Ok, all, I’m on a bandwidth-restricted Daily Kos mini-vacation, but this is a big deal.
I published a diary recently about a story in the mainstream media on a Facebook group called “Bros4Hillary”, who had a member go rogue and lead a troll attack on some Bernie Facebook groups that briefly knocked them out of service.
As I wrote the diary, I remembered that I had seen the group referred to at DailyKos by a member (and fervent Hillary primary backer) who cited them as the source for a picture of Hillary riding a Sharknado shark while shootin’ a couple Uzis, about to take down a Bernie bird. The picture annoyed me at the time.
So at the end of my diary, I included the picture, its cited origin, the diary and comment where it occurred, and called on us all to stop being over-the-top “Bros” for any candidate.
Never did I intend to suggest, not even remotely, that the Hillary-shark-picture poster had anything to do with the “Bros4Hillary” Facebook troll attack on Bernie Facebook groups.
He most certainly did not.
No one on Daily Kos did. The diary was not intended to suggest otherwise. And I updated the diary to underline those facts as soon as I got back online and became aware some found it unclear.
Further, I finally was able today to read the full comments to my diary.
For shame!
The shark-picture-poster came in to defend himself, as was his right. But he was greeted with comments so disgraceful and disrespectful they were embarrassing.
We all must do better.
I will start.
I made personal contact with the shark-picture-poster, who, as many of you know, wrote his own response diary that strongly dissented from mine. He had the courage and grace to respond positively and engage in constructive dialogue with me. I commend him for the maturity and even-handedness with which he approached the discussion.
We should all follow suit.
I let him know personally how surprised and distressed I was to discover he felt my diary might suggest any remote responsibility he had for the Facebook troll attack. That was not the diary’s intent. He bears none. I further let him know that I had finally read all the comments in both diaries, and was especially angry and disgusted with the unfair and atrocious treatment he received in mine.
We can all do better.
To soothe any lingering animus, I told him I would unpublish my diary. And so I have.
And we have both spoken our regrets to one another that our written words in each of our two “Bros4Hillary” diaries in any way hurt one another.
Not only that, we have agreed to work on a project in common, coming your way in a week or so!
Don’t ask me for details, you’ll find out more soon enough.
In the meantime, please, and I’m begging you all, take our truce and imitate it.
Now.
If he and I, two of the most adamant, hardened, passionate Hillary and Bernie backers can navigate through the nettles of the messiest of disagreements and find common ground, so can you.
All of you.
The consequences of failure are inconceivable.
So get to it.
Be safe and be well. Peace to you all!
PS. I will not be around to respond to comments on this diary!
But please, do it right. No controversies. Show each other what this site can be at its best.