The Conical Glass: Mood: Sad and angry

Monday, September 15, 2008

Mood: Sad and angry

In case you haven't noticed, we have an election coming up in November. But while the top of the ticket is getting the lion's share of the attention, we also have a lot of smaller, local races. State legislators, city council members, local propositions -- they're all important too, maybe more important when it comes to your day-to-day life.

I moved to a new town a few months ago, one that is home to a large number of civic-minded individuals who are eager to share their thoughts and opinions on the local scene. This being the 21st century, the primary medium of expression here is the blog. I subscribe to a bunch of them, offering a variety of different viewpoints.

However, lately I've become so disgusted and demoralized by the level of discourse here that it makes me feel like picking up stakes and moving -- preferably to a deserted island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The dean of local bloggers, who would no doubt sling mud at me if he read that I called him a blogger (he is a newspaperman), is a man in his (I believe) early 70s who also hosts a local public access TV show. He's lived here forever and he knows what is best for this town. For months I was sort of able to laugh off what I perceived as his inflated sense of self-importance, but lately, he's stepped up his vendetta against another local blogger, a much younger man who once lived in (gag, sputter) NEW YORK CITY.

Because this other guy has gotten involved in transportation issues, including advocating for increased public transit and bicycle use, he's obviously trying to turn our bucolic burg into Manhattan. Now, I have never met either of these people in person, but they both seem to care a lot about the town and have different ideas of how it should grow and change in the new century. However, the older man and his surrogates (two other locals who frequently appear on his TV show) have decided to tag the younger man with the epithet "moron." The first time "[Younger Guy] is a moron" appeared in his blog, I found it a depressing bit of name-calling; but now, this morning, the "moron" tag has appeared again -- the third time in a week, if I'm not mistaken. Oh, and then there was the other local blogger who wrote an innocuous piece about how she and her family sold their car in an effort to lighten their carbon footprint -- she was described as a "dweeb."

Is it possible for reasonable people to disagree and have a dialogue about their positions without resorting to childish name-calling? So far, the ex-New Yorker has resisted taking the bait and responding in kind on his blog, which is refreshing, and I hope he keeps it up.

I wonder how many people here might be discouraged from getting involved in local issues because they don't want a gang of bullies to call them names? I admire the people who are strong enough to stand up and say what they believe and damn the consequences, because I know I couldn't do it.

...the likeliest reason why so many of us care so little about politics is that modern politicians make us sad, hurt us in ways that are hard even to name, much less to talk about. It's way easier to roll your eyes and not give a shit... we've been lied to and lied to, and it hurts to be lied to. It's ultimately just about that complicated: it hurts. It denies you respect for yourself, for the liar, for the world. Especially if the lies are chronic, systemic, if hard experience seems to teach that everything you're supposed to believe in's really a game based on lies. Young Voters have been taught well and thoroughly. You may not personally remember Vietnam or Watergate, but it's a good bet you remember "No new taxes" and "Out of the loop" and "No direct knowledge of any impropriety at this time" and "Did not inhale" and "Did not have sex with that woman" and etc. etc. It's depressing and painful to believe that the would-be "public servants" you're forced to choose between are all phonies whose only real concern is their own care and feeding and who will lie so outrageously with such a straight face that you just know they have to believe you're an idiot.
-David Foster Wallace, April 2000

posted by 125records @ 9:58 AM

2 Comments:

At 1:49 PM, Anonymous said…

As the aforementioned "younger guy" I wanted to commend you for your well written critique of not only the specific exchange but the overall effect of these types of posts. Something that we community bloggers should continuously remind ourselves as our emotions become passionate.

Sincerely - younger guy
At 1:50 PM, Joe said…

How awful that the DFW quote has only become *more* relevant...