And btw, all of you. I am a sincere Progressive.
And, I resent the harassment I received, merely by association with a friend you don’t like. Everybody has bad days, where they lash out on internet blogs. Progressives, of all people, should be sensitive, understanding and forgiving, if anybody can.
I don’t necessarily condone this friend’s attitude and tactics, lately.
But a true Progressive doesn’t distance herself nor turn her back on a friend, when it becomes uncomfortable.
A Progressive stands by a friend, against harassment, because of unreasonable dislike, intolerance, impatience, immaturity, cyberbullying or hatred. Things have gotten out of control, on the internet, because of unprecedented economic, political and social pressures.I’m really disappointed by the repulsive, abusive, cynical display I received here. But this isn’t an excuse to just give into cyberbullying, as an undisputed normalized instrument of communication.
It isn’t communication. It is torment, terrorizing and abusive. It shouldn’t be accepted as normal.
RFK said in his speech, mourning Martin Luther King’s assassination, the next day, on “The Mindless Menace of Violence” atmosphere, throughout the country, with the Civil Rights conflict of the late 60’s.
I will paraphrase RFK’s legendary speech, applied to “The Mindless Menace of Abusiveness on Progressive websites like DKOS”:
“This is not a post for politics. I choose this time, to speak briefly to you, about the mindless menace of abusiveness in DKOS, which continues to stain this place. It is not the concern of any one faction of the Left. The victims of the abuse, are Democrats, Progressives, anarchists and Socialists, working poor and working class, unemployed and underemployed, young and old, women and men, ethnic minorities and white privileged, American born and immigrant, atheist, agnostic and spiritual, vegan and carnivores, sick and healthy, popular and ostracized, medical minorities, the discriminated, targets of prejudice, the despised, the unwanted, and the displaced.
They are, most importantly, human beings, and fellow Progressives, in common cause, whom others love and need. This abusiveness can result in hurting others so deeply, that it results in suicide, violence or tragedy.
No one can be certain, whom next, will suffer some senseless act of violence, because of hurtful words on the internet. And yet, it goes on, and on and on in this country.
Whenever a Progressive’s character is attacked by a group of bullies, unnecessarily, whenever we tear at the fabric of Progressive integrity, which some have clumsily woven for themselves. Whenever we do this, then the whole website is degraded.
Too often, we honor swagger and bluster, and the wielders of force.
Too often, we excuse those, who are willing to build the respect of their peers on this site, upon the shattered self-esteem, dreams, humiliation and public disgrace, of other human beings, people who are different from you or I.
But this much is clear: Violence breeds violence, abuse breeds hatred, harassment breeds retaliation, insults breed confrontation, and only a reflection inward and cleansing of this behavior and attitude of bravado, from this place, can remove this sickness from our souls.
But when you teach very young new Progressives, to hate and fear their comrade. When you teach that they are a lesser human being, because of their appearance, or their Progressive faction’s beliefs, a neurological impairment, unfortunate experiences, or the issues they value most.
When you teach, that those comrades, who differ from you, threaten your existence, then you also learn to confront comrades, not as fellow Progressives, but as enemies, to be met, not with cooperation, but with conquest. To be ostracized, and to be mastered.
We learn, at the last, to look at our fellow Progressives as aliens. Alien women and men, with whom we share a website, but not an internet community. Bound to us in a common location, but not in common effort.
We learn, only to share a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other. Only a common impulse, to meet disagreement, with aggression.
Our lives on this planet are too brief, the work to be done is too important, to let this vicious spirit flourish any longer, in this website of ours.
Of course, we cannot banish it with new rules. But we can, perhaps, remember, if only for a time, that those who interact with us, are our Progressive brothers and sisters.
That they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives, in meaningful purpose, and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment that they can.
Surely, this bond of common fate, of common goals, can begin to teach us something.
Surely, we can learn, at the least, to look around at fellow Progressives.
And surely, we can work a bit harder, to repair the injuries and bind up the wounds among us.
And become, together united, and, in our hearts, sisters and brothers once again.”
(I will post the complete RFK speech, verbatim, on a comment underneath)
I suggest we start applying this principle, in a renewed way, a new consciousness, in our conduct, towards each other, on this supposed, distinctly Progressive, and “enlightened” website.
“The mindless menace of harassment” on the internet. We can practice restraint in manners, conduct, and etiquette. You will find that sometimes, if you are kind instead of cruel, your opponent will become kind also. Why? Because they were just being rude, from a position of pressures and defensiveness. If treated with courtesy, they will do so also in kind. Some always will be rotten. But please try finding out who the ones are, who will respond in kindness too.