Date: Tues, 22 Nov 2011 11:08:39 AM
From: oakrunfarm
Time for a little game I like to call (cue echo chamber) “Read Between the Lines!!!”
“Greetings, Chatham County.
I must admit, it’s been an interesting transition moving from a booming and progressive area – Baltimore/Washington DC – to Pittsboro just a few months ago.”
Translation: I am far more cosmopolitan than any of you, and it has been stressful as he– moving here. I can’t believe that a place this backward still exists in this day and age in the U.S.
“I am grateful to see that Chatham County has some things that are hopefully community-building, such as a chatlist, a co-op, and a farmer’s market. These are things that have been very nice about making my transition to living in a rural area, and have made my time here so far a mostly positive experience.”
Translation: At least this place has a few redeeming qualities, but now I am going to tell you how to best change your backwater burg in order to meet MY exacting standards.
“But I must say, I wonder what the purpose of this list is, truly?”
Translation: Because, if I don’t like it, that means it is pretty much useless.
“I recently responded to a conversation regarding a very important issue on the global front: fracking.”
Translation: If it’s important to ME, it’s critically important.
“It seems that the moderator of this group considers himself an expert on the subject and has dismissed the whole conversation.”
Translation: The moderator is an idiot who knows far less about this (and probably any) subject than I.
“To me, a progressive and well educated woman coming from a part of the US – the nation’s capital – I am very concerned with equal opportunities for people with opposing viewpoints on major issues, and I find this disturbing.”
Translation: To me, a person of more intelligence and sophistication than most of those in this “rural” area, I am very concerned that I would not be allowed to do what I want, when I want, and that some hick would deign to tell me what I CAN and CAN NOT post on what I consider to be a public forum!”
“See, to me, I believe that it is *VERY IMPORTANT* for people to be able to have back-and-forth conversations on major issues that affect all life on the planet.”
Translation: Because I am a well-educated woman, allow me to point out what should and should not be considered important. We (actually just *I*) need to be able to post upon any topic at all – freely and at will. Further to that point, what I want to discuss will always fall into the category of *VERY IMPORTANT*.
“And when a small group of people determine that this kind of conversation is not worthy, and choose to promote their own ideas without any regard for looking at the whole picture, it concerns me greatly.”
Translation: And when anyone disagrees with me, it concerns me greatly – even if that person IS the owner of the forum I want to express my views on.
“We all have our biases and our limited sources of information, and it is only through becoming more well informed on all points of view that we can make truly wise decisions about how to create our future.”
Translation: Gosh, you folks really ARE a bunch of idiots. Do you ever even read a newspaper or watch the news? Allow me to enlighten you!
“To dismiss a major topic that is becoming a very real issue in Chatham County is not only biased, but foolish.”
Translation: I’m convinced that only I am the source of viable discourse and discussion on this topic, and by choosing to moderate my input on the matter, you have nowhere else to find information about it because you are probably incapable of researching the topic on your own.
“And yet, it seemed fully acceptable just a few weeks ago for people in this county to speak in hostile, derogatory language regarding local political candidates? To hurl personal opinions about those candidates around as if they were fact? Indeed, that was right when I, a new-to-town member of the chatlist, signed on to this group for the first time.”
Translation: You are all a bunch of angry, ignorant rednecks. I would NEVER express a personal opinion not backed solely by fact!
“If indeed it is appropriate to speak in highly biased, negative language about opposing local political candidates, and yet it is not appropriate to provide valid, well-informed viewpoints on *major* issues such as clean, green energy, then I must say that I am highly disappointed in this chatlist and those who contribute to it.”
Translation: When are you all going to come around to MY way of thinking? This is getting highly annoying – all of this “other people’s viewpoints” stuff…
“It is that kind of unspoken media bias that has become a virus in this country as it is, and I would have hoped that something as small as a community online chat forum could maintain a sense of openness and integrity to allow the full perspective of all the community to come forward.”
Translation: Now your miniscule and insignificant chatlist is infringing upon my civil rights, and I will have to make some telephone calls to the ACLU. YES! And stage an “Occupy the Chatlist” event. I’ll play my flute and have someone bang a drum and then I’ll read some poetry and DEMAND my civil rights be restored!
“So, I ask you: what *ARE* we doing with this chatlist? If this is a politically biased site, then come clean and state it as such so that people are clear about that. OR, make *all* major issues, political/environmental/social/etc, either completely welcome OR completely off limits for the sake of this group in order to make it truly a space for the community to come together without potential for these kinds of issues.”
Translation: In other words, like I’ve been saying – HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION???!!! – run it the way educated, sophisticated, intelligent women from Washington DC want it to be run!!!
Like Gene said, “Bless your heart, Angela.” Let’s hope you learn how to play nicely with the locals fore’n ya git runned off.
y’all need to find something better to do than spreading so much negativity. lots of people in Chatham county care about these things. remain ignorant if you want, but it’s your own lives who will suffer.