okay y'all I'm going to jump into this fray....after reading the posts in this thread and in many others I am going to go out on a limb and say that what is happening here and in many of the other threads is this: Those of us who have chosen to make this a regular place to be have in some way adopted the site and those in it as a family of sorts for one reason or another; whether it be common problems, common likes or dislikes or whatever..... Show me a family that does not have sniping of one kind or another and I'll show you one that has very little interaction or they live on different planets. It is not the fact that these conflicts happen it is what we do with them after they happen. I don't believe that most of the people in here are out to hurt anyone but it DOES happen as it does with people we interact with in "real" life. To expect perfection and COMPLETE protection from life is to lose touch with reality and to try to live in a "bubble". If anything this is a place to practice trying new things with others that are not yet "safe" in the real world: establishing boundaries, making amends, practicing assertivness or practicing tolerance as the case may be. It is even a place, I believe, to voice anger in a HEALTHY manner, discuss sadness and vulnerability. There are risks involved; they can't be avoided if you want to grow or learn to LIVE life instead of just exist. If one forum is uncomfortable GO TO ANOTHER. There are choices.....and it is each persons responsibility to make a choice and then accept the consequences of that choice. Yes we should try to get along; sometimes getting along means you don't get it YOUR way! I really love the diversity of all of the personalities in here; it creates a place whereupon we can experience what the real world is about without having to be "threateningly" face-to-face. I don't mean to get on a I just hope some of what I've expressed gives some food for thought.

Love, Hope, and Strength,
Pam