Sycophants, Paper Gangsters and the Bullshit Admiration Society

(originally posted via Y360, July 2007)

The reasons why people come to social networking sites online are as varied as there are people. I know that I come here to get glimpses into the lives of other cool and interesting people, and to learn things, and share opinions. Opinions are TRICKY, TRICKY things, however, because they're like assholes. Everybody's got one and they're all stinky.

I hear people talking real loud about free speech and the exchange of opinions in this venue, and I like to think that I've got a diverse group of reasonably intelligent people on my list. What has begun to chafe my enormous asscrack as of late is this emerging trend that if a person doesn't fall in lockstep with the personal ideologies of another person then they can't be friends... or they're not BLACK enough... or then the insults on the intelligence/character assassination begins.

While I may not be college educated, I do form my own opinions based on the facts presented. I do not agree with everyone that comes to my page to post, and I respect their viewpoint as long as they are respectful of me in kind. You don't have to support alternative lifestyles or gay marriage or even claim to understand transgendered people -- but you must be respectful. And when I come to your page, I will do the same. See, I love a healthy debate. I speak from the heart and my personal beliefs are based in large part on my personal experiences. You can be a staunch critic of whatever, and we can talk about until the cows come home, like ADULTS do, still disagree and tomorrow we can start fresh on something else and it's STILL all good.

I found out today that a person whom I deeply respected booted me rather unceremoniously from his friends' list (I wasn't the only one, so I'm SURELY not taking it too personally) in part because I expressed a dissenting and rather unpopular opinion on his blog regarding my lack of desire to cry out for a perceived injustice. The next blog referred to people as cockroaches and some other stuff (and directly referenced a comment I made on said blog)... and all I can do is sit back and say...

WHAT THE FUCK, MAN?

All of a sudden people who refused to be bullied into speaking on something they didn't feel comfortable with are unintelligent? When before there was no disagreement you were my biggest cheerleader? Because I don't take up for every bullshit "black" cause that floats around the internet, I'm a SELLOUT?

GET OUT OF HERE WITH THAT BULLSHIT.

It totally disappoints me that as old as some of us are, there are so many among us who are clearly only children growing old playing schoolyard games that should have been left behind in elementary school. "I'll kiss your ass if you kiss mine." "You can't be friends with so and so if you want to be friends with me." and of course my personal favorite "COME READ MY BLOG AND IF YOU DON'T COMMENT I'M GOING TO DELETE YOU!"

Trust and believe I will be more than glad to help you out on that last one ... because there are more than 250 people on my list but I have ten regulars who comment? RIGHT. Most of those folks would be served just fine by adding me to their favorites and checking my updates.

See... this is the internet, and while it is my primary outlet for social interaction, if I unplug this mofo and turn around, Hmm... how many of the people contained in this l'il box with the Dell label on it exist in my day to day reality, or are generally responsible for my care and feeding?

**CRICKETS**
(exactly)

Grow up, people... and realize that stating your opinion LOUDLY doesn't make it fact. Never be afraid to stand for what YOU believe in, even if it's not the popular choice, and learn how to agree to disagree without alienating people. It makes for a much more pleasant experience for everybody.