I must say that I am sincerely disappointed in my fellow citizens, who seem to feel that shouting derogatory statements about the people with whom they share this planet into a cavernous echo chamber is somehow "advancing a dialogue."

We live in a pluralistic society. That doesn't mean that you have to give up your convictions and adopt a morally relativistic attitude. But it does require that you at least attempt to engage with those you might disagree with in a civil manner.

You want solutions? First you have to accept that not everyone will share your views, and be open to the possibility that others' views might - just might - be legitimate, too. Then you can navigate your differences in a fully informed manner.

You can always disagree - and you should if you have strong evidence to support your case. But name-calling and blanket generalizations do nothing besides undercut your own credibility and expose a deep void of intellectual integrity.

(P.S. There are one or two people here who posted insightful comments. Kudos to you for sticking it out in such a volatile environment.)