There are no words.

Last night on the Nashville is Talking blogging community, its moderator, Brittney Gilbert, was virtually burned at the stake for linking to a post by my porcine-pigknucked-lib-Ginger Christ-calling fellow blogger, smantix.  The post was really hateful (!) regarding the death of a guy I’ve never heard of, but who is a apparently a well-known blogger of the left/liberal pursuasion.

To make a long story short, Brittney titled that post “Teaching Libs A Lesson,” a completely sarcastic title given the outrageous tone of smantix’ post. 

Somehow, some who are evidently not regular readers of NiT came on and started lambasting her for the post, calling her everything but a gentleman, and worst of all, calling for her job.  That seems to have been a popular thing to do lately, as noted here. 

The pressure from all of the hateful words that have been spoken of Brittney throughout her tenure has finally broken her.  She has resigned her position as the moderator of Nashville is Talking. 

The pressure would have broken me long ago.

It’s odd.  I have been called “thin-skinned” for feeling the need to defend my comments, viewpoint, or who & why I am the way I am on blogs before.  Brittney was called thin-skinned last night and today, as well. 

But really…is it thin-skinned to expect to be treated with some semblence of respect and dignity even on the internet?  To me, common courtesy as a fellow human being who is working day in and day out to make a life for themselves isn’t too much to ask. 

When it comes down to the very lowest common denominator, we are all in this thing together.  We are all people.  We all want to live lives of meaning, to have fulfillment, to survive. 

Why do we do this to each other?  Why, when a person simply thinks differently than another, does there have to be a firestorm of name-calling, questioning the person’s intelligence and even integrity?  Why exclude them from the group when you might, just might, learn something from them? 

Our differences are what makes this world function.  If we all thought the same about every issue that comes along, it sure would make for a boring and simple place, would it not? 

So why?

It seems to me that we ALL need to step back and consider what has happened here.

A professional blogger, moderator, and writer — a strong woman, one who has most definitely understood the pitfalls her job entailed — has felt so attacked that she believed it to be better to bow out then to continue in that toxic environment. 

Perhaps it would benefit us ALL to think before we click the ”Submit Comment” button the next time.

Is what you are about to put out into the universe of the good?  Is it helpful?  Does it benefit all who read it?  Will others learn about what you value as a viewpoint?  Can you “argue” a point with kindness?

If not, perhaps its time to regroup and step away from the keyboard for awhile.

Good luck, Brittney.  You will land on your feet, I have no doubt.  I have you to thank, in part, for introducing me to some really wonderful people and for providing a venue in which I have learned tons about things I knew nothing of until I came here.

For that, I thank you.