The U.S. Bill of Rights
The response was immediate after we posted “VIEWPOINT: The Problem with Community Forums” last night, in which Circling the News argued for a social media site where all sorts of different viewpoints could be expressed without fear of reprisals.
“I LOVED your piece about community forums and being banned,” a resident wrote, noting that they had been banned because they too had promoted Councilman Mike Bonin’s recall. The person noted that Nextdoor Palisades allows for political conversations as long as people are cordial and respectful.
Another reader wrote: “I have asked to be removed from your list for months. I am not interested in reading YOUR free speech, though I am glad you finally admitted to your own bias.” (Editor’s note: People are free to unsubscribe at any point from Circling the News—and this editor checked the inbox and spam, and did not find a previous request for the reader to be removed.)
A reader chided CTN: “You aren’t really saying that you just woke up, five years later, and finally realized that NextDoor is a fraudulently run forum where seemingly self-appointed leaders rule on whether you should be thrown off because some moron with opposing views doesn’t like what you said?? I can’t tell you how often that happened to so many of us and obviously happens in every local community. You cannot be that out of touch.”
Circling the News once again quotes Dennis Prager, who liked to say after intense discussions when people were on the opposite side of an issue, “We’re going to have to agree to disagree.” That sentence means I respect your opinion, you respect mine, and we can be civil to each other going forward.
I have read a sage (and furious) comment that, when it comes to fact – which is the most valuable commodity in human discourse these days – “Agree to disagree” is never appropriate, because it bespeaks NO research. Which makes it the lazy way out. (‘Gotta agree.)
Sue, People seem to have varying opinions on how civil community discourse should be conducted, but wouldn’t it be nice if they sounded more like: ‘I hear you, but I think..’🌷
I love your website so much I would like to sign up twice!
As a news reporter one should recognize that a private institution may edit and censor things that are posted on their sites. It’s the government who cannot abridge the freedom of speech, or the press.