The Apology

Another blogger writes an offensive post about one of the mercenaries who died in Fallujah. (Apparently, he had the same name as a white supremacist, and she then assumed they were the same person. They weren't.) She blogs in her own name and says where she lives. A Small Victory links to her post and surprise! Thousands of freepers and other scum descend on her site, threatening her life, threatening her kids. She pulls the post and apologizes, but they don't stop. Michelle Catalano pulls her post (but conveniently leaves enough information to still find the woman who is being attacked) and disclaims responsibility, just like she defended Glenn Reynolds for steering the thugs toward Kos.

Point one: again, this is why I blog anonymously.

Point two: I never, ever want to hear some fucking whiny-ass conservative say "I didn't realize this would happen". Of course people are going to go threaten her life; that's what right-wingers do. Some time one of them is going to kill somebody. And even that won't stop the Glenn Reynolds and the Charles Johnsons and Michelle Catalanos of the world. They'll just blame the dead woman for asking for it.

Point three: Kos was absolutely right. Never, ever, ever fucking back down in the face of the right. They do not have a moral center and they do not give a shit what the consequences of their actions are. If you happen to say something stupid, don't even look back, because there is absolutely nothing you can do to appease the assholes. Tell them to shut the fuck up and keep on going.

Update April 9, 2004: How to stand up to thugs.

Comments

[michele]

First of all, I'd like to see one person admit that the woman who wrote the offending post was totally irresponsible.

Second, she emailed me herself to tell me that it was people coming from another site who were making the threats. In fact, the threats started a FULL DAY before I posted my story.

I took my post down anyhow, blasted anyone who went to her site and threatened her, and still I have no morals.

There's no pleasing you people.

[Hal]

It's like clockwork, ain't it?

[Jamie]

Here's the thing, I don't think anyone with a brain would support what the crazies are doing in threatening the original blogger. It is pretty clear that the linking blogger has thoroughly denounced the crazies for what they are doing and have done.

I disagree with point 2 - unless what you are saying/writing is directly geared towards inciting violence, then no one should be held responsible for the actions of others over whom they have no control and for whom they bear no actual responsibility, such as a parent would for a child. The linking blogger has taken down her link, so I can't read what she had to say about the original blogger's musings, but pointing to to the publicly posted "information" and saying it is offensive, wrong or any other strong words one chooses to use about the heinous and possibly libelous public musings of the original blogger should not be construed as a request for others to commit criminal acts.

I have seen the ridiculous lists of doctors that are marked for revenge on some of the so-called pro life sites - the lists themselves usually include the doctors' personal information. I can't imagine after having read the linking blogger's denunciation that she was publishing anything remotely resembling something like that.

Lastly, I support your right to blog anonymously. I think the reason that the original blogger doesn't is that she is looking for publicity for her books. What I think this situation illustrates is that if you don't blog anonymously, then you have to be even more conscious of the requirement to have your facts straight before you write them. While I don't think blogs are the same as newspapers, doing what the original blogger did would be like a news organization publishing their initial research before they have done the double- and triple-checks of the facts. If she wasn't sure about it, she should have left it as a draft while she did her research and used email or other private methods to ask others for help.

[Hal]

Jamie, considering we have many examples of just his point #2, I think that Mithras has a valid point. Claiming that they don't know the gun is loaded so they can't be blamed for pointing and pulling the trigger is a lame excuse.

[cube]

I also am a big support of blogging anonymously.

It is really the only correct way to go.

Also, if you want to run for office some day, you can always deny what you have said.

[Karol]

Maybe you blog anonymously so you could say anything you want with no criticism?

[Mithras]

Well, I get criticized plenty. What I like is keeping people from harassing my clients because of something I've written. Call me crazy.

[Karol]

Well, I used to blog anonymously and though I now only use my first name, most of my readers know who I am. It makes you think twice before posting and that's not a bad thing.