Apology

When I started the Eagle's Eye blog I made a commitment that it would be different from the usual disrespectful, nasty rhetoric that characterizes too many blogs. I promised a civil tone, with respect for the opinions of others and an absence of spiteful, insulting commentary. Any and all comments would be welcome--this was when we had the ability to edit/censor comments, which we no longer have--so long as they did not engage in personal attack, insult, racism or profanity. Lately, I'm afraid this standard has not been evident.

I welcome discussion of and disagreement with my posts. If you look back at the history of this forum, I have tried to reply to every comment containing substance. To me, this is a sign of respect for someone who took the time to respond. The threads that I have tried to maintain throughout are consideration and respect. I have always in my long career tried to respect others and treat them with consideration. I am a firm believer in the efficacy of dialogue. It is my conviction that vituperative confrontation destroys communication, and communication of ideas is what I want my blog to be about.

I have extended to everyone I ever met in life the benefit of the doubt, eschewing first impressions, and, perhaps surprisingly, have almost never been disappointed. I treated my employees with understanding and empathy, and they rewarded me with loyalty, a very good bargain indeed. Certainly not everyone with whom I came in contact was a prince (or princess), but I can't recall ever encountering a truly nasty and vindictive person, at least until now. Certainly, some folks had character flaws and some were even unscrupulous in their business dealings, but these were rare and I was generally successful in avoiding them. Perhaps I have become complacent and overconfident in people, but I am very comfortable with the results. I can look back on a 40-year career without a bit of guilt or shame. It's a good feeling.

Lately, though, things have spun out of control. Someone who hides behind an analogue of our sponsor, Lake Country Publications, has decided for some reason to launch an unremitting and, to me, unjustified attack on me personally, rife with innuendo, snide comments and an avalanche of personal insults. This assault has continued incessantly with every recent post of mine. I have tried to take it in stride and refrain from responding in kind, with I think some success, at least until recently.

This is more than political disagreement. All the liberals who have responded in the past  to my admittedly conservative posts have engaged in respectful and often very thoughtful dialogue. I truly enjoy these discussions, even the ones I don't win. Some folks have expressed themselves with vehemence and passion, which is fine so long as it doesn't become personal. Not true with good old Lake Country P. His comments have been thin on facts, except for obviously pasted-in article excerpts, but very rich in personal attacks. 

Now, I am not thin-skinned. I have been tempered in a fairly intense industrial and military crucible. I can take it with the best of them. That's not the problem. I must admit that this individual has gotten under my skin. I suspect that this was his purpose all along. (I am assuming masculine gender but really can't be positive.) For some reason, he has "taken me on."

The constant barrage of insult has induced an increasing temptation in me to respond in kind, something I vowed never to do. I am very uncomfortable with the emotions I am feeling in response to the constant barrage of insults. I have responded with a few personal insults of my own, for which I am ashamed and what has prompted this post.

Perhaps this is a sign of our current highly polarized political environment. If so, it is very sad and quite concerning. Dialogue is important in a democracy (or constitutional republic for you purists), and degeneration into invective and anger is a bad sign. It becomes a sword-clanging battle, with the combatants concentrating on the conflict to the exclusion of all reason and logic.

Therefore, I sincerely apologize to whatever readers of mine are left out there for the deteriorating tone of commentary dialogue in my recent posts. I have decided to ignore all communications from this individual in the future. This is for the selfish purpose of preserving my integrity and character. He will no doubt claim victory as a result, having in his mind sent me scurrying into oblivion. Sorry, pal, but I'm not going away. Your comments will appear, but I will not read them nor respond. As usual, any and all other comments are welcome and I will respond to them to the best of my ability.

In the wise counsel of Max Ehrmann's Desiderata: "Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit."

Good advice.