Cowardly Commentators

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Yesterday, I received an email from youreascumbag@yahoo.com that amounted to a personal insult. I found it illuminating that this person used a fake email and a fake name in order to share a real, albeit unfounded, opinion. As I share my thoughts and feelings online, I find it very common that people try to hide behind fake avatars and fake names and anonymous email addresses because, while they are unafraid to share how they feel, they fear desperately that anyone knows who they are and can confront them elsewhere. I believe that the consistent use of anonymous commentary and hiding behind fake information to be very cowardly, and it is also debilitating to discussion and crushing to character. Just ask Ta’O.

A few years back, one of my students said that she thought I was exceptionally opinionated. I quickly told her that I was no more opinionated than she, but that unlike me, she chose to keep hers quiet. I don’t feel the need to be ashamed or afraid of my opinions. After all, whose opinions should I have? Whose thoughts should I share? Whose words should I speak? If not mine, then why those of someone else? It doesn’t do the discussion any service when we are parsimonious with the truth. I speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve because a great man once taught me that this is the only way to arrive at truth and fulfill the great responsibility we have to God and our country.

God’s mouthpieces, which I do not claim to be, spoke forth the truth boldly and nobly. I have enjoyed reading about Moses this past month, admiring his courage, determination and fortitude in the recalcitrant wrath of Ramses and under the snivelling snide squawking of the Israelites. It is all too often that rather than face up to responsibility “great” men send lackies to do the work, but Moses took it upon himself to be himself, to own his Hebrew heritage, to speak directly to Pharaoh under threat of death, and to march at the head of the throng into the desert of Sinai.

From recent news, we know that there’s really no such thing as anonymity on the internet. The NSA knows what you’re typing while you type it in some cases. Even years back when I visited the National Archives, I realized that they keep almost everything sent to Congress or the President, and when the Archives announced they’d archive tweets, my response was to change from my avatar to my real name and say “Bring it on.” I said it; I own it. If I’m wrong, I will correct it. If I believe that I am right, with firmness in the right as God gives me to see it, I will go on, straight on and press forward until He tells me to change. My picture, my name, and the email address used here all go to me and are answered by me, and much as I may not like the hate mail and what not, I am willing to stand for what I believe. As for the cavalcade of cowardly commentators: back it up or back it off. When you attack the messenger, you show your argument to be weak, for if you could argue on substance, you would do so without the need to conceal yourself behind a mask. “To any of you who wish to die, come forward; I will take your names. To the first, I will build a monument.” –Cyrano de Bergerac

EDIT:  The email address was actually "yourascumbag@yahoo.com" which is misspelled.  Please do not spam this person back.  Obviously they have problems since they can't even insult me with correct grammar and punctuation.