My feelings aren't that strong, but sometimes they get close. Not about callers, but about some of the people who post comments on this and other websites. Calling someone a "troll" is now a cliché, but spend a few minutes or hours reading the comment section of nearly any online publication and you'll likely feel that way.
The Daily Republic has significantly higher standards for website commentary than most sites. People who post their thoughts on Dailyrepublic.com can pick what name they want to appear, but there are filters that block profanity and common slurs. Editors at the paper can also see more information and even block certain folks.
Still . . .
Go on the Daily Republic's site any day and you'll feel like we live in an angry, judgmental, vicious world.
That's how it appears to me, at least. In my post-newspaper life, I'm like many readers – a guy who checks the paper online from his office, home or on his phone. I read the stories and, because comments are listed at the bottom of each story, I often see them.
The rage is palpable. People post comments calling for torture for accused criminals. The phrase "put a bullet in his head" appears regularly. They cite the race of people involved in stories. They rage against "incompetent" or evil police officers or elected officials. They turn local items into a referendum on President Obama. They mock the Daily Republic for missing a typographical error in a document that has 30,000 words and was printed with a one-day deadline cycle.
They're angry and mean.
Occasionally – maybe one comment out of 10 – someone is nice. More often, people make inoffensive comments.
The rest of the time? Mud-throwing, angry, bitter, mean people who are wishing the vilest outcome for others.
I might be a Pollyanna, but come on! Do people really feel that strongly? Are they really that angry, vindictive and spiteful?
Here's the truth: Those comments are rarely, if ever, directed at me. My columns tend to motivate nicer comments (until this one, at least).
But when I read other comments? It makes me think about the fact that nearly all of us think criminals should be punished, but most of us don't want people tortured.
Most of us see faults in our community, but don't think there's a conspiracy to ruin things.
A vast majority of us get angry about things, but hopefully aren't as uncivil in real life as many of the people who comment on the Daily Republic website (and others).
Yes, it's even worse elsewhere. Try going to national media websites and you'll see the comment sections degrade into hateful, angry diatribes that often have nothing to do with the article.
Here's my hope: A few angry people spend most of their time raging online about news stories, rather than venturing out in public. They use website comments as a way to let off steam and keep the rest of us safe.
Otherwise, it's a world filled with rage.
As Don Henley sang in "The Heart of the Matter," how can love survive in such a graceless age?
It can't in the comment sections.
Brad Stanhope is a former Daily Republic editor. Reach him at bradstanhope@hotmail.com.
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