Yes We can...get along

Good god woman, your RUINING the politics section with this nonicitefull, peacefull, nonconfrontational nonsense! :D You know me, I am almost never nasty.....almost anyways. It takes a lot for me to dislike a person, what ever their views. If someone can respectfully express themselves and debate in a decent manner, I'm pretty easy. I am howver what I describe as a very spirited and demanding debator, and I think sometimes that gets taken as me attacking someone. Those who know me well enough know better though. Besides, when your always right like me, people just resent it

Could it happen? Probably not. As one of MyLot's political "bullies" , I've come to realize that hot button issues always stir up emotions. Where emotions are involved, confrontation is not far behind. I do make my best effort to remain civil in discussions, but some people just make it hard. I do, on the other hand, make the most effort when it comes to generalizations. I facepalm whenever a user uses a person's political affiliations and leanings in an argument as if it somehow discredits their argument. Or when users lump people together in one group as if everyone who leans left or right, democrat or conservative, christian or atheist have the same opinions as the rest of their "group". It just isn't so. I hate generalizations, and I feel we'd have a little less confrontation if everyone dropped the "looney left"/"religious right" labels. However, we'll never have a forum in which people are always civil. There will be the polite few, who contribute to a discussion positively in almost every aspect, and there will be those like to bare their teeth and get ugly with anyone who disagrees. When people who have firm but opposing beliefs butt heads over something, sparks will most likely fly. That's just how it goes in the game of politics, both in real life and on MyLot. Though honestly, if everyone just made a little bit of effort (even if they slip up at times), politics might not be such a scary place to the rest of the MyLot forums.

When I first joined myLot and started getting into political discussions I was totally taken aback by how serious and personal some here take this stuff! I've said before here that I grew up in a household where politics was the normal mealtime conversation topic and also what was discussed for hours on end by my parents and various friends and relatives who would come to visit. I started participating myself in these discussions probably by the age of 12 or 13 and I knew what I was talking about because I paid attention and I read a lot about it. There were often disagreements, sometimes rather heated ones, but they were always civil and respectful and everyone always ended up as friends once the conversation was over. Through the years at the different places I worked and at many social events it was the same thing. It's always been possible to have a discussion with a group of people with many different views on different issues and many of us didn't mind stating our views quite clearly but it didn't get so nasty and insulting. It's one thing for a Democrat or a liberal (just as an example) to tell a conservative or a Republican that he or she disagrees with their ideology but quite another to insult them for opinions. I've always known in the past that if someone said they didn't like or support a politician that I did like or support that their criticism of that politician wasn't directed at me personally. I'd never before heard of people insulting others over who they like or don't like! I sure WISH we could get along!! Annie

My family as well as my husband's family are all over the political spectrum but we manage to have very civil discussions in this area...mostly because we care about each other and calling any one of us some of the names that are batted around here just about guarantees that someone is going to get a bloody nose. I would love it if the folks here showed the same respect we reserve for family and friends but the nature of the interntet, with it's anonymity and lack of personal responsibility, makes that unlikely.

Hi Jodi, well I have to say in real life I've never come across such carry on's over political issues as I've seen here in Mylot. Such as myself who are neither American nor republican or democrat but definitely find it easier to identify who is who by their labels of loonie left or extremists are amazed that there seems to be no middle ground. Disagree with one point of view and one is immediately anti American and a bleeding heart liberal or madly in love with George Bush. I have to say that the political interest section in mylot certainly gives rise to the sanity of some Americans who really appear blind to the bigger picture. It seems impossible to keep either religion or patriotism out of the picture. What a waste. People fight vehemently over politics here in the cafenions but they don't reduce to name calling and malicious accusations.

I'm always a nice person and I agree with you. I don't understand why there must be so many angry and disrespectful people on myLot, I mean whatever their issues are, they certainly cannot be solved on here.

We have some diversity but are mostly conservative. I do have friends of all factions and we can agree to disagree. That is what makes our country so great!

Yes it happens in my family too, like my father is on the other side and all his family on one side, But when they are together a fight goes on and on. Taking in to consideration they are all too well knitted and very close to eachother but when it comes to politics all of them go crazy I am not sure why? But my maternal grand ma says if u want to see someones' real family and know about them all either u bring them in to politics or acting and all the world will be going nuts the press will bring all ill and what not

My parents are boring and middle class, hence they probably vote Lib Dem (I'm from the UK, and my parents won't tell me who they voted for). My brother is an idiot and is taken in by Nu Labour. My other brother is far more enlightened and votes Green... My other half has voted Communist and Green. I'd take a bullet for any of them, but I'd take a whole clip for my other half!

I like how both "loonies" and "religious" are italicized. As if they are supposed to be equated in some way? I hope not! :P Was that intentional? Or just sort of an accident?