They were to blogs that were, for the most part, much more conservative politically than I am. It's not because the authors are conservatives that I deleted them; I agreed with those authors more often than you'd think, and on a wider variety of issues.
The reason I've deleted the links is this: in the aftermath of the Presidential election, the comments sections of those blogs, including comments left by the authors of the blogs, contained some of the most vicious, mean-spirited, and even out-and-out racist shit I've ever read.
I understand that Republicans and other conservatives must be angry and disappointed as hell right now. If Obama had lost, I would probably still be in bed, planning only to nurse a hangover and learn French prior to my move to Montreal. I would be peevish about a stolen election and bitter and crying. So it's understandable that there's some serious, serious grouchiness out there in Conservative-Land.
What's not acceptable is the amount of vitriol and the thinly-veiled racism. Vitriol is understandable and even allowable in small amounts, but gallons of it poisons discourse. Racism isn't understandable or allowable, even in small doses. If you want to make jokes about getting rocks of crack at the polling station or how watermelon is going to be the new national food, you go right ahead--but I'm reserving my right not to have that sort of crap linked from here.
This isn't a pouty, I'm-not-reading-your-blog-any-more whine. It's an explanation of why, the day after the election, my links list is shorter.
test comment o roonie
ReplyDeleteJo, I've been lurking for a while just needed to let you know that my stomach was churning for the same reason as I browsed my reader this morning. After seeing your post I did a little weeding myself. Damned if it didn't feel good!
ReplyDeleteI read this the other day thinking "me too"!! I have deleted a couple of blogs myself, one for being too far right and one for being too left. I felt the power for a minute there. Of course they will not feel the pain they should since they don't read me anyway. I'm usually a lurker too, but I enjoy your blog a lot and you're still there on my side-bar. BTW, I've always been a nurse wanna-be, still have a huge admiration for nurses, and I love your graphic stories, the grosser the better.
ReplyDeleteRight on.
ReplyDeleteOh- and a prediction: you will recieve messages from The Vast Army of Disgruntled Conservative Wackaloons accusing you of being against freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteWell, despite shrimplate's prediction, I'm a conservative and I'm not really complaining.
ReplyDelete(Note that I didn't say I was a Republican, but rather a conservative. The GOP has gone plumb fool crazy the past few years!)
For the record, I didn't feel that Obama was a good choice and I didn't vote for him. But each side promotes their candidate and the people choose. The people chose Barak Obama, and from January 20 until he leaves office, he is the President. The people have spoken, and this is their decision. No use pouting about it.