05-05-2011, 07:33 PM
Grace62 wrote:
[quote=Dakota]
I always wanted to compile a ratio of liberal to conservative posting ratio here. This thread is the perfect place for it. The feeling of ownership is palpable by repeated use of "we".
I for one would welcome more conservative voices on the forum. Diversity of opinions and knowledge makes life interesting, and that's how we learn.
Do you think that your style of commenting, Dakota, invites or discourages more conservatives from joining us?
It would be awesome if we could actually discuss this whole line of thought in an honest manner. It's never happened, but I think it can.
Right leaning people have several times left, never to return, and said that it is because people here are hostile toward them. Yet, it has come up several times that it is somehow the fault of the right-leaning people here that more right-leaning people don't participate. People said the same thing to Spearmint when he was here, and the same thing to Fly on the Wall, when he was here. I think you guys really need to admit that there is something to their perceptions that people here are hostile.
My honest attempt is going to be the observation that no one on the left/liberal/democrat side is going to understand that it is really very unpleasant to have 10 people in one thread throwing insults, sarcasm, etc. at you with no support from similar thinkers at all. For the simple reason that it hasn't, and isn't going to happen to them. Well, actually it has happened, but only once in all the years I've been here, and I guarantee the liberal who was ganged up on didn't react very well.
Another point is that every right leaning person here has been subjected to out an out insults and name calling. Even DaveS, who has never done anything to deserve it. And fwiw, that's a common theme. "Yeah, I know I just insulted him or called him a derogatory name, but he deserves it." Can we agree that those who call others derogatory names almost always feel justified? Are they though?
I don't feel too optimistic that what I have to say will be greeted well, mostly because I think a good portion of those here, are here to be mean. Or maybe it really is just the dynamic set by the general makeup of this forum (left/liberal/democrat).
At any rate, when I go back to read this whole thread, I don't see people trying to be nice, as Gute said. If you do, point it out, because I can't see it. I don't think your assessments of me are fair, and further, I don't even think you believe they are. And drop the whole "can't handle the heat" crap. It doesn't make any sense. kj.