Some Final Thoughts (Or, The Fight Just Became Fair...)

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who read my post the day before yesterday. Now that I have had some time to further think about the topic, I have some final thoughts, and a big thank you…

When I first received those comments, I really did laugh myself off the chair; then as the words sank in the thoughts of my post really started to get to me… Like I said, it was not that I was offended, but I know that there are plenty of others that would not be. I have seen first hand how painful thoughtless comments can be.

One problem that I think our society has today is a lack of shame… Things like respect for our fellow-man or responsiblity for our actions don’t seem to matter to some people anymore. Not all people, of course. But I think there is a certain segment of our population that is so caught up in the “fast-forward” nature of modern society, that it seems to have taken an almost video game like feel to it. That others around us in the world are no more real than the images on our TV and computer screens; so it doesn’t matter what we say about them. Modern celebrities are an excellent example of this; look at all the trivial and sometimes down right hateful things that we say about these people; because often they don’t seem like you or me. The “wall” (with apologies to Pink Floyd) that is built between us makes it seem like there are no consequences for our actions.

And this wall can extend to our everyday lives. When we stop seeing others as real people just like us, it opens the door to neglectful things. The internet acts as a catalyst for this behavior, as the sense anonymity it provides is a comforting blanket for those who seek to make painful comments; the “I can see them, but they can’t do anything to me” feeling… more on this in a moment…

I myself am a humanist, and believe that all people are good at heart.

Including those who may sometimes say or do hurtful things.

When I said we must drag this issue out of the darkness and into the light, part of that is to reestablish that since of shame, to say to the person involved and everyone else that this is not okay. And also to use it as a teaching moment to show why it is not alright and correct the behavior.

Meeting hate with more hate is not the answer. To truly stop the problem, we must also educate.

This part of my message was missing in my original post.

A BIG THANK YOU…

…to The Cheeky Diva, a fellow Nebraska blogger who helped to spread the word about my previous post. I reached out to her first to help spread my previous post. Most of you came to me via her, but if you did not, make sure to check out and follow her blog. Together, and with many other Nebraska bloggers, we are showing why Nebraska really is “the Good Life”.

Yes, Cheeky, us “hicks” must stick together!

And a big thank you to everyone who came to Flies Over to read the previous post. I picked up a ton of supportive comments and “Likes”; and that means a lot to me. I also picked up a ton of new followers. My goal was not for personal publicity, although I hope that you stick around for the ride.

Yes, this is a fishing themed blog… but my hope is to make this about what fishing brings to my life. The joy, the experiences, and the understanding that fishing helps to provide me on life over all. There will be a little “how to fish” for those of you looking for it. But my goal is for this to be about more than just the fish…

Little E and I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we do.

And One Final Thought To The Anonymous Poster (Or, The Fight Just Became Fair…)

In the movie “The Matrix”, Moebius describes the purpose of their fight for the humans… that they are trying to “free the minds” of those trapped by the Matrix. But that some of those people are so engrained, so reliant on the system, that they could never be “unplugged”…

The same is true in real life.

And one thing I learned early in life was to never back down from a fight.

I was extremely impressed by what came to be known as the “Arab Spring”. People all over the world showed what organized and non-violent people can do. But as we have also seen, sometimes we must be willing to fight for what we believe…

I will always believe that nonviolence and diplomacy are the right answers. Everything must be done to avoid a fight; in international politics as well as life.

But we must also have the will to do what is necessary if all else fails…

I hope the anonymous poster reads these two posts and takes this a teaching moment. If not…

Here is a lesson for everyone… the internet only gives the appearance of anonymity…

It is actually not very hard to track anything anyone does on the internet… As such, I managed to locate the IP address of my anonymous poster. For those of you who are not tech savvy, everyone on the internet has an IP address. It is the internet equivalent to a mailing address. And just like a mailing address, it pin points your exact location in the world. Right down to your block, your house, and even the exact computer you used.

I said I wasn’t going to publish anything else about the poster, but just to prove I am not lying…

You live in Omaha, Nebraska. And your internet is provided through Cox Communications.

You should never insult a writer… you should also never insult anyone who is really, really smart…

Your move, formerly anonymous…