Wednesday, June 01, 2005

More on Expelled From Preschool

The better articles at Salon frequently generate a lot of mail. This one is no exception. These are really good letters. Although the whinny lady on page one that has read blogs about the article needs to get a grip. Or the scary genius at the end of page three that decided when his/her child bit people she would sue the school. Just lovely behavior. Some of the letters were really quite helpful. I may even take some of their advice to heart. Overall the writer and his wife took as much as a thumping there as they got here. Good.

4 comments:

Nylarthotep said...

"Overall the writer and his wife took as much as a thumping there as they got here. Good."

Damn, Losing my touch.

Nylarthotep said...

OK, I'm going to comment on the "scary Lady of page one."

What a dumb @#%*.

"Internet culture is odd. Any of us can start a blog and pour our hearts and minds out on any given number of topics. It is sort of narcissistic, I suppose -- or exhibitionistic and also voyeuristic. And, any of us can anonymously reach out and attack or support another, like a sniper or an angel. We can just type a few words and shoot them out there. And boy it feels great. I don't have to worry about my problems, only yours. And you never have to know it was me."

"It's the price we pay for the freedom the Internet gives us, I guess. But reading the really nasty comments so many people have written about the Pollacks makes me think it is a high price. I appreciate his articles and his bravery for putting it out there. I hope he keeps writing. "

Well thank you for the back alley psychological profile of internet users, specifically bloggers. The internet is like the real world, only more accessible. Nasty things are said and done. You don't want to see them, close your eyes.

As for worrying about other's problems and not your own, what freakin' planet is the bimbo living. The internet doesn't make me worry about other's lives. (Nothing ever has really. But then I'm slightly misanthropic.) But the internet certainly assists in giving you plenty of information to make you more worried about the world in general.

If a little vitriol aimed at buffoons is to high a price for her for the freedoms of the internet, maybe the freedom of speech and the related risks associated with it is too high as well. People say nasty things all the time in the MSM. Maybe there are other freedoms that we have in this country that should be questioned because someone may do something that isn't perfectly endearing with them.

Lastly, as for Pollack's alledged bravery for posting this article and all the derision received related to it, How is it brave to paint a sign stating "I'm a dolt" and walking around the block?

Blessed Brigid, protect me for people that require a sacarine sweet world.

Granted said...

Good one.

Oh, and "I'm slightly misanthropic"

Slightly? Slightly? I'm going to go and get Idigo to have a chat with you.

geekwife said...

I thought nearly all of the comments to that article were right on the money, the over-empathizer nylarthotep went off on being a notable exception. Granted and I talked about the article last night and agreed that 1) discipline was severely lacking, 2)the parents didn't seem to realize that parenting is a very hard job and they needed to cowboy up and 3) the parents did seem very unconcerned with how their kid's behavior affected everyone else. So it was heartening to read parent after parent telling them exactly the same things in a variety of ways, some gentle and some not. I feel really badly for poor Elijah, and I hope that Pollack can take the excellent advice being given to him. The kid really needs some parents, not the self-centered fools he's got now.

On a side note, how surprised do you think Pollack was that the Salon community ripped him a new one?