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

Tue Mar 6 11:08:15 PST 2012

I know we're coming from different directions on this one, but I don't feel the need to rebuke anyone.  What they do and how they think, assuming they aren't harming others, is entirely up to themselves and whatever God or gods they might believe in.  Leaving a trollish comment on a piece of paper in a public place is not harming me, even if I see it, so it's no concern of mine.  People who read that kind of thing and think "right on!" aren't going to be swayed by cold reason.

When posting on forums on the Internet, it's far better to respond to that kind of post with condescending wit than to post an indignant response.  They don't care about the actual topic, they just want to see what kind of outrage they can generate and then sit back and enjoy the show.  If you respond to their actual point, whether with vitriol of your own or with a carefully crafted and reasoned response, they just come back and say something even more outrageous just to keep the topic alive.  Again, they don't really care about the topic at hand that much.  They just know that people out there do care about it passionately.  Calling them on their trolling seems to have the best success of making them go away.  It changes it from like 1% to 4%, probably.

So when this guy comes back to the Post Office to see if anyone has taken his bait, he'll get a good laugh at that guy's response and probably write something demeaning on it and leave it there.  If he sees that he's been made fun of publicly, he'll probably just throw it away because it's bait that wasn't taken and that made him look like a fool for a while.

The best response, though, in my humble opinion, would be to just forget about it and mail your letter or whatever.

Paul

________________________________
 From: keely emerinemix <kjajmix1 at msn.com>
To: godshatter at yahoo.com; Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> 
Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com 
Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 10:10 AM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] "Hate speech at my US Post Office" (a letter)

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
>
>
>
>
>
======================================================= List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. http://www.fsr.net mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com =======================================================

=======================================================
 List services made available by First Step Internet,
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
               http://www.fsr.net
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
=======================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20120306/dfc55843/attachment.html>