My Letter to the Unhinged
Dear Fanatic:
For the past week I’ve watched some of the most insanely hateful things spew from your collective mouths. This vileness ranged from Roseanne Barr wishing cancer on anyone who supports a fast food restaurant, to others, wishing death via choking or slowly over time via heart disease, all in language that would make a sailor blush. I’ve seen it before in the rants of those who, when they sense a challenge to their politics or beliefs, vandalize property, assault their “enemies” or stage “occupy” movements that destroy the property of others or cost taxpayers money. This insanity isn’t only on the left. No, there is a special kind of crazy group called the “Westboro Baptists” who spew the worst kind of hate at innocent people who are at the lowest and saddest times of their lives. Hate seems to be an equal opportunity offender.
Here’s what I don’t understand and I wish that the zealously unhinged among us would explain it to me: Don’t you know that when you hurl epithets, wish death or harm on others or act as crazy as you do that you erode any credibility you might have had? How can we, the rest of society, take you seriously? How can your hateful words not reflect badly upon the rest of the “normal” people who share your viewpoint?
Of course I realize that you won’t give me an answer. I also realize that the thought of not throwing a temper tantrum to rival that of a two year old never entered your mind. I just wish that you could take to heart something that I have learned over the past several years of living around and arguing with people of different viewpoints, religions and political parties: You can draw more flies with honey than vinegar.
I know, I know, I used that alliteration before, but it’s true. If you have to use a potty mouth, you have no good argument to counter them in the first place. Makes you look kind of dumb, too. If you stop the tantrums and listen to what others might be saying, you might just find that 1) they are entitled to an opinion; 2) that some of their arguments might just have merit; and 3) it doesn’t mean you have to change your mind. Opening it, just a little, would do you a world of good, and it would certainly make things more peaceful.
Oh, and that contemptibility you threw out at the world about that fast food restaurant? It didn’t cost them a single thing … in fact, it benefited them. Bet you’re thinking “open mouth, insert foot” right about now, huh?
Sincerely,
A Tired Sane Person