This is the weekend where I have to wonder... in less than two days two of my favorite bloggers have announced they are stopping. One becasue her baby is getting older and she worries what he might read on the blog some day. Recently she has gotten alot of hate speech on her blog her beautiful work has inspired hate filled blog posts - why? Cuz she is a single mama, who speaks up, who shares her story. Cuz she is a beautiful writer with alot of courage and determination.
Another is a blogger with alt leanings. Someone decided to out her to her boss. Seriously. This woman has taken great pains to shield herself and still someone went to the trouble of uncovering her true identity and then outed her. Criminal in my opinion. Her writing is beautiful, soul searching and amazing. I have read her words and been changed. She can make you feel and think with simple and complex sentences.
Last time I checked, this is a free country. We have in that aging and brittle document certain rights. The big one is FREE SPEECH. You don't have to agree with me or anyone for that matter, but neither do you have the right to attack me (slander and libel do apply in the blogshere.) You can dissent, please, dissent away. Write your little heart out - ON YOUR OWN BLOG. Thoughtful dissenting comments welcome, grammar and spelling appreciated and noted.
Ms. Singlemama and GrayLily were simply exercising their creative muscles and offering us all something of value. If it does not interest you, move it along nothing to see, no need to shred or slander or out. No comment bombs. A simple Google search will find you plenty of other reading material more to your liking. Seriously - sky is the limit folks.
I rather dislike certain TV programs, talk shows and books, but you know what- I do not have to read them, watch them, or think about them... my choice.
I am reasonably anonymous here. Not that anything I say here I would not say to anyone's face or be shocked to find on the front of the New York Times (oh please, please run this in the Times...) I keep some other blogs where I have taken some pains to disguise my identity. More for my safety and privacy. Those stories on the front page of the New York Times, while slightly shocking, would ultimately be ok too. (Again, if they like them, please run them, my normal fees would apply...)
It is my choices being taken away which is a central issue. Do not try to limit my freedom to SPEAK by trampling on my words or being hateful.
I am not on these blogs or anywhere I write telling you what you should believe, or what is universally true, or how you should behave, I do not need you to be my lap dog or "mini me." I am simply telling you WHAT I BELIEVE to be true. I title my Facebook page, "I cannot tell you what you want to know, only what I know." Feel free to POLITELY disagree.
Dissenting is a crucial part of democracy. The RIGHT to dissent is crucial. The ART of DISSENT, clearly needs a little work contemporary American culture.
I am very sorry to see both these women leave the blogshere, for however long they choose to be away - we are the poorer for it.
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