To Comment or Not to Comment?

A few months ago, I requested to become a blogger on the LV Patch.  I emailed my topic to Jason Koestenblatt and he was gracious enough to allow me to write.

Since then, I have become an avid reader of and commenter on the Patch.  I enjoy catching up on our local news (and that of other counties in NJ), politics, hearing what people have to say, etc.

Since the time of my first blog and subsequent comments on others, the Patch has become a topic of conversation for me at many social functions as well as sideline conversations at my children’s sporting events with other people who follow the Patch.

The great majority of my friends and people that I speak with enjoy the Patch for the same reasons I do.  One specific topic without fail in each and every conversation is that they (and I) cannot believe how vicious people can be with their comments to other’s post.   I personally use my real name but many of the people I have had conversations with refuse to do so because, and I have heard this several times, they are scared of the wrath that will ensue.  A lot of them are ridiculed as being a “coward” for not using their real names when posting a comment.

I personally have been called a troll, the biggest offender (whatever that meant); amongst many other things but my personal favorite was “an old prune”.  I’m only 41…c’mon.

I personally could care less about the name calling to me as I need to respect someone in order to respect their opinion but my point in question really is…aren’t we allowed to express our opinion, have our opinions differ from others, have our own political and religious views, take issue with certain things on topic, feel passionate about it, and express it without being disrespectful and insulting or being disrespected and insulted?  Can’t we just agree to disagree sometimes?

I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts.  As long as I’m not called an old prune!