When Did Debate Become Nothing But Hate?

This seems like a silly question but unfortunately in the world we live in this seems to be a real issue.  It seems as if we have gotten to a point where we can no longer talk to people about anything that they don't agree with, or may not understand.  Why?  Because we seem to have reached a point where debate has devolved into little more than hurling hate.  Whatever happened being able to disagree with someone and still respect them?  Nowadays it seems if you disagree with someone they feel like they now have the right to personally attack you and throw around hate.

When did it become standard that when someone hears something they disagree with they call offended and then label you some sort of bigot.  What kind depends on what you are disagreeing with them on.  It appears that facts are no longer important to an argument, and certainly not when the person you are talking to has had their feelings hurt for some nonsensical reason.  Truth, honesty, and facts seem to have become less important than feelings and taking offense.  In the words of Tom MacDonald, from his song Politically Incorrect:

We've become so ultra-sensitive and hyper-tolerant that, honestly, honesty gon' be illegal

It's crazy y'all get so shocked and bothered from people sayin' things that aren't responsible

If that seems logical, y'all are weak then

Unfortunately, the sentiments seen in these lyrics are what our conversations and debates have devolved into.  "We've become so ultra-sensitive and hyper-tolerant that honestly, honesty is gon' be illegal."  That's not to say that tolerance is a bad thing.  Quite the opposite actually, tolerance is a great thing.  As long as it is actually tolerance.  See, there are a group of people who see tolerance as "we should have tolerance for every single different person out there, unless you disagree with me on anything."  There is a difference between being intolerant and not agreeing with someone else's ideology or opinions.

I have seen so many people in conversations, and debates, come to the table with facts, statistics, and proof to back up their argument.  Then what does the otherside do?  Do they also have proof, facts, or statistics to back up their side as well?  No, no they do.  They scream about how they are offended and how the person's facts don't matter because they are "hateful" and "bigoted".  Ummm?  I'm sorry, what?  Facts don't have anything to do with your feelings.  Let me give a fictionalized example:

If I were to say here is this book it was written in 2010, and I can prove that by the Copyright page which shows the earliest publication date was 2010. Than the person I'm talking to would say how i'm wrong, that they got their book brand new in 2013, and horrible I am for saying otherwise.  Do you see the facts that were ignored?  They got the book in one year so the fact that I could prove when it was first published doesn't matter.

This of course is a made of example, but the sentiment is still true.  The facts don't care when their feelings disagree, and they find themselves offended because they disagree.  What has our world come to?  And why can't normal and reasonable people come back to the forefront of social media, and just the media in general. 

That's it for this particular rant.  Please leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.  I'd love to have a conversation.

Till Next Time Friends,

Words by Ali