<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>maybe nobody changes positions, but that doesn't make crossfire less entertaining and that's the bottom line to me<p><hr></blockquote><p>Well Sean, I guess you and I will have to differ on that because the fact that nobody changes their opinion simply underscores the futility of such threads and in my opinion makes them far less entertaining.<br><br>The "yes it is"/"no it isn't" school of debate is unintelligent and ultimately useless to any but the combatants. It makes me sad that you don't see the futility, but my sadness is not likely to be of any concern to you, so I wasted this post.<br><br>See what I mean about futility? *sigh*<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>And I think it got even BIGGER since the last time I saw it!!!<p><hr></blockquote><p>SHHHHHH! People will talk! <br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>See what I mean about futility? *sigh*<p><hr></blockquote><p>Yeah... beginning to feel the headache coming on again...<br><br>

Nail on the head, yoyo. It wasn't the politics itself that got to me last month, but rather the mean-spirited and back-biting rhetoric that grew out of it. It's one thing to have a healthy, intelligent debate — no matter how radical the topic — but when shrillness and wanton aggression replace reason and intelect, or when a global issue is used as a bludgeon to support a personal agenda or prejudice... well, you and I are pretty much on the same page.<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p><br>Yeah... I'm with Mach... wish you came around more... we miss having you here.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>I have had a lot to keep me busy so I don't have that much time to post in forums these days. But, I do try to check in now and then to see how you all are and what is going on. <br><br>Somehow I just don't feel like posting to some of the more pointless silly threads, not my kind of subject line for the most part. I enjoy a bit of that now and then too, but for the most part I am more of a serious type looking for substance rather than fluff.<br><br>Politics just happens to interest me a lot.<br><br>

Maybe instead of 'no politics', we say 'no meanies'?<br><br><br><br>[color:red]Hold on...it's time for a</font color=red><br>

Well the thing to remember is that even if we do get into politics now and then, we can certainly try our best to keep it civil and dignified. <br><br>Having said that, I admit that in the past I have not adhered to that at times, but I have also learned from my mistakes and realize it does no good to utilize that approach. <br><br>On the other hand, sometimes it just feels good to do that too and let it all hang out and bash an ultra conservative, or if you are an ultra conservative, to bash an ultra liberal.<br><br>

No, I think this is an interesting thread and I challenge you all to be civil and see where it takes us.<br><br>

See..that last line you put in there about bashing ultra-conservative/ultra-liberal is what gets me. When someone does that, usually they post something that is half-truths or whatever and so it's there in the forum, never to be erased after 10 minutes. So if you have someone impressionable (age doesn't matter) who looks up to that person who posted the bashing, they may think it's true and form a wrong opinion in their head.<br><br>Yeah, that's an extreme case that probably won't ever happen, but the fact of the matter is, bashing is not good. The bashee more than likely gets heated and upset, causing them to be the basher, raising the stakes until it spills out into other threads then we have a mess.<br><br>What's the point of political threads? I mean, let's say you post something about an issue you care about...would my opinion, if it was the opposite, change how/what you think? I doubt it. Would it change anyone else's? Maybe...who knows. Sure, you can say it would bring about debating and perhaps open the mind of the other person, but do you really think that? I don't know, honestly. Check out political threads, here and at MC, and see if the original debaters ever change their position. Or see if anything really comes out of that thread, other than for some of them to shout out their positions. I'm interested.<br><br>Here is my view..I feel like I'm one of the few conservatives here. I voted for Bush and all that and so a political thread would do what? Change me? Nope. Change you? I hardly doubt it. Open our minds? Fat chance....we already have our ideals set in and if it changes you, then you weren't sure about it in the first place.<br><br>Now, with that said (and this being my longest post here I think! ), throw in the (from what I have seen) inflamatory remarks by people like NTO1 and you will have degredation of the forums. NTO1, you have your points and such, which I respect, but I feel like you are the type that itches for a fight/arguement and I don't want to go that route. <br><br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Maybe instead of 'no politics', we say 'no meanies'?<p><hr></blockquote><p>WHAT? No meanies? How do you eat chicken burgers with no meanies?<br><br>I apologize in advance if I give somebody a migraine from that joke.. I've been listening to some Jeff Foxworthy CDs and I liked his southern accent <br><br>