Sometimes I hate the Internet

Sometimes I really do hate it. Okay, not hate it. Maybe dislike it strongly. And not even the Internet. The Internet is neither good nor evil. Its the piece of crap trolls who are evil.

I wrote a short article for my local Patch website called "A Call to End Personal Attacks." You can read it here: http://elkgrove.patch.com/blog_posts/a-call-to-end-personal-attacks Its pretty simple: I thought our town would be better served if people would stop attacking each other and would address the issues. Apparently, I am a moron.

Why am I a moron? Because people turn around and attack me for such a ridiculous position. I mean, how dare I suggest that people act reasonably and behave? It is easy to sit and snipe from behind the anonymity of the Internet. (I like it with a capital I. I am like Al Gore. I invented this dang Internet thingy.) After all, if no one knows who we are, no one can strike back. So people make up fake screen names, like say, A Ranter, and you can take pot shots.

The problem is that you are taking pot shots at real people. Okay, don't call me hypocritical. I know I have taken shots at folks like Pit Bull, pot smokers, Larry Bovine. But I take my shots and a) everyone knows who I am and b) its nothing about them having no friends or being crappy human beings. Even my shots at Bovine were based on his elevator speech about being a Nazi doctor. But, I do get it.

Its one reason I take fewer shots at people. Over the last 18 months, I have become more understanding that people aren't perfect, we all fuck up, and we all deserve a 2nd, maybe even a 3rd or 4th change. I may take the occasional shot at people, like the white dude driving the Altima blasting his rap with his hat on sideways. But I don't tell him that his mother is ugly and his sister is a tramp. Nor do I say he has no friends or his kid's teachers hate him.

Even people I really hate, there are lines. I would never attack someone's family, their spouse, or their kids. I would never tell you that you are a bad human being. I will laugh at you and mock you if you go on tv and think you can sing when you can't. I know I have my weaknesses, but I admit them up front.

Anyway, back to my point: its high time we stop being assholes online. Its easy to sit and hide and take your shots. A real man, a man's man, if you will, takes his shots and lets everyone know who he is. He takes his shots and doesn't hide. And he doesn't back down. If I don't like you, you will know it. But I wont hide. That, my friends, is a promise.