And that’s a damn shame.
The blog post to which I am referring is this one posted by smoothnmellow. It lists my name, as well as a number of others because I recced this diary (though not everyone who did so was included on the list). It makes the implied claim that reccing the diary means that I and those who made this infamous list believe that African American voters are “dumb” or stupid or whatever term you wish to use. The diarist who made this list assumes that even though the diary does not specifically name black voters as low information voters, or Southern voters, or whatever voters. In effect, everyone on the list is being charged with the crime of racism. There is no other way to put it.
I’m not going to bother defending myself against this charge. You want to check out my history, feel free to click on my profile page or peruse my comment history. I doubt anything I say here will change the minds of those who are determined to believe that those of us on the list are racists, but for anyone with an open mind, I hope that you do look into my record and the record of others whose names appear on smoothnmellow’s list and reach your own conclusions as to whether this charge deserves to be given any credence.
Of course, smoothnmellow is entitled to express the opinion that because we recced a diary we are evil bastards and racist scumbags. Yes, I know those were not the words used, but the implication is clear when your read smoothnmellow’s post. I suppose that we may also be subject to being labeled sexists for reccing diaries critical of Hillary Clinton. Why not, after all.
But it is a shame to see this level of vitriol and abuse here at this site. It was pretty nasty during the Obama/Clinton rox sux diaries back in 2008, but I never recall anyone stooping so low as to call out by name people who recced pro-Obama diaries as sexists, or who recced pro-Clinton diaries as racists, back then. Maybe they did. Maybe my memory fails me. Maybe there was a diary that reached the top of the rec list in 2008 that listed people for reccing diaries that supported the “wrong candidate” and tarred them with the label of racist or sexist or whatever. I can’t recall any though.
I do not know smoothnmellow personally. I don’t know smoothnmellow’s gender, race or anything else about him or her. His or her diary, in my opinion, was written and posted out of anger. I understand anger. I understand the feeling of being accused of something that is untrue or unfair. However, I don’t think that justifies posting the names of people who recced a diary in order to shame them and place a big red letter R on their chest based on an assumption. For that is what smmothnmellow has done.
But angry and upset and hurt people do these types of things. I once called out a fellow Kossack who had suggested I might be fabricating personal stories about my daughter in diaries I posted here. I did so out of anger and a deep sense of being wronged. Of course, I failed to understand that I was just as wrong to attack that person openly on this website. That person questioned me because they did not know me or my history. It was one of the reasons I came out from under the blanket of anonymity here. I let my emotions get the better of me when I lashed out at the person who questioned my veracity. We live and learn, or try to.
It’s too late for smoothnmellow to take back what she or he has done. From hereafter everyone on the list in that blog post will be considered by some who read it persona non grata. To be beyond the pale. To be — well fill in the blank with the epithet of your choice. The damage cannot be undone.
But, it is my hope that this is the last time anyone here posts a diary condemning people by name for reccing a diary that supports a candidate they do not support. Because no one deserves to have their name smeared and their reputation called into question for reccing such a diary. I will not do so, though there have been many diaries posted here supporting Hillary Clinton that I find offensive. I hope that all who read this will agree with me we should not go any further down this path.