Guess I should have known: even though I started off my recent endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President in 2016 with a clear notation that this was an agonizing decision, since I have known and worked with Bernie Sanders since the 1990s, the commenters ignored that initial comment. Instead, I was viciously attacked for my temerity and my stupidity for supporting a "warmonger," a "liar", etc. etc. ad infinitum. Their degree of incivility was only exceeded by their degree of oversimplification of issues. For example, I was told that by supporting Hillary I was also warmly endorsing global warming.
Indeed, one commenter took me to task for not answering his particular set of demands which were along the lines of "when did you stop beating your wife?" Many of these commenters appear to be control freaks who have to take over the discussion, by bullying not only the original author, but their fellow commenters as well.
The desperate need for civil and reasoned discourse was never clearer. When the Left starts being as intolerant and unreasonable as the Right, only the Left loses. Think: Donald J. Trump, who inevitably finds ammunition for his own rudeness and incivility in the remarks of his "enemies." We Progressives do not need to give The Donalds of the World any more ammunition, by acting so much like them.
