The death of conversation in Oak Ridge
September 25th, 2007 by Atomictumor
Only a year or two after it started up, Oak Ridge’s online mind has melted down.
Several of the local blogs have been inactive for months or just outright shut down. The online forums have become one sided pile-on’s, with people jumping on their favorite rants, throwing out few new ideas, or any kind of postive feedback.
Last year, I saw hope in it, that so many people in this normally fractious town are getting together on a common pedestal, disagreeing as necessary, but generally trying to get a point across. Now I’m really just kinda seeing static.
Problem is, this reflects Oak Ridge’s mind as a whole. The town has always been one, for the decade or so I’ve been here at least, to hunker down into camps, almost like the idiotic blue/red mentality that has hamstrung politics in this country for so long. The same people who pile on board one topic are likely to pile on board another, unrelated one. Is it because they just happen to keep agreeing?
Or is it the thinking that “My buddy wants this, so I’m going to want it too”?
One of the issues I see are that people are all set to leap together and work on something, whether it’s a senior center, a shopping center, a hotel, with a myopic focus on that one object, without ever working on the larger picture. After the one object is achieved, or not, as the case may be, there’s no getting together in the aftermath to try to figure out how the victory or defeat can be parlayed into something decent for the town.
Is there no deep thinking? Is that the problem?
Or has everybody given up, burnt out on the work done for those previous victories and defeats, taking on a ‘fuck it’ attitude in the face of the immovable positions of both of the camps.
See, thats what I was hoping the online thing would overcome. Probably idealistic, but don’t all the good ideas sound idealistic? A situation where class, or location, or history wouldn’t make a difference, where new ideas could pop out and take root?
Maybe the apathy wins out over idealism.
September 25th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Amen Bro. Just don’t Tase me for being common.
September 25th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Yeah, I was gonna put a post up about the shirt, but I forgot to take a picture last night…
September 25th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
I think, for a lot of people, daily life gets in the way. We have the same issues up here in my little town in the Nutmeg State.
Of course, after things don’t go people’s way (while they were out living the day to day) there’s a general hue and cry…
September 25th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Maybe we should start fom scratch. Assemble at the O. R. Friendship Bell on Sunday at 6am. Circle, hold hands, and sing “Fahoodoray”.
September 25th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Is it apathy or realism? Does fighting windmills take it’s toll after a while and you need time to regroup? There are so many battles to fight so at some point I guess you just choose your battles and hope to win one of them.
September 25th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
I think you’re right about the piecemeal approach to issues and not looking at the big picture. Course the problem is in agreeing on what the big picture is and then agreeing on how to achieve that big picture.
But man, I think people are always looking to be a part of one tribe or another. It’s the politician’s job to figure out how to bridge those various groups.
I think the trick is getting consensus despite class, location and history.
September 25th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Or, maybe it’s just that some of us have moved back to doing things that don’t show much in the public eye, but things that DO make a difference — even if that difference won’t show up for another 15 years or so.
Reading with a 3rd grader, or teaching 11 year olds to code HTML and create computer games, is more fun than fighting over where to get money and where to spend it. I know, those things have to happen, but spending too much time on it (for any one person) is a quick path to burnout.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
I think that people have forgotten how to examine an issue. Instead of learning, forming an opinion, then testing that opinion to see if it’s valid, they form an opinion and stop. No listening. No learning. No testing. I have always been proud to call myself a liberal thinker. To me, that means I am willing to listen to others, to re-examine my own thoughts and perceptions, and change my mind if need be. Now, however, it’s considered a form of weakness to listen, and especially to actually change your mind.
September 25th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Suzanne nails it.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:06 am
I remember when issues where handled “face to face” but with technology now it can all be done without ever showing up in a room together. Do you think that some of the major issues could be solved and discussed if it was more personable? Where you actually had to sit there and listen to your neighbor and actually socialize. What do I know, I’m just as guilty of getting online and stating my opinion on major issues instead of going to meetings or trying to make a difference in person. I just think it may play a role in how things are done today. :-)