InsaneJournal

Current mood:	thoughtful
Entry tags:	folks smarter than i say..., links, wtf

More on that WTFery.
In regards to recent events surrounding Heath Ledger's funeral and the uproar certain picketers have caused, chal had some very good things to say. "Don't give them any hits on their website, don't try to engage in debate with them, don't give them the satisfaction of upsetting you where they can see it."

These people, the picketers? Negative publicity is what they live for. They want us to get outraged, to try to yell at them or even try to reason with them, so they can point to us and call us names and say, "People like this are why we do what we do!" Every time we let them get to us, every time we link to them and point fingers, we're spreading their message. We're flinging their shit around for them, and we're only adding to the hate they want to spread.

I feel like an idiot, myself, for letting them get under my skin, because the idea that anyone could disrespect so many people, could go that far, makes me so very angry. And the idea that one day, maybe sooner than I expect, I'll have to explain to my son that no matter how much love and beauty is in our world, people like this exist, too? That kills me. But I have to agree that the best way to combat them is to give them no more time or attention than we already have, not even mention their group or their website by name.

If the point is to promote tolerance, we have to be tolerant and patient with all things, not just those we agree with. And man, I wish I could take that lesson to heart. I can write it, but putting it into practice is really freakin' hard.