An exchange with a reader<$NoAd$> …
Josh–
I’ve been reading your blog now for some time, and while I’m in school and have no money now, I was fully intending on donating as soon as I could. The past few days though I’ve realized that I won’t be donating and I won’t be reading your site anymore. I am very disappointed that you’ve written nothing on the execution of an American citizen in Iraq by what looks to be al quada. I didn’t expect much, but the fact that you’ve gone on a rant over Sen. Inhofe’s comments (which is probably appropriate) and continued your assault on the the president and have neglected to give even one line to this guy who was brutally slain for being one of us just sickens me. I didn’t always agree with you, but I respected what you wrote and enjoyed reading what you had to say, but not anymore. I know this is hardly a ‘blow’ to your site as I’m sure readers come and go all the time, but I just thought maybe you’d appreciate some respectful feedback.
Anyway, good luck with your site, I’m sure you will do very well in the coming years.
Ellis D.
Ellis,
You’ve just misjudged how I run the site and why I do so. I don’t write about everything I think. I don’t write just to say that X is good or Y is bad. I write when I feel I have something I can add to a discussion, and only then. I could write a post saying that I thought Berg’s execution was horrifying and awful and that I couldn’t get to sleep last night because the ugliness of the images wouldn’t leave my mind. But what would that tell you? That al Qaida is awful and that I think they’re awful too? Perhaps I simply have nothing to add. The online world has lots of vociferous me-too-ism, going on record saying in fist-clenched tones things I think we all know we all feel. That’s fine; I just don’t like doing that. Once, when I wrote nothing about a rapid series of court decisions touching on gay rights issues, one reader wrote in and attacked me mercilessly for being homophobic since clearly, he reasoned, I had judged these to be of no importance. He was wrong; and you’ve made the same misjudgment. This isn’t a publication of record. And you’re not in a position to judge what I think based on my silence.
Josh
