Gina's Journals

The Absence of Civil Discourse

So here I show a bit of my age. I would like to know where the ideals of civil discourse have gone. In the years before the Civil War if a senator saw an opposing senator on the street, he would chase the other down and beat him with his walking stick. Yet duels were outlawed.

Since then, much has changed. For a while we lived in an age where political opposites could discuss and still remain friends. Now, it would seem, we are trending back to old-fashioned politics. Not with our political leaders though mud-slinging and carpet-bagging are alive and well.

No, I am speaking of the current trend of screaming battles in place of civilized debate. Of people so impassioned by one, that’s right, ONE ideal that they will start throwing punches when someone opposes them in the street. I am speaking of citizens acting no better than talking cavemen when confronted with a different opinion. Like beating the crap out of me is going to change my mind. As we have all seen in shows like LOST and 24, torture doesn’t work.

A recent argument on a chat board brought to my attention the current trend of using chat boards as a place to publicly humiliate (count the number of times I use trend and humiliate in this blog) someone you don’t agree with. This isn’t even someone you know personally, just a faceless, anonymous person who disagrees with something you hold dear. As much as the next person, I agree that everyone has the right to express their opinion but there are rules of etiquette. And etiquette says you attack the idea, not the person. But, time and again I see people take off the gloves because a remark about an idea struck a nerve. And because the person who said it may be impervious to assaults on ideas they hold dear, the opposition goes for the jugular and attacks the person. This is unacceptable. As is the quiet condoning of such ruthless actions by persons supposedly in charge of seeing the board remains in the bounds of civil conduct. The idea of worldwide communication is to foster ideas and interaction and not be a breeding ground for more animosity.

So if a chat board claims to be all-ages and fair, then, by Gaia they should stick to it instead of favoring certain parties and shunning others due to their political ideals. This is a fraud laying claim to friendship and equal rights then shoving down those that differ slightly in opinion. And it is wrong.

So the bottom line is the Internet which gives the protected veil of anonymity has given rise to monsters and tyrants. Rules of good conduct are ignored left and right and, unless you have your own blog (insert maniacal laughter here) or chat board, you find yourself at the mercy of people who punish you for disagreeing with their political alignment or with their minions. And in the end you are left feeling that communicating with others is just not worth it. Better off watching a DVD or playing a video game. At least then you know who the enemies are.

Posted by gmwood at March 1, 2005 12:52 PM