The Comment Section is on a Break

Dear Readers:

In the four years since we began this Blog we have tried to allow the comments section to remain an uncensored space where readers could have a reasoned debate about the issues we write about. For much of that time we have achieved that, and that debate, including opinions contrary to ours, have been much appreciated.

However, in the past few weeks I have gotten complaints again about how the comments section has been taken over by a handful of people -- all anonymous -- who seem to be confused about the difference between debate and insult. In that environment people of reason have stopped posting. So, as we have done before, we are shutting down the comments section for an indefinite time to help people gather themselves and think if there might be a better way to engage one another. In the meantime, we'll keep publishing our posts on a regular basis.

We have between 2,000 and 3,000 readers daily on the Blog now, numbers that continue to grow each year. Thank you all for your continued readership and interest.

Jim Shultz
The Democracy Center