Originally Posted by tony

Don't you think many people are completely sick of both sides? If they look in here they see lame arguments, juvenile responses and shrill jibberish.

There aren't three or four posters in here who advance valid argument for either side, argument without attack and without baiting, without vicious tone and hate, and without declining juvenile-sounding bashing.

It is a pity to watch this day in and day out. I watch only because I have to, but honestly you should be standing aside and see the general tenor here. I believe this portion of the forum has brought down the general quality and fun of the forum. People have not only refrained from posting here in political, they are reluctiant to post anywhere because of the tone of Political. I'm glad they do post, though. I feel our membership is strong, and our posting numbers are good, but I know they could be better.

Good, calm, honest argument would be fine, but so many posters come off as completely whacked out, red-faced and seething.

Because of the low quality of argument in Political, I have to level with you all, I have strongly pushed to have one of two things happen to this section of the forum. Either make it completely private so that posters have to join by request. Or make it completely separate from the main Talk of The Villages forum so that our general posters will not have to see the political posts show up in their New Post listing. Or a combination of the two.

I am quite ashamed of this section of the forum. Many posters style gives me the creeps.

This sense has come to me also, by the way, from other members of Talk of The Villages. You would be embarrassed to know how they see some of you because of your postings.

How to fix it? With calm, rational civility in your posts, like you would practice in person. Most everything in Political ends up in a fist fight, a brawl, whining about my side and wailing against the other side. I could count on one hand the number of posters who could stand up to a good old college debate.

I would suspect that some members might like to voice their thoughts without the risk of being bashed, baited, or told to leave because they can't take the bashing and baiting. It is annoying to see members tell others members to keep away if they can't stand it. It is not up to some members to tell others to leave.

Political posters really should sit back and look at the tenor here, from both sides. It is pitiful.