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While it is tempting for me to interpret the attacks on this blogger as misogynistic attempts to put a young feminist in her place, and while I am certain that some element of the rancor was in fact fuelled by individuals who dislike outspoken women, I think we feminists need to take a lesson from this too. If we are truly committed to the fundamental principles of feminism (and civil rights in general) that affirm the inherent worth of every individual, perhaps we should try to make sure that our rhetoric supports rather than undermines our values. I know that is something I occasionally forget, when I am angry or tired or feeling a lot of unfocussed passion in need of an outlet. But when we use demeaning and degrading language about others, we close the hearts and minds of those we seek to persuade. We also commit the same aggressions against others that we work so hard to defend ourselves against. That is a moral problem and a strategic one.
That is not to say that there is no place for humor and no place for expressing anger. Sometimes you have to find a reason to laugh at what hurts you. Sometimes you have to let out your frustration. But there has to be a way to do that with some sensitivity to the fact that our opponents in the "culture wars" are people who can be hurt by our words.
