If you can't say anything nice, then say nothing at all.
I try to live by the rule "if you can't say anything nice, then say nothing at all", although I sometimes forget to control myself and yes, stoop to name calling and ill manners.
I was reared by to very strong parents. They taught me to respect other's opinions even if I did not agree. I have seen so many examples here, especially in the Dog House where it is quite evident to me, that the parties involved in the name calling and childish behavior are ill mannered at best. We need to make room for those folks with the ill manners and I suspect, accept the fact that much about them will not change, however hard we wish and try. And that they will not go away.
I do think Pet Talk has changed. The level of civility has dropped to an all time low. I can think of two people here who do not add to the forums but merely post to provoke and invite bad posts. They like to stir things up, for the fun of the fight. I have complained and complained, to no avail. See, I told you to just accept that they are here and it won't change.:p
All that said, the overall forum population, in my opinion, is a wonderful group of people with a very strong common bond - THE LOVE OF PETS.
I am going to keep posting and complaining. Maybe the ill mannered will move on to a different forum as some have done in the past. I am sure we all know a few former Pet Talk poster or three that drove us all to total distraction while they hung out here - and then one day, they left the forum. What a relief...... Fingers crossed again.