I started this blog almost four years ago as a way to discuss issues that were important to me, and to my community. (Side rant: if you’re reading this, leave a comment for a change! Hello!) It took awhile for me to find my voice. And I’ve tried to moderate and occasionally tone down some things I’m pretty passionate about because a) no one wants to look back on something she wrote a year earlier and cringe, and b) I wanted to invite, not alienate, people who think differently from me.
Someone asked me not long ago if I regret anything I’ve ever written. Well, I regret calling Lindsey Graham a sniveling windbag back in 2008. That was unfair. Other than that, my only regret is ever once pulling a punch because it might make someone else feel better.
You can write critically about issues without resorting to personal insults. You can state your opinion and respectfully disagree with others. You can surprise people who are 99 percent in your corner with the one percent where you differ. But what you can’t do is engage people who have no interest in fixing problems.
Some people aren’t interested in solving anything. If you somehow manage to uncover a sliver of common ground, they’ll douse it in gasoline and light it with a fuse made of baby seals. We shouldn’t cater to these people. We should leave them on the margins where they belong, because the grown-ups have work to do.
That doesn’t mean that I want this blog to turn into an echo chamber where everyone tells each other how awesome we all are. If you disagree with me, tell me in the comments, or email me if you’re not comfortable saying something publicly. But know that I’m going to argue back. And I’m also going to expect something from you: logic.
Every one of these posts represents real time and research on my part. I don’t enjoy braying into the void about things I don’t understand. I look things up; I digest. I write, I put aside, I edit as objectively as I can. As a result, if you put a gun to my head – hell, to my mother’s head – I can defend every single thing I’ve ever written here. (Except for Lindsey Graham… and, again, I take that back.) Think about what you write. Stand by it. Stay on topic, for the love of pete.
We’re going to have a thoughtful frakking conversation here, dammit.
1 comment:
I have always been proud you are my daughter and never more than when I read this blog. I have never felt that you were pulling your punches, although I am sure you occasionally worded something with specific reader's sensibilities in mind. I am completely on board with whatever path this blog takes and I will remain your number one fan. Mom
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