Sometimes I am envious of the “popular” bloggers – I wonder what it would be like to have lots of readers, to get lots of comments, to be admired by people you respect. But there is one good side to not being popular, and that is the lack of hate mail. I truly don’t know how people deal with it – being called names, being accused of horrible things, etc. That I don’t envy at all.
I’ve been blogging for four years now and I have received a few snotty comments here and there, but nothing particularly hateful. Well, today, that changed and I received my very first hateful comment. It was in response to this entry. An entry about NOT hating each other, ironically. I didn’t publish the comment, because I felt like it would be a big, ugly smear on what was truly meant from the heart. But I’ll tell you here what it said: “Fuck you nigger! Get the fuck out of my country!” Isn’t that precious? The commenter chose to remain anonymous, though I’m not surprised – most trolls usually do.
In the post, I was trying to express the sheer, sickening, ugliness of racism and I think he just did that in 10 words. So thanks, anonymous.
I also had a whole slew of things to say to anonymous about his character and intelligence – I was all set to express my moral outrage at such a comment. But again, I think those words tell you everything you need to know about him (or her).
Call me what you want - I really don’t care. It’s not the word. It’s the use of the word, if that makes sense. The word is just that – a word. Six letters that mean absolutely nothing if we don’t let them. It didn’t hurt me or scare or intimidate me or humiliate me in any way. But the fact that there are people out there who think it’s appropriate to use those six letters in an attempt to hurt or scare or intimidate or humiliate their fellow man. That is what bothers me. The fact that there are people out there like this, people whose words and actions and prejudices and hateful, horrible lives may actually have the effect that they want? That hurts. That there are people like this who may have an influence on our children? That is scary. That there are people like this who may be responsible for our laws or our safety or our employment or our way of life? That is intimidating. That the whole world in watching the actions of the people of this country and sadly, it’s these types of actions that get notice and reflect on us all? That is humiliating.
But still, anonymous? You fail. You fail at your pathetic attempt to wound. There may be others like you, but there are a lot more like me, and we’re better than that. We’re better than you.
5 comments:
It's too bad anonymous is probably not smart enough to figure out the error of his/her ways.
Very well said.
And you are right, we in the "silent majority" better start speaking up.
You're my favorite blogger!
Ame
I don't really know what to say to this...you said it perfectly yourself. But, just know that I am over here virtually flipping off anonymous.
I also do not approve horrible comments. After my first one, I almost quit blogging.
Recently someone used my blog as an example of a "homophobic" blog and linked me on their large for-profit blog. And I almost quit again. Even though he is a liar and bully and my blog is obviously not anti-gay (maybe anti-raccoon/other rabies carrying animals which wait for me to take my garbage out at night).
I guess it wasn't that my feelings were hurt, but more that I was taken aback that someone brought their ugly behavior right into my foyer and dumped it there. Sometimes I forget how people can be.
I'm sorry someone is stupid and I'm sorry too, that they are a coward.
Mean people suck. And anonymous commenters are cowards.
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