Dodging Digital Dunces

The way I see it, in a debate, there are two scenarios in which you can't formulate a "come-back:" you lost fair and square or your opponent devolves into personal attacks.
The second one isn't too common on a debate stage or even in person. However, it is the accepted norm on the Internet.

A few days ago, I posted on my band's Facebook page and was almost immediately confronted with an angry comment suggesting that I move to Afghanistan if I hated the US so much.
This is a far right slogan I've heard too many times, and always have the same response for. Dissension is the greatest form of patriotism. It's because I love my country that I work to make it better. I then thanked him for commenting (hey, it's more hits on my band page), and went about my day.
Apparently, he didn't like my response.
After just those two comments, the rest of the 20 or so comments focused on personal, violent attacks: I hope you die, you deserve to be raped, suck this, eat that, go to hell, you're a piece of shit, etc. etc. Another one chimed in to bolster the behemoth display of dumb-assery, liking each others posts and re-iterating previous comments.
I watched this all unfold - after all, what would I say?
It was clear that any form of intellectual discourse was lost on these buffoons so why bother? I wasn't about to stoop to their level so after a while, I simply banned them from the page, reported it to Facebook and went on debating and discussing with those who had posted logical and valid points.

But it got me thinking, also because this wasn't the first time this has happened. Just a month or so ago, I commented on someone else's post only to be barraged by violent personal attacks. I've also had psycho stalkers on YouTube who began with death wishes and wrapped up with date requests.
Having grown a thick skin, I mostly just shake it off and continue on.
It's certainly not enough to shut me up, but should it be enough to make me pause?

And that's what I'm doing now.
It seems far too frequent and abundant, these digital dunces who troll the Internet armed with a full arsenal of expletives and an empty head.
And while we can't weed out all of them, or even always stop them from posting - could we trade the desensitization for awareness and not allow our entire interactive paradigm to retard to this shit-slinging level?

Because - imagine, if we begin to accept this as the norm - where does that end?
Can you picture it: once eloquent speakers meeting to debate but instead engaging in an epically grotesque and juvenile cut-down contest? Complete with foundation-less, factually inaccurate, juvenile, threatening verbal vomit?
....Scary to think that might already be happening...

If we continue to accept this as our 21st century digital discourse, we will continue to see more of these cretinous commentators and less intellectual dialog. People will cling to ideologies without the ability or even the need to back them up in any social setting. It will be black and white, good and evil. Compromise will be considered weak and any opposition to a viewpoint will be met with a slew of personal attacks instead of knowledgeable debate.
Sitting in the comfy confines, safe behind your computer, is apparently not just to avoid physical interaction, but also intellectual.

We don't need to agree on everything - what a boring and mono-faceted world it would be if we did. But if someone puts forth a point in a respectful, valid way, we have to learn and/or continue to debate it in the same fashion.
And we can't learn to accept those who don't.
Free speech is one thing, but threats and violent verbal attacks are another. 
Deleting comments, reporting abuse - these are options - but is there anything else we can do? Not just to curb this behaviour but to bolster the behaviour of intellectual debate?

(*Please note, if you have a comment on this post that has anything to do with me dying, getting raped, or getting the shit kicked out of me - stop. Go away. Come back when you have something useful to say.)

A reflecting nation

I remember when I went to my first meditation club meeting (I went to college in Santa Barbara - of course there was a meditation club). The man leading us in meditation was a philosophy professor, specializing in eastern philosophies. I recall him saying that, before we begin, flood your mind with thought - allow the gates to open, hold nothing back and reflect. Reflect upon those thoughts, the good, the bad and the ugly. Allow them to move around your mind however they want. Then breathe...you get the point.

As I read about the protests today in Spain, I couldn't help but chuckle. Elections take place tomorrow and by law, no protesting or campaigning is allowed the day before elections, as it is to be a day of "reflection." News media typically run stories and ads of candidates hiking or performing other hobbies as a way to wind down after two weeks of intense campaigning. How charmingly Mediterranean.

The joke wasn't lost on the Spaniards either, as many held signs reading such things as: "We're reflecting. Please don't bother us."

Some would say the Arab Spring hopped the Mediterranean and has come now to "civilized" nations. With an unemployment rate of 21.3% (over 40% for youth) and a corrupt political and financial system, most say it's been a long time comin.'

I know I've said this before, but fuck that sounds familiar!

One protester Natividad Garcia said, "They want to leave us without public health and public education. Half of our youth is unemployed and they have raised the age of retirement."

Um...did I drink bleach or could that easily be an American discussing the issues with this country? Only exception is that there really isn't a "retirement age." You can technically retire at 65, but fuck if most people actually can. With an economy so deep in shit, you need scuba gear to find a dollar, the overwhelming majority keep working til they die. Uplifting isn't it?

The Spanish don't think so - a record 10,000 people have camped out, some since May 15th protesting the current situation in Spain. Elections will be held tomorrow, but the Madrid square, Puerta del Sol shows no signs of being cleared out by morning. In fact, many protesters have confirmed that the plan is to stay through the elections.

Juan Lopez, a spokesman for the protest said, "Now on Monday, we have to see how this develops and what the answer is. The best-case scenario, which is the one we would like, is that they will come down here as citizens to hear us, and to make a new and better Spain, a new and better democracy with all of us are together."

That certainly does sound like a best-case scenario. But with tens of thousands of people in Madrid alone, demanding change, it's hard to ignore. Even though the current protests are illegal, no police have shown up, no military. The peaceful protests have gone on without much interference from the government, suggesting there may be more than just a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The conservative parties are expected to over power the socialist party, now in power.

Tomorrow, 13 out of the 17 regional presidents and parliaments will be elected along with mayors for Spain's 8,000 cities and towns. Needless to say, there's a lot of voting to be done. Protesters hope to keep momentum going until the national elections, due before March of 2012. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that he felt particularly singled out in the protests against Spain's political system. Well yeah, I can see that. However, as we know, it's not just the tip of the iceberg that's to fault for a sinking ship. It's a collective effort (or lack thereof) to throw a country into economic despair.

Regardless of whether the Arab world is contagious or Facebook's activist power is insurmountable, I'm cheering for the Spanish.

Any people that takes an interest in their country, any people who takes the initiative to make their voices heard can effect change. It's only US vs. Them until Them becomes a representation of US. Of course there's no utopia where everyone is happy and kumba-ya is the national anthem (although I don't find that song very Utopian) but an engaged people is the biggest threat to a corrupt government. An educated, involved people is the birth place of democracy. Corruption loves a stupid mass...US.

Viva España.