How to Make Sure Your Comment Isn't Posted

Things change. I would say that old age makes one less willing to suffer fools. I've been blogging for almost twenty years and, in the beginning, I posted most comments. Ad hominem attacks galore made it past my moderation wall without censorship, especially if the one attacked was me. I'm pretty thick skinned. I was less obliging for insults against others.

But that's changed. Why should I treat myself less respectfully than others. The culture more and more resembles a zoo full of howling monkeys. Social media makes me think of the old cartoons with monkeys throwing coconuts. And that's what so many anonymous folks do unless, of course, they throw poop. They hide behind their silly monikers and lob their coconuts. At some point, you have enough coconuts (and monkey poop) for a lifetime.

At this point, I'm much more selective about the comments I post. I have no problem with disagreement when it's treated in the Socratic sense. My opinions can certainly be challenged, but with reasonable rebuttal. Accusing me of racism or white supremacy or calling me a "fat cow" gets an automatic dump even if I've only read the first sentence of a dissertation-length comment. A snide aside goes into the circular file. 

Treat others with the same respect with which you expect to be treated. Make a case for your point and stick to the subject. If every comment you leave is evidence of your TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) or some other fixation unrelated to the post, it will go up in smoke. And if you can't leave a comment without a snide aside, grow up. You remind me of a petty little girl trying to get her bestie to turn on another friend.

In many ways we're all fools. It's part of the human condition since Adam and Eve were stupid enough to eat the apple. That being said, some of us try to remedy the situation, especially if we're Catholic, by going to confession and praying for the virtue of humility. Others are stuck on stupid and seem incapable of learning. If you are one of those, I have a recommendation for you.

Start your own blog. You can vent your spleen to your heart's content like a howling monkey. Maybe you'll even get a few readers. Good luck and good-bye.