I'm done. I'm just done. I really can't take it anymore

[Zenith]

Maybe it's just me, but I really am just done with following the news cycle anymore. Or at least maybe I won't do it on Facebook. That way I don't have to read through all the vitriol and hate people have. America has seriously reached an incredible new low in my opinion. So, for instance with this heartbreaking news this morning of that congressman getting shot. I have noticed the majority of the comments were regarding his political affiliation. I mean, is that really what we have come to?  Where if it's someone who is a Democrat then it's a chance for those who are Republicans to use it to slam Democrats and vice versa? Maybe it's just me, and the fact I'm fairly young. I'm 23. So I really have only been able to recall the presidencies of 43 and 44. There really just seems to be too much hate going around now. Now, maybe it's because people have bigger platforms to spread their hate, ignorance and fear, but I am really just tired of it. 

What are your thoughts? 

I honestly blame Trump for this. I think he has started sort of a polar shift when it comes to politics in America. People are now starting to be much much more hateful [or at least it seems that way to me] on both sides because of this man.

I'm done, just done. You really seem to not be able to reason with those who disagree with you, either. It's literally turned into an us against them scenario.

Sincerely, 

Very disappointed in my country

But then again, according to those who support Trump this "isn't my country anymore".

Well, perhaps Canada is a better place to live in... just saying.

Anyway, I would personally trace it farther back than Trump: What allowed Trump to come to power in the first place?

There are 3 things I believe have influenced very much US presidential election, UK's brexit, and Turkish shift towards dictatorship:
1. Russia's annexing Crimea - gave rise to fear. Fear of getting into an open war with Russia. The end of the world.
2. Terrorist attacks - gave rise to fear. Blame. Great distrust in the media and the politicians, which to some people became smth like the enemy, "the system", "the establishment"
3. Refugees - the poor management of syrian refugees (which, sadly caused more non-syrians to be taken than actual victims). It gave a terrible image in front of dozens of millions of people about how "uncivilized" those "heathens" are like. Combined with Islam (foreign religion), rapes, violence, etc., it gave rise to fear, and the sense of countries having lost control.

And people respond to fear by giving a lot of power to brave people who come to "defend the nation" and "fight the enemy".

And then, you can go further:
3. We could blame EU for not handling the refugees properly. Or we could blame USA & Russia for their involvement in Syria, which led to the refugee crisis. Or on Assad.
2. Terrorist attacks - this, I believe, rose from the fact that muslims have continuously been allowed to come to western countries, and those
countries haven't taken the necessary precautions - instead assumed that "all religions are the same" and "all people are the same". What happened, as I see, is that muslims isolate themselves from the rest of the communities and preach easily in their mosques how gay people should be stoned to death, how public executions are ok, and how death penalty for their "sins" are not only okay, but necessary. Surprised, then, to see hatred and killings?
1. Russia's annexing of Crimea - well, I don't think we could've done something about it.

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OP, it's perfectly relevant to talk about the guy's political affiliation. It looks an awful lot like he was killing people for their political affiliation. Sorry, but left nuts have to get called out as much as right nuts.

It is hardly just one person. Yes, the forum isn't set up to be politically biased, but politically there is very little disagreement on here and the disagreement there is, is viciously attacked routinely. I don't think any sort of conservative sticks around for long because of it, which turns it into an echo chamber. It definitely not just one person who says that people who disagree are stupid. That's probably a majority opinion here. Ironically the religious talk is far more tolerant.

I think I get what you're saying. I noticed it from my early days in this forum (back when I was a christian, btw). I don't think it's only the forum, but also people. Like mentality, or trend, I don't know. It's those moments when you see two or more people with opposing views, and the debates don't stick to the subject at hand, but quickly slip to "who's the smart guy and who's the idiot?" Like certain people seem to try to show how others are stupid and inadequate so that themselves would feel smarter, and this competition becomes more important than holding the conversation and sharing ideas & points of views.

You say that religious talk is far more tolerant. You should probably ask religious people how they are feeling.

Anyway, I believe the "forum" stuff has a deficiency too. Not this forum, but quite any. That is, it may be hard to realize that there's an actual full-fledged human being behind that post and behind that nickname with avatar, who had a particular upbringing, a background different than yours, about which you have no idea, and who sometimes reacts emotionally. In a face-to-face conversation it's usually easier, because you can't miss the humane part and you perceive far more than text - voice tone, facial expressions, etc., which gives realtime hints about how the other person is feeling. And you may get to know him and build trust, sympathise with, and understand him better even though you continue to disagree with him on certain (even important) issues.

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Yeah, I'd agree with Cap as well. I used to be a very moderate Dem but ever since Trump won the election I've been pushed further and further left and I've been losing my ability to have a calm, rational discussion about politics like I used to. I still consider myself better than A LOT of left-leaning members here, but overall the forum is undeniably hostile to conservatives.

I think it's mostly to do with Trump and also just what happens in a bubble. Even when most people would prefer to stay civil, dealing with the uncivil becomes so difficult that it drives out opposing views and attracts more people who'd prefer just to hear one point of view.

I believe that news agencies are at fault here too. They tend to polarise the society. It's actually quite easy to turn people against one another: Just tell the right things to people behind their TVs.

News agencies tell people what happened, how to understand it, what to believe of it, what it means, how you should feel about it and what you should do about it, and that they're the only ones who speak the truth and that whoever says otherwise is blind, idiot, or ill intended.

In many people I speak to or hear I see the very reflection of their source of news echoed through their mouths or facebook posts. The reason why this works I believe is quite simple: When people are told everything about how they should understand an event, they are far less likely to judge it independently by themselves.