I haven't read this entire thread, just the first posts and a few others. But I'll gladly chime in, and say why I was one of those who came through briefly and left fairly quickly: I came in during one of the former explosions (if you will), and had to ask myself: Do you really have this kind of time? To me, at that time, the bullying, deliberately (and I do believe many were deliberately) counterproductive posts simply overwhelmed the positive, thoughtful, meaningful ones. Conflict occurs at many levels, every day. I deal with it constantly. Addressing it productively gives a real feeling of accomplishment. But name calling isn't adult-level conflict, it's schoolyard bullying. One cannot use reason with a zealot, not matter what their cause, and especially if their cause is harming someone they believe they hate, or defending themselves against a slight, insult, etc., real or simply perceived. I do not believe the people here are so wounded they cannot stand to hear honest constructive criticism. I think sometimes it's just easier, especially in a society where such behavior is often valued, to lash out rather than step back.
