Can You Handle What You Are Dishing Out?

With today's instant access a large amount of our communications are changing over to emails and text messaging.  We even will hold forth on blogs about everything from A-Z.  There currently is a great debate or maybe I should call it a War On Words going on between a photojournalist, several blogs, a news site and their fans.

Tempers have flared, language at one blog was so vile that I refused to read all the comments and wondered if I should wash my eyes out with soap.  To be fair, the crude remarks were started within the blog post itself.

I wasn't paying much attention to it at all, until I began receiving emails

because some people thought "I" had posted comments when in fact it was my co-editor here who had done so.  I don't get political too often with my comments.  I leave that to others who are more well-versed in that arena.

" ....Is that you?  I doubt it but just wanted to check.  I know you work for WOTN [War On Terror News] and I probably don’t have all the facts, but it just kind of turned me off to see the negative comments....."

At one point, it looked like I was going to be dragged into the whole issue because I volunteer at War On Terror News. 

I am no longer able to remain silent about this whole thing.  My concern over the comments people were leaving at blogs, on Facebook pages and using Twitter became pressing when I received this in an email.

"One other thought on the whole Yon/Blackfive/WOTN spat.  I mentioned the personal attacks before but I don’t think the people behind them are aware or care for the implications from those.  I bring this up because as someone diagnosed with PTSD, I know how personal attacks like that would set me off. "

Ok, that got my attention.  I know this person.  I know that if they took the time to email me, there is a high level of concern here.

"These attacks are directed towards Yon and others who are more than likely vets.  As we know, vets have a high risk of suffering from PTSD.  These character attacks could cause someone to harm themselves if they are continually berated and brought down by others with very personal attacks on them.  It can definitely mess with their emotions. I would hate for someone to do something drastic to himself because of the attacks........"

I think society as a whole has become so adept at using electronic means of communicating that we often forget the "human factor" not stopping to consider how our words, left as a comment on a blog or sent in a text message or even by email can affect the person or persons reading them.  There is a real emotional impact to what we write, otherwise why would we bother to write?  It is very easy to disconnect from the emotional impact of our words when we are not speaking them, when we are not standing in front of the person towards whom they are directed.

I challenge you, as a reader, to think about these two things before you leave a comment anywhere.

• Think about how you would feel/react if someone said that about you/your friend/a family member...........exactly!!
• I realize that many in the military use "rough language" but some of what I saw was by civilians and females no less!  Do you really need to be crude and/or rude to get your point across?  Doubtful.

We have freedom of speech in this country because good men and women have fought for it.  It isn't a privilege to be taken away because you don't agree with another person's opinion.

I want to thank my co-editor for moving the discussion over to our Perspectives site where politics are discussed openly and freely.

In closing, I want to be absolutely clear on one final point. 

The work we do here at War On Terror News is not being set aside, slowed down or changed in any way as a result of this War On Words.  We are still maintaining our daily tempo of work!  We are fully focused on Supporting Our Troops and getting out the news that the MSM regards as unimportant enough to tell you about!   

~MsMarti