Dunno if it was this thread or another, but someone recently asked if people come for the lyrics, then stay for the flames. Some said yes. In a modified version, that's true for me. I came for the lyrics just before 9/11. At that point, I became fascinated (and helped) by the opinions all over the place in a period of great confusion. Intellectual muzak, maybe, but I wouldn't dispute that label for the music threads either. But I digress.

I've noticed that in the build up to war, I get opinions to chew on either in newspapers or here, and they each have glaring deficiencies. But it's interesting to me, as I've suspected and now firmly believe, that in my locale and circumstances, this subject is simply not viewed as polite subject matter. I live amongst many naval officers and enlisted marines and their families, and work with the downtown civilian crowd. In neither environment do we express our opinions (I have some old birkenstock-ed buddies from college days who will go on about it, of course, but I don't see them a lot.)

We had an unfortunate event on February 15, when so many protests took place, in which a small crowd protested at a naval shipyard. The resulting letters to the editor from military spouses were very interesting. They were calm, polite, and respectful of the anti-war message, yet still refrained from stating a position, and merely asked that people consider directing their protests to government officials, and not create further hardship for military personnel with jobs to do.

The point is, I think, that the noise level has ratcheted WAY up in here, because this is a tough one, and people need to vent, or question, or learn and decide. It comes out a bit crudely, sure. But there's a lot of pent up frustration. I don't think its the death of all civility on mudcat.