Good Bye Elk Grove Patch

I crave informed, respectful conversations about politics, social issues, current events, and all matter of the things that make up our human existence.  I started blogging here at EG Patch because of the death of a child that I once coached in baseball and, eventually, blogged about a range of things, while focusing primarily on politics -- because, well, it engenders the best opportunity for a conversation.

Sadly, what transpires here at EG Patch, much like most other on-line forums, is not a conversation.  It's a screaming match, filled with hate, venom and bile.  There is more name-calling than actual discussion.  I find fascinating how many people are incapable of having their beliefs challenged.  How many people are unable to state anything more than their beliefs and are unwilling to explain the basis for those beliefs.  It is so because they believe it to be so. 

As well, it boggles my mind how willing people are to treat people with such a fundamental lack of respect, simply because they have different views on the issues of today.  The name calling not just of other commenters, but of politicians, leaders, and others, that takes place here is mind-numbing.   The anonymity of the internet has done horrible things to our ability to have a conversation.

Let me make it clear, this is a problem on all sides of the political debate as evidenced here on EG Patch.  Liberals, conservatives, right wingers and left wingers ... there is far too much unwillingness to listen on both sides, and far too much interest in attempting to humiliate and destroy from all ... rather than to actually engage in a discussion of the issues.

I haven't been perfect and have never claimed to be so.  And, it's for that reason that I'll be leaving EG Patch now.  I have no interest in allowing myself to be sucked into the pit that is political discourse on this site.  Or any other.  It's not who I am, even if I've let myself slide into the slime over the past few months.  It's time for me to move on.  To return to the person I have always been ... somebody who wants to listen and talk and share, to find common ground and respectfully disagree where that's not possible.

Good luck to you all.  Hopefully, somewhere along the line, Americans will find a way to communicate and unite, rather than yell and divide.  I don't have much hope of that happening, unfortunately.  It's much easier to yell than to actually talk and listen.