I apparently made people mad yesterday when I posted a cartoon reflecting a stream of conversations I was having with extremely left people. My anger was aimed at their expressed indifference with Trump’s Zero Tolerance immigration policy. To my very extreme left friends, I was a “a lackey of the mainstream oligarchal media” and that my anger for children placed in jail cells and cages was “manufactured” and “insincere”, Where, they asked, was my concern for the thousands dying from the U.S. funded bombs falling in Yemen? To them, THAT was the real issue. Not the children held in cages. That OBAMA was a Nazi...That Hillary was the real evil and to be concerned about the Latino children was total hypocrisy, they told me….a Latino man.
So I did a cartoon that reflected their attitude and posted a rant warning about the faction of folks, who say they are Progressives but are falling into a mindset of far left views that distrusts the world so much, they think compassion for children was manufactured.
These friends are ex Bernie supporters. Still carrying the vendetta torches for Bernie, still angry at Hillary’s campaign, still striving to sabotage Democratic elections at this time when Democratic unity is so important.
‘Well, it backfired. I received 19 comments, all negative. I was accused of being the divisive one. I was accused being right wing. I was accused of being from Russia… Apparently I offended these people by repeating and reacting what I had heard from people who did not reflect the 19 people who commented on my blog...
I UNINTENTIONALLY made people angry with my labeling of “Bernie Bro” {still seen as a seriously negative pejorative] and my usage of the term “alt left” which, to one person, presumably tipped off the fact that I was a right wing Breitbart reader which is faaaaaar from the truth. Lol
I OFFENDED PEOPLE!!!
I was surprised that my comments hit a nerve. This blog is so much a nothing burger, I was especially bemused at two women being so offended that they flagged my comments as hate speech...Not only was this a petty move on the ladies part, {as This blog and my opinions are not broadcasted anywhere but to your eyes} but it meant that my comments hit a nerve, touched on other comments she probably heard that reflected my ideas. It scared her. It angered her...so much so that she needed to wield some power over a nobody like me and try to censor me.
BUT THAT’s OKAY. THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS HELPED ME. I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE TERM “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS”
The negative comments by all 19 or so people were welcomed...and educational...and I believe they taught me a lesson in communicating.
I addressed each negative comment with a thank you and an explanation of what I meant. As much as I felt attacked, I also felt that I deserved the feedback..
Because I DID offend these people...I did not mean to..but I DID offend these people...But rather blame them...I accepted the responsibilty. If you’re going to make a comment or a joke or an insult either deliberately or by accident, you have to take responsibilty.
My intent was not to hurt or offend these people. But I bungled it and they fought back. So I took the criticism and tried to understand why they were so angry. The worst thing I could have done is mock them ...That would have not helped me or the situation one bit.
I believe if you offend someone, own it when they call your attention to it. How arrogant are those who make it their life’s work to insult people and then blame the victim for being offended.