Soapbox

In a Blaze of Glory

I don't usually go off like that.

    Ok, let me rephrase: I don't usually go off like that and let it stand. But there's a first time for everything.

    Yesterday I found what I thought was a very interesting piece drawing parallels between Israel's treatment of the Palestinians in the virtual concentration camp of Gaza and the way the US treats our "imperial subjects" in various war zones, and the way the elite in fact treat the working poor in blighted urban neighborhoods, with austerity measures pushing us toward virtual concentration camps.  So I posted it in a Facebook group I was invited to join a little while ago. I wasn't sure I agreed with all of it, but I thought it might spark some interesting conversation.
    There were sparks, alright.

    The first comment (and only) was someone who said "With all due respect, Tracy Lynne Stout Meisky, this is utter bullshit".

    I was taken aback. I thought about it for a few minutes, decided "Do not engage. Do not ask what specifically he objects to. Just withdraw. this is not a conversation that will end well" So I displayed what I thought was the better part of valor and simply deleted the post.
   Whatever.  You don't like it? It's gone from your sight. Pretend it was never there. No skin off my nose.

    Today I checked the group page to see what was new and found that, not content with merely telling me last night that I am full of shit, this same guy felt he needed to call me out BY NAME on the site. His post began,
      Tracy Lynne Stout Meisky, until you have more experience and knowledge in the area of  international relations, you have no business…
or something like that. Honestly, I don't even remember. As soon as I realized that he was publically turning me over his knee and spanking me for posting something that he considered "wrong", I went OFF.
       For crying out loud- I didn't even write the thing in question, nor did I say I agreed with it! I just had the temerity to post something that chastized Israel (which I'm guessing was the nature of his profound need to piss all over me.)

    I don't even remember what all I said, though it was only about 3 sentences. I do recall that it began with "You know what- fuck you!" and that I said calling me out personally like that was shitty behavior. (Nice, huh? What a way you have with words, Tracy!)  And then I quit the group.

   Before I found the post someone had said "Wow, thanks for the great information!" but other comments of "Um, am I missing something here?" make me think that whatever he said- I literally did not read beyond the first sentence- he kept up with the public shaming theme. But maybe not. I'll never know, because I quit the group. I can't even go back and delete my temper tantrum! And so there it stands, with all it's foul language, until the moderator ( a friend of Barb's) deletes it himself.
~sigh~

    So… that happened. There goes all of my excitement about so many people praising something I wrote. Moral of the story: Step away from the keyboard, old lady. I feel burned and definitely twice cautious now. I know that some people thrive on this kind of stuff and seem to love 'yelling' at complete strangers. I hate it. It makes me cringe, like fingernails on a blackboard, and gives me a headache.  I honestly don't expect everyone to agree with me, so I'm not sure why I got so incredibly hurt by that guy…. no, I know what it was. It was the way he used my name. It makes me want to leave all my groups and stop writing, crawl back into my emily Dickenson shell. I'm nobody… and probably it should stay that way.

    Maybe I should have used his name in my reply; said Douchey McJerk pants… with all due respect, you are an ass. Instead, I was an ass too.