Barbara J. Stock
What we have here is a failure to communicate
Barbara J. Stock
This title comes from the famous movie, "Cool Hand Luke" but I can tell you right now, I will get hate mail from someone condemning me for using it or saying that it's not from that movie, but some other and they are absolutely positive about this and oh, by the way, you are a Nazi. That's the new slogan from the left these days. There are democrats and Nazis. This is not new for me. I have been called that by liberals way before it was in vogue.
This last two weeks have been extremely interesting.
I did an article on Dean and got mostly polite, upper crust, snooty hate mail. In fact, I was amazed to find that the Clark page actually used it on their page with the few comments on Clark carefully edited out.
Then I did an article on Clark and got a few reasonable responses but most were just screaming streams of rants, curse words and hollow threats of law suits. These were very different from the intellectual and oh-so refined responses of the Dean followers.
The Clark followers' style was that I was a horse's behind that must be the worst nurse ever born who probably kills her patients. This has become a common theme for the lefties. If you don't like their man, you must be terrible at whatever it is you do for a living. If anyone can tell me what the connection is, I would like to know.
The Dean people insist I have a low IQ keeping me from being intellectual enough to understand the intricacies of Howard's inner thoughts and ideas which were just far too complex for the average Republican to comprehend. Translation: They don't know what the heck he is saying either, but damn, it sure sounds good and he's a doctor!
That's okay. I know people need to vent their anger. Better it's directed at me via email than climbing a bell tower and demanding that people vote for their candidate. I would not put that past some of them, however. My goodness, so much pent up anger.
I have broken down the e-mail crowd into a couple of categories.
The "I agree with you" group: This is self explanatory.
The Reasonable Group: These are the undecided. This group is a nice bunch. They will say, "I didn't know that!" They will ask where I found the information and I send it along. Now there is a sub-group of the Reasonable group. They are the "no matter what you send I won't believe it" or the…
Reasonable in Disguise group: In the case of Clark being relieved of command, I actually sent them a link to where Clark admits he was "fired." But, this wasn't the same thing, they insist. They would declare that something THEY insist never happened, only happened because of jealous generals, Clinton misjudgment and besides, William Cohen hated this man who should be considered for sainthood in his lifetime. By the time I am done with these guys, I'm working on a serious headache. These are the folks who know they are wrong but will never admit it and talk in circles hoping to confuse the issue.
The "I'm going to show you the error of your ways" group: These people often try to pass themselves off as Republicans. They think this will put them in good stead and make me more reasonable so I will change my mind and miraculously drop my entire life's beliefs and core values to convert to their candidate. After all, they have seen the light and been reborn, so should I. They have found salvation, Alleluia! They have been reborn as democrats! Wake up the babies and call the old ladies! They feel repeated emails pleading their case will accomplish this flip. Can you spell d-e-l-e-t-e?
The Immovable Objects: Now we are getting to the ones who if I had said the sun rises in the East and sets in the West would demand a link to prove it and then insist it is incorrect right wing rubbish put out to make Bush look good and candidate X look bad. They are, in short, immoveable in their belief that their candidate has a direct line to God and is the second coming. Of course, their candidate would have to deny any link to God because of the separation of church and state.
The Foaming, Angry Ranters: These are the folks who put every word in capitals and just scream. They usually start out with the undying and unwavering hatred for Bush, Cheney, and all things Republican. We are all evil incarnate, war mongers and don't I realize that Bush is killing Iraqi women children by the tens of thousands?? The conservative media is covering up for him and it's ABOUT THE OIL!! Then they advance to how we are all racists, homophobes, and woman-haters who put some worthless fetus ahead of the mother who is burdened with having to carry it, and punctuate it all with "you are a Nazi!" (Does anyone else see the irony of the pro-life party being called Nazis?) Then I get a long dissertation on how their candidate is the greatest thing since peanut butter and is the only hope for America.
I have decided there is a benefit to be found in these letters. I'm going to start saving them and some day put them in a book. I will get rich and maybe have a best seller and I will have Dean, Clark, and all the rest to thank for it. So, keep those cards and letters coming! Keep them creative and as Mr. O'Reilly likes to say, "Keep them pithy." Only the best will make the book.
© Barbara J. Stock
By This title comes from the famous movie, "Cool Hand Luke" but I can tell you right now, I will get hate mail from someone condemning me for using it or saying that it's not from that movie, but some other and they are absolutely positive about this and oh, by the way, you are a Nazi. That's the new slogan from the left these days. There are democrats and Nazis. This is not new for me. I have been called that by liberals way before it was in vogue.
This last two weeks have been extremely interesting.
I did an article on Dean and got mostly polite, upper crust, snooty hate mail. In fact, I was amazed to find that the Clark page actually used it on their page with the few comments on Clark carefully edited out.
Then I did an article on Clark and got a few reasonable responses but most were just screaming streams of rants, curse words and hollow threats of law suits. These were very different from the intellectual and oh-so refined responses of the Dean followers.
The Clark followers' style was that I was a horse's behind that must be the worst nurse ever born who probably kills her patients. This has become a common theme for the lefties. If you don't like their man, you must be terrible at whatever it is you do for a living. If anyone can tell me what the connection is, I would like to know.
The Dean people insist I have a low IQ keeping me from being intellectual enough to understand the intricacies of Howard's inner thoughts and ideas which were just far too complex for the average Republican to comprehend. Translation: They don't know what the heck he is saying either, but damn, it sure sounds good and he's a doctor!
That's okay. I know people need to vent their anger. Better it's directed at me via email than climbing a bell tower and demanding that people vote for their candidate. I would not put that past some of them, however. My goodness, so much pent up anger.
I have broken down the e-mail crowd into a couple of categories.
The "I agree with you" group: This is self explanatory.
The Reasonable Group: These are the undecided. This group is a nice bunch. They will say, "I didn't know that!" They will ask where I found the information and I send it along. Now there is a sub-group of the Reasonable group. They are the "no matter what you send I won't believe it" or the…
Reasonable in Disguise group: In the case of Clark being relieved of command, I actually sent them a link to where Clark admits he was "fired." But, this wasn't the same thing, they insist. They would declare that something THEY insist never happened, only happened because of jealous generals, Clinton misjudgment and besides, William Cohen hated this man who should be considered for sainthood in his lifetime. By the time I am done with these guys, I'm working on a serious headache. These are the folks who know they are wrong but will never admit it and talk in circles hoping to confuse the issue.
The "I'm going to show you the error of your ways" group: These people often try to pass themselves off as Republicans. They think this will put them in good stead and make me more reasonable so I will change my mind and miraculously drop my entire life's beliefs and core values to convert to their candidate. After all, they have seen the light and been reborn, so should I. They have found salvation, Alleluia! They have been reborn as democrats! Wake up the babies and call the old ladies! They feel repeated emails pleading their case will accomplish this flip. Can you spell d-e-l-e-t-e?
The Immovable Objects: Now we are getting to the ones who if I had said the sun rises in the East and sets in the West would demand a link to prove it and then insist it is incorrect right wing rubbish put out to make Bush look good and candidate X look bad. They are, in short, immoveable in their belief that their candidate has a direct line to God and is the second coming. Of course, their candidate would have to deny any link to God because of the separation of church and state.
The Foaming, Angry Ranters: These are the folks who put every word in capitals and just scream. They usually start out with the undying and unwavering hatred for Bush, Cheney, and all things Republican. We are all evil incarnate, war mongers and don't I realize that Bush is killing Iraqi women children by the tens of thousands?? The conservative media is covering up for him and it's ABOUT THE OIL!! Then they advance to how we are all racists, homophobes, and woman-haters who put some worthless fetus ahead of the mother who is burdened with having to carry it, and punctuate it all with "you are a Nazi!" (Does anyone else see the irony of the pro-life party being called Nazis?) Then I get a long dissertation on how their candidate is the greatest thing since peanut butter and is the only hope for America.
I have decided there is a benefit to be found in these letters. I'm going to start saving them and some day put them in a book. I will get rich and maybe have a best seller and I will have Dean, Clark, and all the rest to thank for it. So, keep those cards and letters coming! Keep them creative and as Mr. O'Reilly likes to say, "Keep them pithy." Only the best will make the book.
© Barbara J. Stock
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