A very irritating trend has developed between liberals and conservatives. Each side often insists on demeaning the other purely on the basis of political ideology.

Our nation’s politicians have set a poor example of common decency by hurling around nasty insults and displays of hatred based solely on opposing political views and party affiliations, which has trickled down to common citizens

Obviously, snide remarks and detest between political parties are not recent developments, but I don’t recall a time in recent years when these traits were so publicly obvious and both parties are equally guilty.

I experience this same attitude from both sides on a regular basis. I’m concerned that society is learning to react personally to any kind of opposing view.

Don’t think that this is a “why can’t we all just get along” rant. We don’t have to always get along, but we should be able to separate unproductive personal attacks from discussions and disagreements.

When people start throwing the idiot card around in a political discussion, they are at their wit’s end and have exhausted their ability to form intelligent rebuttals.

Perhaps a more productive reaction would be based on the subject matter. Rather than getting nasty, why not point out what and why you disagree with whatever the topic might be and leave it at that?

What is worse than personal attacks is when people detest one another because of opposing views.

I’m sure others have been in the situation as I have when you’re sitting in a class and political discussions gets a little heated. Once someone with opposing views from either side starts chiming in, you can see people glaring at each other, and too often they don’t associate with one another from then on.

I’m not sure why this happens. I don’t believe people are defined by their political views, and there is concern that some people will refrain from voicing their views for fear of being labeled.

I am firmly conservative in my views, but I also have several liberal friends. I disagree with most of their political opinions, but I have respect for them and I have never made judgments about character or level of intelligence based on their views.

We have all seen political ideas become more polarized, but it is to the point now that politicians’ poor use of restraint is beginning to rub off on all of us. There is nothing wrong with a moderately heated discussion, but reactions are getting carried away.

Too often we are less concerned about carrying on an intelligent conversation and more concerned with pointing out who the bigger idiot is.