THEM v. US

Have you ever noticed that anytime there is a disagreement it turns into "Them versus Us"? Recently I have been involved in an issue that turned out to be exactly that. I am speaking of the Game Fish Bill that has created a lot of controversy in the Carteret County News Times. The issue and related post can be viewed by going to the CCNT web site and researching; Recreational fishing and net loses, Recreational fishing is a game, and Hooked again.
What started out as a Editorial by the newspaper turned into a heated argument. I got involved when I decided to not accept the lies and accusations thrown at the commercial fishing industry. The reason I did this was to bring balance to the discussion. It was not to make recreational fishermen into culprits, or make commercial fishermen innocent of any wrong doing. Neither was it to prove anyone wrong, although I did offer a chance for anyone to prove me wrong. To date nobody has.
Throughout the life of the articles there was a lot of name calling, insults, false accusations, and team play. This might have gotten a few points across, but has served little other useless purpose. It has served to strengthen discord between both sides. The blame falls on both sides, as both sides refused to follow example by acknowledging their fault and not accepting blame for their contribution to the problem.
The reason I use this example of failed relations is to remind people that we have to communicate better. This very attitude can be linked to many of the problems this web site was created to help solve. There is a constant fight of one side fighting against another for what they want for themselves, without regard to the other sides rights or wants. The details of the arguments are irrelevant to the damage being done by the ones arguing when the argument isn't based on fact, but personal wants instead.
In both the Game Fish Bill and the Beaufort Sewer argument there seems to be a "Them v. Us" attitude that is costing us all dearly. It shouldn't be that way, because it is really "Us v. Ourselves". In both cases we are spending too much time trying to get what we want for ourselves and not enough time doing what is right for the environment and the citizens of our area.
I encourage everyone to speak up and be heard, but be thoughtful in what you say and how you say it. The cause is to save our environment, rights, and resources, not just to win.
Clammerhead