Syrians, how was life before the war broke out?

I'm curious to know how you felt before the war and how you feel about the current situation.

Did you like the way Assad ran the country?

Did you support the armed revolution?

Did you feel like you could get persecuted and that you had to behave a certain way?

How did the different religious and ethnic communities get along?

What's your opinion on the current situation and who are you siding with?

Thank you for your time.

EDIT: One of the reasons of why I asked was because my parents have been to Syria in like 2002 or 2004 (Can't remember exactly), and their impression and experiences were very good.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for your responses, I was surprised to see so many. I is unfortunate to see what is currently going on in Syria right now. I hope to see Syria stable as soon as possible.

It was really interesting to read your responses, and see that so many of you had common opinions.