I have to say I was never into making pledges or resolutions for the New Year. I can't think of a single year in my 50+ years on this planet when I made a pledge. But maybe I will try it this year.
Coachanthony created a Take about guiding GaG to a better place this year.
I am not sure if that is a realistic goal, given our current situation.
I mean most posters here, would probably be more supportive of the opinion that "free speech" is the most important thing. And not treating others with respect, understanding, and with dignity. A lot of folks see insulting, threatening rhetoric as a sign that the speech is free. And where there are codes of conduct, terms of service, and standards of behavior, speech is not free. That is their literal definition.
So all I can do is wish GaG good luck in that endeavor, because the site seems to have fallen for that nonsensical argument. That the only way free speech endures is through flaming, insults and online clashes. And not through constructive dialogue focused on fostering understanding.
And while I have participated fully in these online wars at GaG, I kind of thought that was the point of the site. I mean, it drives clicks. It makes for content. . .no matter how worthless the content is. So I just thought the site was all about that. For all the nonsense posted here about economics, capitalism, etc. Most of the extremists here have no idea about how things work with social networks. If you have successful platform which GaG I guess is seeking to become, you start to attract advertisers. Advertisers then pay GaG for gaining access to their product, which is "us".
In recent years one of the ways to drive revenue on social media is to have culture wars and have these flame battles. And I do not have any hate for it. That's capitalism. It is a good business model. It is sound. But it does have a corrosive effect on society. I am not trying to lay blame. Because people have a choice. And in American society this is what they have chosen to do. If anyone deserves the blame, it is the American people themselves especially those who refuse to make a different choice. What I don't understand is the lack of honesty about where this will lead and what the final results will be.
I hear everywhere, that we are a divided society. We are only divided because we choose to be divided. We do not want to have these difficult conversations that lead to understanding each other better.
In fact, understanding each other, has already been labeled a political ideology. . .called "liberal". When I was growing up. . .it was called "Conservatism". It was liberals who largely refused to listen and to figure out how to understand others. I grew up in a Christian Church. I went to school in Christian schools. My mentors were "White", "Black" and Asian. Mostly morally, ethically Conservative people who had a dream that they could build a community that fostered understanding across race, culture, etc. One of my heroes, my gym teacher from high school, participates in my discussion group. He is a fervent trump supporter. And he and I have had knock down dragout arguments in my Facebook discussion group. I love that man almost as much as I love my deceased father. He was one of the men responsible putting me on the path to knowledge. So many "Black", "White", Asian, Latino boys were put on their path to manhood under his guidance.
But today, we have serious disagreements about what is or is not Conservative. I don't know if we will ever see eye to eye again. But we talk all the time, and we never stooped to insulting one another. He knows I love him. And I know he loves me.
So my pledge is to throw myself into this space I created for having these discussions with every thing I have. I will remain here at GaG. I don't know if the site will be successful at creating such an environment here, seeing that so many people have fell for the false narrative that constructive dialogue cannot co-exist with free speech. That the lack of insulting offensive material means that someone's speech has been silenced.
Nah. . .it is that folks who cannot communicate their ideas have to use insults, threats, and disgusting rhetoric as a weapon in debates because they lack facts and rational thinking.
And we have too many other folks gullible enough to think this is a genuine concern.
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