Letters to the Editor
-
The Rant of the Anonymice
Long ago I asked aloud why won't Salon block the mindless, vitriolic rants of those who sign in as Anonymous. Every time I read their raving diatribes and the repartee of other posters who try to reason with the unreasonable, I began a post to register my complaint to the letters editor. "Block Anonymouse" was the headline.
Fortunately, composing the letters was just the therapy I needed and feeling better, I defaulted to "never mind" and deleted my low key rant against ranters before publishing.
This post began with the same intention as those previously aborted letters. But, once again thanks to ctl A/ctl X, I could change my mind without embarrassing myself. Still, I couldn't let go of the urge to weigh in on the subject so I paused to think about it more. And I did. And I had a break through moment.
Like everyone else here who engages in a little back talk with the Anonymice and others I realized I was simply reacting. No way would I persuade or engage a decent conversation with those dopes.
Now I have a simple plan: Let the Anonymice rant away. They need an avenue for their crazy-ass, bombastic harangue too but - I don't have to read them! I can totally ignore them. What a fabulous concept.
So, now before reading letters, which I do with equal interest as the articles, I read the name of the signer first and if it is the ubiquitous Anonymous I just move along without a read. I ignore them.
Like old pugilists boxing with their shadows it would be crazy to let the writings of these mice get to me. I don't know these people!
I feel so free now. Don't know why it took me so long. Guess it's because in the era in which I was raised I was required to eat all of the food on the plate in front of me "because children in Africa were starving." Some of the food was awful. I solved that problem by putting less on my plate. And it is a great application for my reading diet. Who reads everything anyway? Nobody.
There is a great byproduct of my refreshed thinking. Because I exercise my right to not read crap I am able to participate in the preservation of the inalienable right we all hold dear here in the US and desire in many parts of the world: Freedom of Speech. I'd like to see that stay around for a while.