Wednesday, September 07, 2005
An Open Apology To My Readers
I had planned, at some time in the future, to take a look at our nation's general "Culture of Childishness." Once again, events change around my schedule.
The tenor of that editorial was to be that we are growing increasingly childish, selfish, short-tempered, and short-sighted. And, of course, I was going to include myself in that assessment, since I've never been immune from it.
My previous entry on this blog is, as it happens, a case in point.
Don't think I don't stand behind the general conclusion. I do hold that those who use human suffering, whether from Katrina or something else, to further their own personal or political agendas are the lowest form of social parasite. It's just that, as several other bloggers have demonstrated by their example, there are better ways of going about expressing it.
I'm not going to make any excuses for it, either -- especially since excuse-making is just another manifestation of childishness. I can say, by way of explanation, that the past week has been a very emotionally trying one for me in several respects. This blog is not a personal diary, so I won't bore you with the details (and whining is yet another manifestation of childishness, and the one I'm most prone to). In any event, it was wrong of me to vent my personal frustrations, of which most of you had little or no part, on you.
Aside from those of you who were offendedby my tone and tactlnessness, the worst part of this, from my point of view, is that my previous post violated two of the basic rules I'd set down for this blog. One was that I wouldn't make any of my criticisms personal, but only criticize specific ideas and practices. The other was that I would not post anything in haste, but only write my opinions and reviews after due deliberation.
I gave you a hastily-written, hot-headed, personalized attack, and this degraded the reader, the messenger, and -- perhaps most significantly -- the message.
You all deserve better, and I sincerely apologize.
The tenor of that editorial was to be that we are growing increasingly childish, selfish, short-tempered, and short-sighted. And, of course, I was going to include myself in that assessment, since I've never been immune from it.
My previous entry on this blog is, as it happens, a case in point.
Don't think I don't stand behind the general conclusion. I do hold that those who use human suffering, whether from Katrina or something else, to further their own personal or political agendas are the lowest form of social parasite. It's just that, as several other bloggers have demonstrated by their example, there are better ways of going about expressing it.
I'm not going to make any excuses for it, either -- especially since excuse-making is just another manifestation of childishness. I can say, by way of explanation, that the past week has been a very emotionally trying one for me in several respects. This blog is not a personal diary, so I won't bore you with the details (and whining is yet another manifestation of childishness, and the one I'm most prone to). In any event, it was wrong of me to vent my personal frustrations, of which most of you had little or no part, on you.
Aside from those of you who were offendedby my tone and tactlnessness, the worst part of this, from my point of view, is that my previous post violated two of the basic rules I'd set down for this blog. One was that I wouldn't make any of my criticisms personal, but only criticize specific ideas and practices. The other was that I would not post anything in haste, but only write my opinions and reviews after due deliberation.
I gave you a hastily-written, hot-headed, personalized attack, and this degraded the reader, the messenger, and -- perhaps most significantly -- the message.
You all deserve better, and I sincerely apologize.
Comments:
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Maybe so; but my apology isn't for my assessment. It's for the tone in which I gave it. That is the part that was uncalled for.
Anthony,
I have to disagree strongly. Abusive writings are destructive to the writer and the reader. Even those of you who agree with the essence of what I was saying, whether you realize it or not, suffered for it.
Everyone who puts something out in a public forum has a responsibility to lead by example. I knew aboat and embraced that responsibility when I took on this blog. And I failed the responsibility.
I'll talk more of this at a later time, but I do want to mention now that, at the dawn of our country and its Bill of Rights, several of the Founding Fathers -- Ben Franklin being not the least notable among them -- were concerned about abuses of freedoms of speech and the press.
I have to disagree strongly. Abusive writings are destructive to the writer and the reader. Even those of you who agree with the essence of what I was saying, whether you realize it or not, suffered for it.
Everyone who puts something out in a public forum has a responsibility to lead by example. I knew aboat and embraced that responsibility when I took on this blog. And I failed the responsibility.
I'll talk more of this at a later time, but I do want to mention now that, at the dawn of our country and its Bill of Rights, several of the Founding Fathers -- Ben Franklin being not the least notable among them -- were concerned about abuses of freedoms of speech and the press.
Anthony,
That much may be, but just as every little bit of good helps, every little bit of bad hurts.
I'll hold up Thomas Knapp as a good example. He has a liberal blog, versus my conservative viewpoint, but I have his blog marked (not currently on the list at the front, but don't worry, it'll get there). Why? Because even though I disagree with him on most issues, he uses his brain, and treats those who disagree with him with respect.
Either way, my behavior was wrong, and all deserve an apology.
Besides, if someone gets mad at me for what I say, I'd rather it was for the content and conclusions, for making a point they'd rather not hear, than for my form and my own rudeness.
That much may be, but just as every little bit of good helps, every little bit of bad hurts.
I'll hold up Thomas Knapp as a good example. He has a liberal blog, versus my conservative viewpoint, but I have his blog marked (not currently on the list at the front, but don't worry, it'll get there). Why? Because even though I disagree with him on most issues, he uses his brain, and treats those who disagree with him with respect.
Either way, my behavior was wrong, and all deserve an apology.
Besides, if someone gets mad at me for what I say, I'd rather it was for the content and conclusions, for making a point they'd rather not hear, than for my form and my own rudeness.
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