Something you should know about me: I’m passionate about what I’m passionate about, but I take pains to try to be intellectually honest, fair, respectful of others’ differences. I’ve had lots of experience, given that BD’s political views are the exact opposite of my own. Yet, somehow we manage.
That doesn’t mean I’m a wimp or I let myself be bullied into silence. I’m not, I don’t, and I won’t. I’ll take anyone on who wants to challenge me on opinion as long as they don’t make it personal and they don’t base arguments on lies.
There’s one other thing I really don’t like, and that’s any attempt to deflect primary issues into distortions of my intent. Unfortunately, this weekend has been a series of all sorts of bully tactics that are simply uncalled for and unnecessary.
I’m not going to rehash the whole thing here, when you can see it in action in any number of venues. Whether it’s burning a freshman Representative in effigy, calling the President of the United States a racist, distorting facts, disrupting town hall meetings intended to work through concerns over the health care reform bills, or tossing a careless threat into a twitter stream (even if it is walked back later), the net result is the appearance of mob rule and thuggery.
It’s bullying. I’m not standing for it. It’s as simple as that. I’m tired of name-calling, efforts to intimidate me into silence, derisive sexist comments, smearing, slander, and threats. I’m not backing down. Period. They can sing their canticle of cowardice, but it will only make me louder and more resolute. The more they push me, the more opportunity I have to speak the truth to a louder audience.
I will speak. Those who have ears to hear, will listen.
This is what I do to keep myself from getting too aggravated. A .18 tip on the pen, black ink, and spirals turn into sunflowers and a message. It made me feel better.
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