Nice sentiment, Darkneon - and you are right.
I'm of the same disposition as you, I despair at how we humans can act toward eachother, sometimes - you only have to watch the news on TV, to get evidence of the fact.

There is nothing wrong with 'heated debate' - I remember the thread called "If God Exists..." (a potentially volitile debate, if ever there was one). For the most part, it was a debate that invoked passion from every conbtributor, myself included, and the discussion provided an insight into the ideals and beliefs of the members of this board which helped us all to gain a better understanding of this particular topic - a good thing!
It was such a good debate, of which I found myself exploring my own beliefs in a broader frame of mind, that I almost wrote an entire thesis on the subject! lol
But, it was also one that (I'm glad to say) the members remained respectful, considerate, and passionate about, without resorting to insults and derrogatory comment.

There is nothing wrong with passionate debate.
(But people do themselves no favours by decending into base rudeness and outright nastiness)

Sometimes, people might stumble across this board (as they do others) and choose to 'have fun winding up the others' - I generally look at the number of posts that that particular person has made (ie, if it is a low number, then maybe that person is one of those that I just described) and make an assessment based on that. If it is a regular member, then (in my experience) that member may have been going through a dark moment and usually apologise for their outburst a few posts down the line...I have done this a couple of times myself
Sometimes, a topic will be raised that, due to personal experience and deep rooted beliefs, a member will feel very passionate about and may only be able to express themselves in an (perceived) arrogant fashion - again, if it is a regular, then an apology is usually given once they have calmed down.

If someone has posted in a disrespectful way, then the prudent thing to do would be to ignore the post, or (if you feel that strongly about it) ask that person NICELY to exercise a little more respect - Ultimately, if the disrespect and rudeness is that bad, then inform a moderator about it.

Of course, some debate invokes alot of passion, and we mustn't confuse 'passion' with 'ignorance' or 'nastiness' - a gentle reminder of etiqutte will usually rectify the misunderstanding

cannabis.com is a place that I have 'met' some fantastic people. It is a place that I have learned a great deal from. It is a place where I can express myself, pass on knowledge and opinion, and get some back in return. It is a place where I have been able to expand my thinking about certain subjects and, through research, has facilitated a better understanding of myself and the world in which I live.
All good.

I agree with you, Darkneon, there should be less animosity in the world, and more open-mindedness - however, we both know that it is just a fantasy that won't be realised for a great many years to come ...but it doesn't mean that we have to abandon the idea - it will happen, one day, I am sure.
Maybe it is too late for us, but there are generations to come that can be instrumental in acheiving the goals that you and I hope for - pass on your understanding to the next generation (that's what I'm trying to do with my kids) and maybe, just maybe, we can help speed up the process
It's taken over 2000yrs for us to even begin questioning our lifestyles and beliefs, but it's a start...we just gotta make sure that the questioning doesn't stop, and hope that eventually human-kind will learn by their mistakes.

The clock is ticking away, and there isn't much time left - soon, the decision of whether this species we call Man will evolve or not, will be made for us...

Nice post, Jackie...don't lose hope
Res...