Our social media license should be revoked!

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. 

On one hand, it gives us access to information at lightning fast speeds.  On the other hand, I didn't really need to know that Kim Kardashian had really swollen feet during her pregnancy.  Sometimes social media is used for good.  To get the word out about an important project, rally, program, whatever.  And sometimes it is used for evil.  To spread lies, vicious rumors and to bully other people. 

On both Facebook and online news articles, if the topic catches my eye, I will read it.  Then I torture myself and read the comments people make.  It makes me laugh, it makes me mad but mostly it makes me sad that people feel they can get away with saying the things they say because they are hidden behind an anonymous name.  Hell, if it's on Facebook, it's mostly not anonymous, and they still say the stupidest things.  It's like being given a license to offend anyone and everyone because there is no real accountability for your comments.

People are cruel with their comments.  The same people that would probably never say anything like that to another person face to face are the ones that are unusually cruel.  "Brave" because they are hidden.  Some are cruel on purpose, just for the attention.  And the less attention they receive, the more outrageous they become with their words. 

And someone always, always starts in with the politics.  Or plays the race card.  People throw the N word and the R word around like it's nothing.  Liberal or Conservative, each has their own derogatory word for the other.  The debates get very heated and I can appreciate a good argument.  What I can't and don't appreciate are the debates that go completely overboard in berating someone else for  a difference of opinion.  Why can't everyone just shut the hell up and agree to disagree without it becoming a personal verbal attack?

The audacity of some people shocks me.  Based on someone's opinion, people assume a lot about another person.  Oh, you support gay marriage?  You MUST be gay or at least have homosexual tendencies.  You support Obama?  You are probably black.  You want background checks for anyone wanting to purchase a gun? You must be a liberal AND you want to take my gun away.

I start reading some of the comments and get pretty heated, which in turn makes ME want to comment.  I don't of course, for a few reasons.  The voice of reason is never heard above the shouts of the cruel.