a pre-emptive apology for my usually atrocious grammar."

My comment was nothing more than poking fun at the grammatical error I witnessed. Sorry if I missed the mark.

Care and tact are valuable ingredients. Maybe I should heed your words. :hi:


Edited to close quotations...

[Cults4Bush]

4. :) lol.. nooooo you were totally right.

I shouldve put something in there about humor too! I went and fixed about a dozen ! Glad you could read through all that despite the errors ;)


:hug: Thank ya kindly :)

[H2O Man]

5. The rational discussions

are the important part of this forum. The irrational arguments are simply distractions.

Nominated.

[Cults4Bush]

6. Thank you kindly

:)