What is most sad about the current election and America in general is how we have lost certain core values like common courtesy and mutual respect.
We always had a certain amount of bad behavior in the culture, but it was generally disapproved of and if you continued to behave that way you were eventually shunned.
At some point however the culture changed.
Maybe it was the tremendous expansion of channels and outlets brought about by cable TV and the growth of the Internet and social media.
Views that were on the fringe became more acceptable as popularity and ratings overtook any sense of responsibility.
Whatever you think of it, CNN started as a pretty straightforward news outlet.
Then FOX attacked it as a liberal bastion and spread its own biased view and grabbed ratings.
Of course the Internet provided even more opportunity for extreme views and rumor mongers and the only objectives were spread an agenda and get clicks.
Its probably not going to get better and the public is the only one that can control it by ignoring the real fringe groups. However, it doesn't take much to start and maintain them, so they will go on.
This has led to totally false accusations and allegations, supported by either nothing or falsified documents which take on a life of their own.
Of course a little research reveals the falsehood but most of this simply gets passed along by either willing or unwilling dupes.
Its a new world but not a better one.
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