Home > Opinion > Jamie Stiehm > America Has ‘Very Good Haters’ But What We Need Is Civility

America Has ‘Very Good Haters’ But What We Need Is Civility

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It is called often 'a brutalization of discourse', that is going hand to hand with brutalization of society as a whole. And it is going to be even worse, especially keeping in mind that language and mind, and mind and behavior are intertwined.

oleg of DC 4:04PM March 17, 2010

I have long suspected that the need to get a 30-second sound bite into the 24/7 news cycle often makes an ordinarily reasonable person seen like a raving lunatic.
And then there are the media outlets who bring together two opponents and allow them to freely "talk over" one another -- about as informative and entertaining as watching monkeys flinging feces at one another at the zoo!
Strangely enough, when you get these folks together in a well-moderated forum where they have time to make a nuanced reply to a question (e.g., PBS News Hour), you realize that many are actually intelligent, civilized people! Who knew?

Bob of MO 2:22PM March 17, 2010

I have long suspected that the need to get a 30-second sound bite into the 24/7 news cycle often makes an ordinarily reasonable person seen like a raving lunatic.
And then there are the media outlets who bring together two opponents and allow them to freely "talk over" one another -- about as informative and entertaining as watching monkeys flinging feces at one another at the zoo!
Strangely enough, when you get these folks together in a well-moderated forum where they have time to make a nuanced reply to a question (e.g., PBS News Hour), you realize that many are actually intelligent, civilized people! Who knew?

Bob of MO 2:22PM March 17, 2010

She is a member of the Woodrow Wilson fan club who was one of the "grandaddys" of globalism. The very one who brought about the 16th amendment and the Federal Reserve banking system. Talk of civility first needs to be filtered through an understanding of a person's point-of-view no matter what that point may be. I happen to believe that the two worst presidents to have ever existed were F.D.R and W. Wilson. These two were huge proponents of committees and sub-committees to circumvent direct involvement of all the legislative members in the decision process. A seperation of powers within a power house. Totally unconstitutional!
Now we have a elected official who is president that won't allow a background search of his past that his opponent had to endure spending millions in the process to keep it hidden from public view. What is up with that? I guess what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.

Jeff of WI 6:50AM March 17, 2010

how does the old adage go? never discuss religion & politics with friends & family
now combine that admonishment with the faceless anonymity of the internet . . . and is it honestly any wonder that you get roasted - toasted - flamed - barbequed & generally scorched on any given blog?!
on the subject of blogs - the authors are obviously NONobjective & it is a true rarity that the topics are written totally without bias {even by those who doth protest otherwise} HOWEVER bashing does seem to have become an all too common sport
we don't profess to know how USNWR pays its bloggers - but on many of the other sites the more hits determine the most popular writers & thus the MOST INFLAMATORY TITLES & ARTICLES INCITE THE MOST RABID COMMENTERS {AND sometimes it seems pretty lonely on here on the less "opinated topics"!}
on the subject of SHOCK JOCKS - they work the same way - the more outrageous their shows - the more they sit back & "relish the moment" as their ratings rocket!! AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO = RATINGS = MONEY
if everyone recognized them for what they are regardless of party sympathies - they wouldn't be so powerful BUT alas such is not the way of human nature
so on the subject of "Very Good Haters" -- Jamie have you never encountered the HILLARY-HATERS?!
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/all-you-need-is-hate/?apage=5
Stanley Fish's Feb 3, 2008 NYTs blog "All You Need Is Hate"
whoa - the charter members of the HillaryHaters Clubs are no doubt either all in rehab now or still in denial AND they were NOT ALL conservatives either {despite what Prof Fish's article implies}. as a whole they were delusional yes - irrational very - and more than eager to pass along the most stale gossip as gospel {to serve their own purposes} . . . they still pop-up occassionally. AND unfortunately apparently some have redirected their grand delusions to Obama {AND again they are not ALL members of the GOP!! go figure}
personally we are weary of the WORST OF BOTH PARTIES!! but there is always hope for a better way
MITCHELL of NC look for a COFFEE PARTY in your area - if you are sincere about wishing you could sit down on a face to face basis & discuss various points of view
ditto for Jamie {the Coffee Party founder is from Washington btw} . . . we agree that a little civil discourse on a more PERSONAL basis might go a long way in helping to resolve some of the more vicious animosity which seems to threaten the very fabric of our nation. then again as Rich from CO so aptly pointed out - politics in America has ALWAYS been fraught with UNCIVIL disputes from the very beginning
remember that NO OTHER DEMOCRATIC NATION IN THE WORLD USES OUR FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT - so perhaps we can all claim a learning curve when we accidently fall out of good graciousness;-) while responding to those we don't necessarily agree with -- or maybe not {if they happen to be clearly "certifiable"!!} . . .

tiger lily of DC 6:37AM March 17, 2010

Amusing that the blame is always directed solely at conservatives (of couse would be in this article, since the writer is an admitted liberal), but never acknowledged that the libs are just as much to blame, and have always practiced the 'lie and cheat' routine just as well as the conservatives. Remember the "they're going to kill your babies" nonsense proclaimed by the Dems over a Social Security debate 20+ years ago?
The difference today, is that all of it - every utterance by everyone - is imediately broadcast and disected on hundreds (if not thousands)of media sources. The stridency of the tones emitted by both sides are no worse than 20 years ago - we just get bombarded more by it on a minute-by-minute basis, 24 hours a day.
Yes, the shear magnitude and volume of the idiodic utterances on both sides needs to be toned down, and some semblance of civility restored, or we'll end up getting notheng woth anything done ever again.
But to put the blame solely on the side of the Right is a lie that this author needs to recognize if she is ever to be taken seriously by anybody!

enzo11 of IN 11:27PM March 16, 2010

If she picked at random a date on here and counted rude remarks. Generally you can tell the party line in comments. Maybe have someone who is neutral count.
I find liberals are rude. I am bias. So are you.
I notice a very rude person on this article all nicey nicey... Now. But he has talked about another person's family on this site.
Maybe enforce 'report comment'. I have reported rude comments and nothing done.
We had at least one Author who used disgusting word for tea party many times. Even used that word as bases of article.
So, clean Authors first, then rewrite this article. Enforce site’s ‘report comment’.

Bill Hedges of MO 8:54PM March 16, 2010

Civility, courtesy, and respect are rapidly vanishing values in the increasingly insane dialog that appears on these pages and those of other online forums. I’m not sure where we should draw the line when we post comments about something that deeply concerns us. I have occasionally questioned or impugned the motives of some public officials in this forum and others. I will never ridicule or attack the character of anyone who shares his or her views in any forum and will avoid ad hominem attacks to the best of my ability. Civility and useful discourse might be helped if the moderator of this forum and others would frame just one issue in a particular article as precisely and concisely as possible before inviting comment. Then comments that are irrelevant or off-point or those amounting to infantile name-calling or personal attacks on other readers might be screened out.

RetFed2k of CO 7:43PM March 16, 2010

Refreshing commentary, because we all need a break from this political madness, maybe if we are touched by a positive story we can put this politics thing in perspective
Tony Dungy said his NFL coaching career is likely finished, but he feels privileged to play a role in the redemptive journey of others.
"It really doesn't matter about your past," Dungy said. "It's about your future and what you're going to do."
"I guess I just have a heart for young men," he said. "To just give a little bit of encouragement, that's what it's all about for me."

Mitchell of NC 6:35PM March 16, 2010

This not a typical run of the mill repub expression.
Tony Dungy said his NFL coaching career is likely finished, but he feels privileged to play a role in the redemptive journey of others.
"I guess I just have a heart for young men," he said. "To just give a little bit of encouragement, that's what it's all about for me."
http://insider.web.att.com/s/editorial.dll?fromspage=ch/c.htm&categoryid=&only=y&bfromind=4960&eeid=6205108&_sitecat=17&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=-2&ch=ne&s=nespo&cat=nespo

Mitchell of NC 6:02PM March 16, 2010