I have learned to stay away from politics
 

and I have not gotten on the political forum, even to eavesdrop. Why? because experience has taught me that I will form negative opinions about some people that I might otherwise find good company. My best friend of almost 40 years and I would not agree on very much politically, but we stay away from those conversations and are in every other way perfectly compatible.

I frequented a political board during the last general election, and found myself getting so wraught up about the conversations (if you can call them that) that my blood pressure would go through the roof. I also found that there was no argument persuasive enough that I could change anyone on the other sides mind even a little bit, nor they mine. Therefore it becomes nothing more than an intellectual tug-of-war with no one budging the rope a millimeter.

Some of the recent threads about the Morse activities have reminded me how polarizing political issues can become, with few winners and lots of losers and collateral damage.

Without a doubt, what you say is so true. The other board I spend time on also has a political forum and in addition to those of us from the USA, we have others from Europe, Great Britain, Australia. Add their feelings and emotions to a volatile topic and you can't help but get burned, even if you're on other forums... ;) Those same individuals post on our general conversation forum as well as the main board, (originally set up to discuss everything, but now is mostly for extremely intellectual and deep topics,) and you share friendship and laughter. Actually, we've been together as a group for over 11 years, and few of us have met in real life....maybe that makes a difference....we can call each other names one minute and the next, share the joy of one of our members becoming a grandparent, a parent, getting a new job, getting a new puppy....everyday life.

Isn't it funny how a message board can ignite such feelings?.....good as well as bad.

You are very wise indeed Coach.

Nah - I defer to your wiseness Gracious Gracie!:)

I'm afraid that talking about not talking about politics is talking about politics. Watch this thread slide right down to the political forum. Wanna Bet?:ho:

It is talking ABOUT politics, but not talking politics. If it slides to the political forum, so be it, I will not be following it over there.

I love talking politics. I can learn from someone who has opposing views. I don't care that I can't change someone's mind and vice versa, I just want to hear all sides. Who knows, I might ultimately discover I'm wrong.

What I can't handle is name calling and an absolute refusal to listen to the other side. Sadly, that's what happens in most political forums. I tried our political forum, which actually started out being a lot of fun and the discussions were informative and not at all mean-spirited. Sadly, that changed and I left it and have no intention of going back.

I do understand the refusal to discuss politics, but if they're not discussed, how do you hear and learn of opposing viewpoints?

I too love talking politics.......in person, with people who I respect, and who respect me. On an anonymous board it invariably degenerates into name calling and ad hominem attacks with only the loudest and most strident voices surviving.

Congratulations on Pooh's 1000 post. She is now golden.

Pooh was ALWAYS golden and studded with diamonds.

I love her. Yes I do.

...

I never heard of the ... Party, but I'll bet that they always gets their points across? :throwtomatoes:

... or maybe they're just pointless?

I wonder
 

Seems that it is too easy to misunderstand a person in the written word. I mean I have posted on this forum and have been misunderstood....I don't try to defend myself too often...just wish people knew me and then they would know that I don't judge people. Seems the same difference in talking politics. For example we are avid Purdue fans and our rival is Indiana University and while I don't like that school....I sure do have some good IU fan friends....so we disagree but that does not mean I write that person off...which seems to be the way it goes often with controversial topics.

One thing I have noticed - as Coach points out, is that sometimes the discussions only generate heat...not light...

I enjoy reading Red's posts - though I frequently disagree - but she backs up her comments with facts and reason. And by facts, I don't mean Chris, Keith, Glenn or Sean.

Like Coach I stay away from the political forum for a reason... many of the posters there suffer from terminal logorrhea - and think that agreement by other posters indicates that they are "right" (i.e. correct), when in fact they are preaching to a mainly like-minded choir who believe everything they hear and even every e-mail they receive.