So I think I'm done here

I have to disagree with you on this one. There were personal insults on both sides. What I see differently this time is gross generalizations of every conservative on this board by many peas that I once considered level headed as well.

I was not happy with either major candidate because of their history of lies and saw no positive outcome if either was elected. Trump scares me so much more but I just can't call every Trump supporter a racist (and many other words) anymore than saying every Clinton supporter doesn't care about our country because of her various issues. I struggle understanding how both of them became the face of their party.

I truly understand how each side did not feel they were not voting for the lesser of 2 evils with their choice. However, a vast majority of Americans thought differently. The looked at both candidates with a lot of sadness. NOTHING is black or white.

I have always tried hard on the old boards and here, to not make things personal.  I do think that the liberal side of these boards have been more brutal than necessary lately.  But I have to say I disagree heartily with those saying the right did not do the same thing in the past, or that they are not doing it now.  I have seen some ugly posts recently by the same conservative pea who was downright nasty to me (and personally) over the years at 2Peas because I disagreed with her.   

I think we all tend to not be bothered as much by the people who agree with us, but come on, people.  Own your sides' nastiness too.  

It is very odd to me to go on to Facebook and here and see some of the same people who disliked political correctness, made fun of safe paces, talked about personal responsibility for your feelings and used the term special snowflake repeatedly, complain because they feel like they are being treated unfairly.

I was on the old board too; I think I registered there in 2001. Elections were always rough there. People who supported Obama heard just as much there as Trump supporters have here. It wasn't just criticism of Obama. His supporters were told they didn't love their country and that we only voted for him because of his color among many other insults. I stuck it out and it passed there as it will here.

Have you read what has been said here lately to anyone who dared vote for Trump? That they personally ARE racist, uneducated, xenophobic, misogynistic, bigoted etc. There has been no room for discussion. Just a cold, flat statement that this is the case.

It doesn't have anything to do with wanting a "safe" place or having hurt feelings. It has to do with simply realizing that there is no longer any room for discussion or debate. It's "my way or the highway".

I did NOT vote for Trump. I just couldn't.  But I decided to do some personal digging on all the things he has been called:  racist, uneducated, xenophobic, misogynistic, bigoted. I really researched it and guess what--he is NOT any of those things. Those who know him best (including many liberal friends) actually scoff at those appellations. Is he sexist? Yeah, I think he is and I don't admire that. But the rest of the mantra can certainly be debated.

But there's no point. No one here (well maybe a few) would be interested in a discussion as to why these adjectives don't really fit him. Because they WANT him to be that way.

So really, what's the point in hanging around? To continue to be called names? There are other groups out there where polite and interesting discussion can be had. Margaret isn't the only one who has left. Others just haven't told you so. I know that at least one very much loved conservative Pea is gone forever. She just didn't tell you so. She's not a baby who can't take the heat. She just (like many others) realized that there is no opening for real discussion any more. 

As a black female, I have said more than once some of the racial comments made by the peas here have been so unbelievably hurtful and some of them are blatantly racist. Yet, nobody on the right seems to give a damn about the things the people who are on the same side as you are saying, leading me to believe that you feel the exact same. I also wish the old board were accessible. I was told more than one that because I'm black, that's the only reason I voted for Obama. I've read things about "my people" (a term that is used here to describe other blacks) cause this, that, or the other.

So yeah, I'm sorry, but I've can't feel for all these people on the right leaving this board in mass quantities. I cannot change my race. I should be PROUD of who I am as a human being. Yet, on this board, I've felt belittled by so many of you that seeing you go is almost a welcome sigh of relief.

There's always the fear no one will notice you've gone lol

I'm surprised at you Sue. Thought you were above petty commentary like this. Did it ever occur to you that some of the Peas who are telling you they are leaving are explaining their reasons so that maybe, just maybe, some Peas will pay attention and feel that some effort should be made to bring civility back at least to a small degree.

I can promise you that Margaret is not concerned that she will not be missed. In fact, I suspect she was pretty sure that would be the case.

I'm not asking this to be snarky, I swear.  Have you ever scolded Lauren for her bad behavior?  Because just the other night she told lucyg that she(lucy) was the one who had "scared the shit" out of her grandson over his fears of Trump.  Among other nasty things she said on that same thread.

The good old days were not for everyone.

They just weren't---no matter how much people try to say it. I was there. There have always been personal attacks (yes, I saw the "leave the country" posts back in the day too. )

I'm not condoning anyone's behavior, but the revisionist history bugs the crap out of me.

Anyway, I don't get why anyone needs to leave over politics. This board is a lot more than politics. I don't post much anymore. I pay attention to what I want and ignore the rest. It can be done. It's even easier than FB to ignore stuff here.

If people want to leave, fine, but the attempted guilt trips are ridiculous.

She's said far worse in the last few weeks, including to me about my race.

She was neither wishing ill on a child OR condemning them for seeking help. She WAS suggesting that the parents perhaps were somewhat responsible for causing the fears in the first place. I was involved in a huge discussion today with a lot of people on this very topic (some of whom are child care workers) and the prevailing opinion was that many parents HAVE instilled these fears in their children. Lauren is definitely not alone in that opinion and she has as much right to express it as the SCORES of Peas who told Trump voters that they were racist, etc. etc. simply for voting for him. Should they be banned too?

Okay, see this is nothing more than a thread complaining how some people got in trouble but others didn't. Has nothing to do with people actually taking responsibility for the things their friends did or said. Just a bunch of whining that it isn't fair it.

I'm out. I see no use in arguing with people who continue to justify bad behavior.

Dani, I did not see what she said so I can't respond fairly. What I can do is say I'm sorry if ANYONE has been unkind to you over your race or anything else. You're a decent Pea who has been here forever and has been an asset to the board. I've appreciate many of your posts through the years.

Yes, I've been on 2peas since 2001 ( I think-could have been 2000)   I most certainly do remember things that were said TO Lauren.  I also remember many of the unbelievably hurtful and viscous things SHE has said to others.  And not just the really infamous incident. Has she made unbelievable progress since those days?  Absolutely.    Did she take a hellacious amount of flack for things she hurled at peas over the years?  Absolutely.  I'm not going to excuse away wrongs on either side.  She's just as wrong as anyone who hounds her and anyone who hounds her is just as wrong as she is when she's being mean and nasty.  I've come a long way in my opinion of Lauren, and I have tried to engage her respectfully for quite a while now.  I do think she probably is a good person.

You are defending her behavior from the other night on tthis thread* and saying she didn't deserve to be banned, while scolding others for far, far less.  That bothers me.  And the thing is, I do think Lauren probably is a very nice person who *is* very thin-skinned.  I don't know for sure because I haven't met her in person and I haven't seen how she treats and interacts with people in real life.  From the way you defend her even when she behaves indefensibly behind her keyboard, I'm guessing you do know her in person.  That's great.  But it seems very mean-spirited of you to claim that Lauren's ugly behavior can be excused as thin-skinned while peas who have been taunted by Lauren in very cruel, personal and vulgar ways are very often treated condescendingly by you then they themselves get "thin-skinned" and lash back.  You'll defend Lauren's lashing back but no one else's?  You're ok with her cursing and "vulgarity" when she's "pushed" but not from others when she's doing the pushing? That seems either very hypocritical or very mean/cliqueish to me.  And I've seen you behave that selectively before, but was unable to come up with any other names right now than Lauren's.

I definitely don't want this to turn into a Lauren bash, because my issue right now is your selective defense of people that you deem worthy of your defense while deriding others for acting the same way as the few you defend.  That's kind of the crux of so many issues on the board.  It's always been this way, and it's always so much worse during election season.  I'm not trying to attack you, just feeling frustrated with your seemingly selective scolding.  And I do want to thank you for answering honestly.

*there are many more examples on this board where Lauren absolutely is the instigator in the jabs, barbs, and attacks.