[Vision2020] "Hate speech at my US Post Office" (a letter)

Tue Mar 6 10:10:42 PST 2012

And where do you draw the line, Paul, between mere "trolls" and those whose incivility and hate deserve rebuke?  It occurs to me that one response requires a measure of determination and courage, and it's not the one that ends with "lol."

Keely
www.keely-prevailingwinds.com

Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2012 15:03:50 -0800
From: godshatter at yahoo.com
To: thansen at moscow.com
CC: Vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] "Hate speech at my US Post Office" (a letter)

    I would have written "Don't feed the trolls" or "trolololol" on it. 
    Or better yet, just laughed and ignored it.  If you respond to
    trolls, the trolls win.

    Paul

    On 03/04/2012 06:30 AM, Tom Hansen wrote:

      Courtesy of The Salon at:

      http://open.salon.com/blog/davidsatterlee/2012/03/02/hate_speech_at_my_us_post_office

        ------------------------------
        Hate speech at my US Post Office

        By David Satterlee of Dayton, Iowa

        I found this posted on the information board at my US Post
          Office in Dayton, Iowa, 50530 on March 2, 2012. There were
          also three modified cartoons referring to President Obama,
          fried chicken, watermelon, and black salami. I thought that
          the cartoons were inappropriate and offensive to public
          decency; I removed them.

        The threat letter seemed more personal, so I added my
          answer and left it there. I will transcribe the notes for your
          convenience.

        The original message was: “What do you call 20,000 liberals
          in the bottom of the ocean? A good start. Liberalism is a
          mental disorder”

        My answer reads: “Please, don’t just threaten me with
          drowning and post anonymous racist hate cartoons against our
          elected President in a US Post Office. Make your case, explain
          your issues, and give practical ideas for improvement… and
          please have the courage to sign your name. With sincere best
          wishes, Your neighbor, David Satterlee”

        Frankly, I worry that the threat could get personal. It may
          already be personal: I’ve had an Obama 2012 poster in my front
          window for weeks.

        Having lived in this small rural town for only two years,
          I’m still a bit of an outsider. I’ve improved the old 1880s
          workman’s Victorian that we bought and joined the Lion’s Club
          until my social anxieties got too severe. I smile and speak
          kindly at every opportunity, and wrote a series of positive
          local feature articles for the Dayton Review until I had a
          stroke last year.

        The editor of the Dayton Review has encouraged me to begin
          submitting an opinion column, which I can write from home
          without running all over to take interview notes. I plan to
          feature liberal ideas explained in terms and values that
          conservatives claim as their exclusive own.

        It occurs to me that my openness may fan the flames among
          those who are prone to reflexive hate. I could just hide in
          the shadows, cringing and hoping that no one will notice me or
          be mean to me. But, I am aware of the courage of those great
          souls who spoke out to end slavery, gain the vote for women,
          oppose the baron kings and their trusts, and march for civil
          rights.

        As a child in school, I was raised in a particularly rigid,
          conservative, Christian faith. I remember how it was to be the
          object of hate, bullying, and abuse. I learned to run fast. No
          more. I’m going to stand fast. Bullies should be faced down.
          I’m tired of this shit and I’m not going to take it any more.

        I’ve spent decades trying to figure out all the things I
          didn’t learn as a closed-minded conservative. I started with
          all the self-improvement and pop psychology books. I graduated
          to social psychology, Eastern religions, and theories of human
          development. These past four years, I’ve concentrated on
          figuring out the difference between Republicans and Democrats.
          I came out of the process as a generally-tolerant,
          love-thy-neighbor, but still-evangelical liberal. But, I still
          can’t feel good about hate, disrespect, and bullying.

        'nuf said.

        ---------------

        ------------------------------

          Seeya later, Moscow.

          Tom "tree-hugging, bleeding-heart, card-carrying liberal"
            Hansen
          Post Falls, Idaho

          "If not us, who?
          If not now, when?"

          - Unknown

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