I do sense the Internet does contribute to it in some way. We’re becoming more brazen in our attempts to be heard, and that certainly has to wash over into real life, too.

As to how “old” you sound – I listened to a man at the polling place today lamenting about how he’d just turned 40 and his eyesight was failing him. I just looked at him and said, “I sort of remember 40.” ;))

I remeber so many debates in college about every subject under the sun. Back then, we talked through ideas daily, and it rarely degenerated.

(oof, that last paragraph makes me sound old.)

I don’t know what was said or why, but as long as we’re not inciting violence, we should have the right to say what we want, whether people want to hear it or not.

Sad.

What’s more disturbing is this type of reaction is happening in the media. A celebrity makes an errant comment – albeit a stupid or callous one – and the career is ended because there are too many people unwilling to forgive. I can think of any number of instances in the past 12 months alone where celebs or others in the news have been hung out to dry – perhaps deservedly so – and that one mistake or one misstep erases decades of good.

There’s something inherently wrong with that.

Even if Tess was wrong, she has every right to express her thoughts and, if an apology was necessary, to voice that and have it accepted. The latter is often what is missing, but I would probably continue blogging anyway.