Why are most commenters in online newspaper forums so nasty, self-important and intolerant?

I am trying very hard to avoid reading the comments in my local newspaper's online forum. You may recall I earlier described the Jefferson City News-Tribune as a fascist rag sheet and that still applies. The same group of posters still lie in wait for anyone whose comment may reveal him or her to be liberal, Democratic, left-leaning or even a moderate Republican--then they pounce and denounce the commenter as a socialist, communist, leftist, pinko or traitor, and those are some of the nicer accusations. Here are some examples from a quick scan of tonight's entries.
* Commenting on a story about some legislators introducing yet another school prayer amendment, a frequent (and ignorant) poster named Boscoe wrote, "I say BRAVO to the legislators! If the heathens don't like it, they can go live somewhere else. Our country started just fine without the Muslims, so we won't miss any of 'em if they leave." Another local lunatic, a very angry and pompous wingnut named Byron W. wrote, "BRAVO!!!!!! It is time to take a stand for Christianity and a stand against secularism. "(Actually I was surprised at the number of rational opinions among the Yay for Christians comments.)

* Here are some comments in a story about those goofy tea parties last week: "The LEFT wing fringe that is now in the Whitehouse is squirming and are worried, don't be fooled by their lies." Here's nutcase Boscoe again: "Yes, the Repubs lack a leader, but that is also true of the Democrats. All they have for leaders right now is a flash-in-the-pan Rock Star, a crazy old hag in the Senate, and the old guy who has all these mysterious deaths and misadventures when they ride in his car. Oh, I forgot about the finger-pointing adulterer and his power-hungry manic wife."And my favorite from the whole thread: "Remember these two, they are trying to create diversions: JANEANE GAROFALO, KEITH OLBERMANN." I was quite amazed by this, that some wingnut even knew about Janeane and Keith. What followed were several comments about her ethnic heritage somehow contributing to her so-called radicalism.

* Byron checks in on health care: " National health care? Just another nail in the coffin of the USA." I wonder why he is such an angry, unhappy grump--oh I remember now--OBAMA WON.

I typically go a few days without reading the comments. But then I'm overcome by an urge to check out the latest ones and get horrified and disgusted and depressed all over again, and swear off the online forum forever, again. I think this affliction must be similar to my Sarah Palin sickness--I can't get enough of that pathetic, deluded woman. Come to think of it, a lot of the News-Tribune posters are big fans of hers. There used to be a lot of PALIN 2012 sign-offs, but not so much lately.

Occasionally I actually post something myself--typically an ultra-liberal, Obama-loving observation designed to agitate the Boscoes and Byrons out there. When they call me a Nazi I know I've succeeded.

The truly remarkable thing I've discovered, however, is that hateful, depraved, frustrated commenters are universal. Visit any online forum at any newspaper in the US and you will find them spewing their ignorance and anger in their local market. Here's a choice nugget from tonight's St. Louis Post-Dispatch forum, regarding the sale of props used in the George Clooney movie that recently wrapped up shooting there: "I guess since his movies are flops, and his totally liberal policies and meddling are coming back to haunt him, his only way to make money is a traveling gift shop."

Insane commenters make up the majority of posters no matter where you find them. I think that's because the forums give them an outlet for their sense of helplessness, a place where they can lash out against "us" without repercussions.

What do you think?

Coulda Been a Groupie

Long ago--31 years ago!--I was a big fan of the rock band The Cars. They had a sort of pre-punk sound with a lot of synthesizers. Their hair was styled in a shag and their stage presence was very sharp and stylized, with a black, white and red theme--oh, and green potted palms. The ugliest one, Ric Ocasek, married a gorgeous foreign model and I recently read they are still together. In 1978 The Cars came to St. Louis and performed at the Kiel Opera House. Being a big fan I stood in line for hours to get good seats--maybe 8th row. I asked my friend Missy to go with me and although she was a very conservative young woman, she agreed to come along. Maybe I bribed her. It's funny, I remember what I wore: a white cowl-neck sweater, tan cordoroy jeans and cowboy boots. I was thin then because I didn't eat, I smoked menthol cigarettes instead. The show was fantastic and as Missy and I were leaving a guy in a t-shirt shoved something in my hand and said, "This is from the bass player"--the late, handsome Benjamin Orr. It was an orange fabric square that said BACKSTAGE PASS, plus the name of the band and the date. A backstage pass! From Orr! Oh my goodness. Oh dear. What's a girl to do? I showed Missy and her immediate reaction was, "That's a fake!" followed by, "You're NOT going, are you?" For about 10 seconds I considered telling her, "YES I'm going! Wouldn't you?!" But I knew I never would. There were just so many reasons not to--like it could be dangerous (drugs, alcohol, etc.), I don't know these people, they don't know me, I'm not prepared, I'm scared. The only reason to actually go backstage was to say I did it. So we went home. I felt a little mad at Missy for a while for being such a sourpuss about the whole thing. I tossed the pass on my coffee table and glanced at it occasionally. A few weeks later a friend came by, a DJ at a local rock station. He saw the pass on my table and excitedly asked, "Where did you get that?" I told him someone handed it to me after the Cars show and said it was from the bass player. "Did you go backstage?" he asked. No, I said. It's a fake. "That's no fake," he said. "Don't you know those musicians can play their songs in their sleep. They're checking out girls in the front rows of the audience! Obviously Orr thought you were cute." Then he added, "But he probably sent the same invitation to a lot of other girls too, to make sure someone showed up."

Something New In My Life

Today I officially welcome something new in my life: pain. Real, hurting, sore, heavy pain, in my right hip. It's been going on for a few weeks, some days worse than others, but always there, deep in my hip, or focused on my knee or calf. My mother, in her last years, was always in pain in one or more parts of her body. And although I sympathized and felt so bad for her, I couldn't truly understand or share it. Mainly I was glad it wasn't me who was wincing with every step, moving slowly and carefully, sitting whenever possible. But now it's my bones that are grinding together, arthritic and unhealthy. My hip will never get better, said the orthopedic surgeon. Sooner or later I'll need a new one. In the meantime I'll try some jazzed up Tylenol and hope the pain recedes enough for me to enjoy my upcoming trip to California. I was hoping to make it at least to early old-age before the aches and pains set in. No such luck.