Discussions with vigor but not rancor!

Is it possible to disagree with another’s opinion or viewpoint without personal ad hominem attacks?


I have been submitting material to Associated Content over the past five or six months. I have written on a number of topics that caught my interest. Some of these were on people and folklore about whom I was introduced many years ago, Hannah Dustin, a lady who, in 1697, was kidnapped by Indians from her home in Haverhill, Massachusetts, escaped and scalped a number of the persons holding her, and Lord Timothy Dexter, a gentleman from Revolutionary days who was certainly eccentric, possibly a genius and possibly just nuts.

Some of my scribbles have been on restaurants I frequent and enjoy, a VW Beetle that I think is cool, life in a Geodesic Dome and such. I am pleased to note that the vast majority of comments were complimentary and supportive.

Then I wrote a number of articles that, admittedly, were controversial, topics about which I felt strongly while acknowledging that others held contrary views. The whole point of Associated Content, I believed was to provide a forum for opposing viewpoints where intelligent and articulate people could challenge each other’s ideas in a responsible manner.

Instead, I have been bombarded with vitriolic and ad hominem attacks that seem totally out of place in a forum for rational discourse. For example, I had written an article suggesting that those who were energized and aroused by the act of killing had a value system with which I disagreed. My article was not anti-hunting; it did object to the idea of getting enjoyment from the act of killing. Comments to this article included terms such as “retarded”, Completely ignorant”, “liar”, condescending wimp” and “idiot”. One writer challenged my masculinity and called me a “quiche eater”. (Actually, my wife’s quiche is quite tasty, but that’s another story.) Only a handful of commentators challenged my opinions directly. Most just ignored my main thesis: if a person is hunting for the “sport” and not to primarily put food on the family’s table, hunting with a camera would be just as rewarding.

Then, I became bothered by the state of Florida’s considering the issuance of a license plate bearing the Confederate flag. My article generated twenty-one comments, thus far, including those that called be “absolutely ignorant”, “trash” and accused me of “making up quotes”. As to the latter charge, my article quoted the Vice President of the Confederate States and cited where his speech could be found.
But all of this doesn’t matter. What does matter is that many of us seem to be able to discuss, even argue, points of view without name calling.

What ever happened to, “I disagree with your opinion, but we can still respect each other”? Voltaire is supposed to have said ,"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

A plea: could we please return a note of civility to our discourse, both on this site and in our everyday lives.

I am not certain if anyone reads these thoughts in this space. Maybe it's like the proverbial tree in the proverbial forest making the proverbial noise. I'd really appreciate comments added here or on my page at Assocuated Content. Otherwise I'll just keep talking in the forest!