The Blogosphere’s Bullies
If you ever wonder why a blogger you were reading for a while disappeared or burned out, consider today’s story about conservative bloggers who have seen their jobs and families threatened. Their crime? Posting political views that someone disagreed with.
There is something diseased in our political culture when this is considered tolerable behavior. The price of political opinion, even dissenting opinion, should never be the loss of an unrelated job or the vulnerability of a family member to a physical threat.
Tolerance of such bullying only encourages it.
Share This
That really is unacceptable.
…by the way, this is not just something that affects conservative bloggers, although it’s a neat little way to try to make this about the evil violence bad liberals.
Beck, Brietbart, and other Bullies have been warned that their screeds will incite unhinged people to violence. Sounds like the gun exploded in their face.
The link leads to Hot Air – a conservative website recommended by Michelle Malkin – which then leads to a website that is still claiming the Tides Foundation (NOT started nor owned by Soros), the Ford Foundation, and the Heinz Foundation are all funding far leftwing nut cases including this guy Kemberlin.
Where do you find these authors?
Maybe one day I will find the courage to open up about what was done to me for defending those accused of capital murder. Today is not that day, but suffice to say that my wife, out of fear, will not allow me to blog or comment under my real name.
No one, on any side of any issue, should be threatened, or lose his/her job, or be otherwise intimidated for acting, speaking or writing on principal. Yet it happens regularly. And, yes, it comes from all sides.
Yes it DOES happen to all sides. I can’t name the name but there is someone who has had something posted on TMV who went through this and he is not on the right. Political intolerance and demonization is NOT on just one side. This person had to write under a pen name because someone didn’t like his posts and tried to get him fired. He is clearly on the left. Further, if we sent out emails to bloggers on the left they would probably also report some of the same kinds of problems. In the emails I get from readers I never fail to be amazed at the emails I get from people on the right and left who say they will never visit TMV again if we run such and such blogger, or run a column that they felt was too far left. I’ve had at least 15 emails from people who say they will never visit TMV if I run Michael Reagan as a Guest Voice. And he will be run again. Incivility, boorish behavior, demonization and pressure tactics are not limited to one side, I don’t usually get into comments but I had to add this about someone who has posted on TMV. The trouble is people can seemingly no longer just debate issues. They have to make it personal — hating candidates, hating writers, hating people who disagree with them in comments. But this attitude is not limited to one party one ideology, and doesn’t exclude centrists or independents.
Updated: Scott Walker and Cronies Prove No Low is Too Low
Your comments don’t work!!!
Yeah, I really feel for you and all your innocent & defenseless conservatives out there…
Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind…
“Don’t initiate violence against other people.” It is such a simple concept–one of the important lessons that virtually all of us learn as children. You’d think we would all be in unanimous agreement with this idea. And yet, when it comes to politics, too many people seem to have forgotten this important lesson (or perhaps rejected it altogether).
I believe that the overwhelming majority of people in the blogosphere would never personally initiate violence against another person simply for having a difference in political opinions. What’s unfortunate, however, is the seemingly pervasive attitude that allows people to justify the initiation of violence by another person or group of people against someone else whether it’s in the name of “justice” or “punishment” or “retribution” or whatever excuse may be given.
From what little I’ve read, this Brett Kimberlin fellow sounds like a real sociopath, and perhaps he’ll be sent back to prison once this is all settled.
I only wish that people of all political stripes could come together and agree (even if they cannot agree on anything else) that it is never appropriate to initiate violence against another person or to threaten the initiation of violence against another person.
A cvilized, free society can only exist as long as its members can agree not to initiate violence against one another. And as far as bullies in the blogosphere goes, there really is no point in attempting to continue having a rational debate with anyone who would advocate or defend the initiation of violence.
LOL The Wingnuts screwed up again. Seems there are two Brett Kimberlin. Both went to prison, but the BK from JTMP isn’t the Indiana bomber. He a musician in the punk and Epoxy.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203×137574
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoxies
There are TWO BK’s, one spent 17 years in prison for Indiana bombings. The other spent two years in prison for drugs and playing PUNK…
I’ve checked the TMV files and see this author has had several pieces here that, though conservative, seem moderate. This piece seems a stretch beyond moderation.
Both TMV and the author need to clarify just who was intimidated and why and by whom. If it is as confusing (and perhaps completely wrong) as it seems now, the piece should be retracted or at least updated.
Anyone who thinks the Heinz Foundation or the Ford Foundation is funding left wing terrorists needs to have their facts straight.
No one is suggesting violence should be sanctioned or applauded, however connecting the dots between the incessant drumbeat of “dangerous un-American” (no matter which side is doing it) and crack-pot actions is not (yet) an uncivil exercise. JMHO
Here is a piece from Time magazine that claims Kimberlin (the bomber) is the force behind both JTMP and Velvet Revolution.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1574161,00.html
You all figure it out and get back to me. Thanks.