*Update at bottom
I wondered what the hot topic was going to be today. Women. Gay rights. Welfare. Money. Religion.
So many topics on which to express myself and possibly offend people. But I want to take a moment to be sincere (and coherent... wtf was
last night's post, people?!) about our human relationships.
I've never said anything on this blog that I wouldn't say to someone in person. That doesn't mean that I think I'm in the right when I voice my brash opinions here, but it does mean that I'm being authentic.
And sometimes, it means I'm mean. I can be a bully. Truth.
And the internet makes bullying
so easy.
I'm not just talking Mean Girls type Facebook assaults by 14 year olds. I mean,
full-on adult hate crime.
The above example is an extreme one. This is a man who hated on an entire religion of people through the internet and his hatred got people killed.
Oddly enough, I was going to write on cyber-bullying before this story even showed its parallels to my own experience (as both the critic and the criticized).
1) The internet allows for voluntary anonymity. This man above is nameless, faceless in pictures, and even claimed to be a Jew to shroud his real identity - a Coptic Christian. For shame. When we aren't willing to wage our identity on what we project online, we are cowards. We should never put criticism out there - online or in-person - if we aren't willing to own up to our words.
Come to think of it, though, he's no so anonymous is he? Being apprehended and all...
(I use a pen-name for my own intrigue, but all of your comments come to me and I see them. I have pictures out there. You all know enough about me to communicate with me and that is fair and safe.)
2) The internet is a blanket medium. People everywhere ('crickets' in N. Korea, though), of all ages, of all backgrounds can see what you write. You can't guarantee that your girlfriends will see your weekend out pictures and that those pictures won't get around to your boss. Even if you encrypt stuff. Think "copy/paste/forward". Don't put anything out into the world that you aren't proud of, that you wouldn't want others to see, and that you couldn't look your mother in the eyes after writing.
I never intended for my family to see some of the stuff I write here, but when they got a hold of the URL, you bet I cleaned it up. Or at least, I had some serious talks with them to make sure they were cool with it.
3) Good in is good out. This is sort of alluded to in the above statements, but it's important enough to bear is own point. Whether you believe in karma or not, putting good into the world is a good way to up your chances of having good things happen to you. Think about it. If you are positive, uplifting, helpful, kind, encouraging, supportive, honest and reflective, don't you think that people will treat you with kindness and respect? It may not always happen that way, but if you are negative, short-tempered, quick to react out of anger or ill-willed, don't you think people would want to at least avoid you?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Karma
Whatever you want to call it.
And for that, I should apologize to Mrs. Type-A of
In Good Faith. I wrote a comment on her blog a while back questioning her choice of kitchen appliance by is green-ability. I was underhanded in my comment. I hope you accept this apology and hopefully you get a few hits to your blog from that link!
4) I've said this a million times, but your money AND YOUR ATTENTION are your vote. If you don't like what someone is doing/saying/writing, don't read it. Don't support their cause by giving them pageviews. Don't stick around just so you can harbor hatred about their opinions. Negative attention is still attention. Controversy is gold to writers. Don't feed the pigeons, mmk?
I once stopped following a blogger who was clearly going through something emotional and was asking her readers if they'd ever strip/hook for money. Instead of commenting on my strong opinion on the situation, I just stopped following her blog. It kept me from harboring negative feelings/getting worked up and it kept her from having to hear my rant. Win/win.
I certainly sometimes encourage differing opinions on my blog. At the risk of sounding "do as I say, not as I do", I want to express that I am open to change. When I ask for differing opinions or personal stories, I want to hear them to test out what I think. I am truly interested in conversation and want to know what you think. I know I don't have all of the answers, so I won't dog on you for writing to me honestly.
Whew. I guess I have been storing up some words for, say, a week!
**UPDATE**
Excerpt from
Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Muhammad Cross the Road
So why might Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed cross the road? Imagine if the answer were, "To go to a bar." That answer wouldn't be funny, and many, in fact, would find it offensive. But wouldn't that open the way for another joke that would begin, "Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed walk into a bar ..."
Walking into a bar, of course, is the scene of even more jokes than crossing a road. So we might expect a chuckle as Mohammed orders a Wahabi cocktail — a mixed drink of warm milk, sugar, and hot tea (since alcohol is officially forbidden to Muslims, and the Wahabis are known for their strictness on such matters). We might expect a smile as the Buddha makes a sage comment about the mindful breaking of the Fifth Precept, after which he orders a mojito, then makes a toast "to moderation in all things, including following the Fifth Precept." And perhaps there would be outright laughter if Moses were to part his margarita and Jesus were to order water and then, with a wink, turn it into a fine Stellenbosch pinotage.
