Saturday, July 16, 2011

Attacking a friend

I was shocked when I logged onto my friend Enola Gay's blog last night. She was the subject of some vicious attacks by a bunch of whining self-proclaimed liberals who have dedicated an entire forum to tearing her down.

Needless to say I'm horrified that these people whose favorite buzzword is tolerance would attack a family they don't even know on the flimsy basis of such things as her daughter Maid Elizabeth's spelling errors. The more I thought about it, the madder I got. Here these people are viciously assassinating the character of a non-public figure for no other reason than they CAN. What sad excuses for humans they are.

Maid Elizabeth, by the way, is a young woman of superior moral character and advanced EMT training who literally saved the life of a local man who had been hit by a car while crossing an intersection. The ambulance took half an hour to arrive. At the time, Maid Elizabeth was working in our local grocery store. The moment she heard about the accident, she dashed to her car, grabbed her medical kit (which she always keeps with her because she's prepared), and stabilized the man's bleeding and wounds until the ambulance arrived. But she can't spell as well as you can? Big whoop. Guess which skill I prefer?

As far as I can see, these attacks took place on a forum which has no other purpose than to let people complain. Specifically it’s a place for liberals to attack conservatives. They can do so with a viciousness and nastiness possible only when hiding behind the veil of anonymity.

The childish snarks against Maid Elizabeth’s less-than-perfect spelling – and by extension, the inferior academic credentials of all “homeskoolers” – is comical in the face of the semi-literate texting monkeys emerging from public schools. But of course it’s easier to snark about the sawdust in one family’s eye than to see the plank in their own.

"Oh for goodness' sakes," sneers a reader. "You put yourself out on the web advertising your lifestyle and you think you're supposed to be immune from criticism?"

Sorry folks, this isn't criticism. This is an attack. Big difference.

Yet I was heartened by the warm and comforting comments left on Enola's post. "Ignore all those tiny, small people who have so little self-worth or self-esteem that they have to attack others in order to justify themselves," advised one reader. "Deep down they probably are just jealous."

Very true. Soon, when I have a bit of free time, I'll go visit Enola. We will sit in her shabby-chic parlor and drink tea from recycled chipped cups and she will serve a home-baked treat and we will smile at the antics of her extraordinary children...and we'll know who has their priorities in the right place.

Keep your chin up, Enola. Those turds will never have the honor of drinking tea with you -- or knowing you as well as we we do.

Their loss.

UPDATE: Enola Gay has since removed the post from her forum so as not to give any more free press to the Forum of Hate.

33 comments:

  1. This is something that really ticks me off. I'm not sure whether it's the inhumane nature of the attacks or the fact that they tout "tolerance" as you say. As the liberal bumper sticker says "Mean People Suck"...too bad they think it's only true for others and not them. Hypocrits..oops, did I spell that wrong? lol

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  2. I posted a comment on Enola's blog about that outrageous attack. I've read her blog, and yours, for several months now, and I admire you both.

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  3. Patrice, Enola has arrived, although I suspect, unlike myself, she arrived a while back. The melding of the liberal/progressive culture and the internet has been one of the worst things to happen to civility since the advent of the phone. Now these haters can hide behind anonymity without fear of reprisal. Is it really free speech if you are not willing to claim responsibility for the words?

    I dropped a quick note of encouragement at her site.

    v/r

    Rob

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  4. Dear Patrice, the following is what my dad told me he thinks about when someone attacks him. A very wise man is he. "Don't forget the olive press. Satan's people put you in a olive press making things harder on you. It strengthens you. You build up stamina to not give in and to not give up on Jesus. Satan's people are actually helping you, but they don't know it. It helps purify you. Think of Job in the Bible."
    Also, since this is also on my note, I'll pass this along ...6-3-09 Holy Ghost spoke to Dad.
    "There will be many hurdles to go through, BUT, is do-able by going over one hurdle at a time"
    I truly hope I spelled everything correctly, I am a horrible speller. Dad will be 88 next week. Sharp as a tack, fit as a fiddle, works every day on his acreage.

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  5. I've read Enola's blog often, though I've never commented until now. I left her a quick note of encouragement for the slander and outright hate she and her family endured. It was beyond belief.

    The final straw for me was that her children were attacked in such an evil way. Not just, Maid Elizabeth, but to wish one of them such harm?! Even children of evil people are innocents, yet their "tolerance" knew no bounds in spouting such vitriol.

    Sadness...

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  6. "It is a small mind that can spell a word but one way."

    I've found liberals to be a very angry bunch. I have a number in my own family and they have a lot of advice for everyone else but can't seem to manage their own. I pity them.

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  7. I went to the website's information page and this is what I found. Kind of odd, don't you think, that they would choose spelling to attack?
    What is Free Jinger about?
    "Childbearing. Childrearing. Gender equality. Religion. Race. Regionalism. A woman's right to her body. Money/welfare. My god, everything my mama and Miss Manners ever said NOT to talk about among strangers!!"

    If you are not okay with these topics, just leave. They are the point of this board.

    If your viewpoint tends to the "traditional," you don't need to leave - in fact, you are welcome, because otherwise we're just a bunch of hens agreeing with each other - but you do need a nice thick hide and the intellectual ability to defend your thinking. "Because Mama and Jesus told me so" is not sufficient to protect you here.

    <>

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    Replies
    1. The owner of the website is Towal Moore. She talks a lot about accountability, but is very hesitant to let anyone know who she really is.ow you do.

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  8. i find BEKAH's comment (along with others) intersting. apparently bekah thinks that preppers are only stocking up on (hording) food and water and that we preppers can't defend ourselves. she states "This isn't the 1930's. People aren't going to ask. They are going to form gangs and they are going to take what they want by force. Are you prepared to let them?"
    this comment was taken from freejinger.org. see enola gay's blog for a link to the freejinger site and all of the comments (if you want to) related to the attack article.
    back to the quoted comment from bekah what she doesn't realize is preppers are doing more that stocking up on food and water for an EOTW situation. we can actually take care of and defend ourselves and our loved ones if necessary. as for PATRICE'S comment about Maid Elizabeth's EMT experience i would take anyones limited or many years of experience in any field over someone just talking about how someone can't spell or just talking about a problem and not doing anything about the problem. as the old saying goes (actions speak louder that words). my wife can't spell either but that doesn't bother me. my wife asks me how to spell some words on occasion. to me no matter if you have little or no experience at anything as long as you have an open mind and are willing to learn something new I will take anything you have to say (critical or otherwise) with an open mind myself and hopefully we will both learn something new from the exchange.
    the difference between liberals and conservatives is conservatives can take just about any and all comments, criticism's, and actions with an open mind whereas liberals think anything they say or do is the only way things should be done and everyone else is just wrong.
    just my 2 cents.

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  9. Oops, last part of quote didn't fit. Here is the rest of the website description.
    <>

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  10. Liberals, such a pathetic lot! No honor, no honesty, no morals, no love for their "enemies" and hypocrites ten times over. They are self-centered beyond belief. Anything and everything is okay with them, as long as it furthers their agenda and ideology. Truly the most spoiled of spoiled brats, whatever their age may be. Fact is, the more they attack good people like Enola Gay, the more they prove how wrong and hateful they all are. They control so much of our media and the entertainment industry and they make so much noise and trouble that they seem to be very numerous, but in reality they are few and far between. There are many more of us. We need to wake up and stop electing them to positions of control over us! This is gradually being done by angels like Patrice and Enola Gay. Give them your full support and pass along everything they say! They are our TRUE leaders!

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  11. Patrice,

    When I started reading your post, I thought, "I wonder if she's talking about that freejinger forum?" Sure enough, it was.

    I have looked at that site out of curiosity before and it is vile. They are known for their attacks on homeschooling, conservative families (like the Duggars, Maxwells, etc.) They remind one of a clique of "mean girls" that some may have experienced in high school, except these are supposed to be adults. Guess they never matured past high school. What a bunch of idiots, with no meaningful lives to live that they feel they must attack people they have never met and have never done them any harm.

    I'm sure they think they're making the world a better place with their filthiness. Tiny minds. Ignore them, Enola, who cares what they say (except themselves).

    Jane

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  12. It's a crazy world out there on the internet, and as mean as the attacks on Enola were, it gets worse, a lot worse. The internet is the wild west. There be dragons out there. So if you post on the net make sure you have your armor on. I'm sure Patrice has received comments that are vile, but have never been posted, if not count yourself blessed. Our family appreciates both Rural Revolution and Paratus Familia.

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  13. Why bring your blog down to their level by including a link to their filthy, angry, mean rhetoric? I know controversy is good for blog traffic, but some things are better left in the gutter where they belong.

    Now I have to go wash out my mind's eye with a strong astringent because of all the hatred I saw on that site.

    Anonymous Patriot
    USA

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  14. Agreed, A.P.,

    I WILL NOT POLLUTE MY MIND WITH THE UNNECESSARY READING OF THEIR GARBAGE.

    I don't need to go down to the sewer to know that it wreaks far beyond what I can imagine.

    Donna G.

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  15. I posted on Paratus familiar site, my family is so grateful for both ur ( Ahh can't spell and I am a master degree, credentialed teacher in a public school!) site and hers, you have both helped our family more than u guys know! These people who are mean obviously do not know what a secretary or assistant does for our president, duh they correct spelling errors, grammatical errors etc! I hope that her family let's this roll off their backs, there will alwas be people who must be mean to others because they need to feel better about them selves! As I told Enola " Jesus too was hated but he didn't stop what he knew was right in his heart, and he knew there were sinners out there who accepted and wanted his help just because People hated him! Just keep swimming ! ( from memo, my fourth graders loved to say that when they were stuck or lost)

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  16. i know of two "liberals" that i can honestly say make me disgusted. one is my sister in law...and although she is as liberal as the day is long, i still love her and can forgive her meaness. the other liberal is colmes, of the old hannity and colmes show on fox. colmes is one of the worse liberals and whiners and i find it physically and emotionally painful just to hear his voice and the stuff that he spews forth.

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  17. I wanted to set the record strat. It was a blessing that she was at work when the accident happened. But, the Abunlance was their in about 15 mins. I happen to be married to the EMT-A who was on that call. They cover a HUGE area, with a small crew. 15 mins is a good time. Sorry that they are being attacked, but when you put such passionate personal point of views out here, someone is bound to take offince, and put that out there. Take it wiht a grain of salt. Someone out there thinks all of us are "nuts" in one way or another!

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  18. Lady Lewis, I sent this to your friend and collegue and meant it for you as well...

    Madam, I am a self avowed Pagan, Libertarian and for 30 years come Samhain-all Hallow's Eve a police officer. I read your blogs and those of your friend Patrice Lewis with great interest. Your humor, faith, and plain ole' down to earth words comfort, inform, entertain and yes, as a pagan, confound me at times. I have been a peacekeeper most of my life and in the last few years found that an anonymity of the internet allows the sheeple to baa all they like knowing the rams cannot tell who's making the noise and the sheepdogs are too busy watching for the wild dogs. (I do not say Wolves as they have long gotten a bad deal over things they did not do). As an aside, I can't help but wonder... they cite spelling errors by a young lady and yet butcher our single unifying fact...the American language, when they have to get their text in with as few characters as possible... Be well and stand fast, you might be surprised who stands with you.

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  19. Just wanted to chime in and say congrats to Enola Gay. You know you have done your job when the liberals have nothing better to do than pick on the spelling of a person. I happen to think Enola's children look like a great bunch of children!

    I would have posted over there but something is preventing me from doing so. Hope she reads this here.

    Ouida Gabriel

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  20. Haters will hate no matter what. That's what they live for!

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  21. Would you pass this along to your friend?
    The person that attacks (tears you down) pays you the highest compliment. They tear you down because they know you are better than they are. They are attempting to bring you down to their level. Chin up, keep the faith, God bless
    Turds is an apt description of them one and all.
    Lloyd

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  22. Before I start, I'd just like to say that I am also a Christian, so don't go thinking I'm full of hate or trying to attack you because of your beliefs, or a lesbian, or anything else. I've also gotten top GPAs for high school and undergrad at a top university and am nearly finished my masters now. Those people are NOT hate-mongering, they're presenting different opinions, and rarely, if ever, do any of those people launch anything that could remotely be called an attack (check the dictionary, it's definitely criticism). Read the site before judging, Jesus teaches us not to judge, and all of you are judging just as much as they are. They voiced a fair concern about how someone who couldn't be bothered to learn to spell correctly learning medicine properly. If you don't learn one thing properly, why should you learn another properly? And they were concerned for Enola's mental health, as it does sound like OCD and if she herself is feeling fatigued, she should really look into it. Oh, and I was never a "mean girl" at school either, I got bullied and beat up and learned to "turn the other cheek" as Jesus also teaches us. Not everyone voices a different opinion or concern in a snarky way because they secretly think you're right - that's just illogical. They think they're right and so do you. Who's to say which is more arrogant or incorrect?

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  23. I was absolutely appalled at that website and it appears that Enola Gay's is not the only blog being attacked so viciously. I don't think these people are jealous and they are not suffering from low self-esteem, they are suffering from Godless hearts. Good comes from God. Without God, there is only evil and these people are mouthing nothing but evil. We have to remember that we can't expect Godless people to act toward others as if they have a love or understanding that can only come from God. All of us must remember that our identity and our "atta boys" come from the Lord and what these small minded, evil speaking people think isn't worth a hill of beans. :-)

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  24. I work with Doctors that have the WORST spelling of anyone I've ever seen!!!! A few of them even joke their brains are too full of medical information to worry about spelling/writing/ or even their schedules ('that's what they have secretaries for' - they tell me every time they mess something up)

    @Anonymous@11:08 - lots of smart people have horrible spelling and even more don't care about it when they're posting online.
    Sharing online (especially in a personal blog) should be FUN! If you don't like it, don't read it. Why bring any amount of negativity into the mix? It ends up sounding snarky/spitefull whether you intend it or not.

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  25. @Anon 11:08 am

    If you can't tell the difference between hate-mongering and differing opinions, or don't know an attack when you see it, you need to go back to school and take a course on how to biblically treat your fellow man.

    Jesus doesn't give a rat's patootie how well anyone can spell. Only that you love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor (Enola Gay, et al) as yourself. Oh, and your "concern" for her mental health...ridiculous.

    A 5 year old could see right through your pathetic defense of the ilk at freejinger. Provided that 5 year old is homeschooled, of course.

    Have a nice life.

    Jane

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  26. Anon 11:08, your "credentials" are a joke. You think you're better than anybody here - that makes you an elitist, plain and simple. Your education comes from liberal institutions where small-mindedness is the norm. That must make you feel so smug, knowing you're educated by idiots and have no ability to think for yourself. Instead, you repeat what others have taught you, you repeat a warped mantra that is destroying civility.

    You think those jokers on that site were not hate-mongers? Get a grip on reality for just a moment, if you can. They called Enola Gay "crazy" and posted that she suffered from "a mental illness" and they hoped one of her children "would get sick and die." That's not hatred in your world? Heaven help us all when that type of vitriol is excused as a different opinion. You are on the wrong side of this and you need to wake up before YOU become the target of their "different opinions."

    BTW, with all your education, I'm sure you're aware that there is no true anonimoty online. LEOs can find you and your pals if anything should happen to those you've personally attacked. It wasn't that long ago that a group of young toughs got into deep trouble for harassing a girl online to where she committed suicide. If ANYTHING adverse happens to Maid Elizabeth or Enola Gay or her children or Patrice, you can be sure I've saved your comments here and from that other site you like so much - as evidence against all of you.

    Have a great day!

    -AP

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  27. Posts like this genuinely dumbfound me Patrice. The outpouring of childish and unkind responses that it draws out of your own readers seems to completely nullify any justification or support you intended to offer Ms. Gay. I'm saddened and disappointed when I see posts like this on your blog.

    I'm not sure why you feel it necessary to draw our attention to something hurtful to a friend of yours when you are so appalled by it yourself. This type of fishing for support from internet folks who really don't know you or Enola's family...what does it accomplish except to draw more people into passive aggressive mudslinging?

    This is the exact reason I had to remove myself from Facebook. I found myself pitting people against each other when I wanted to defend someone. When, really, none of it was my business nor the business of all the people I dragged into it and it wasn't helping anyone. Neither you, nor Enola, nor her Elizabeth need the defense of the commenters here or on her site.

    You all find your self worth and value in your Savior. Anyone else, even the well meaning commenters here are just making noise. Their words don't bring healing to you and they certainly don't change any of your opposer's minds. Settle it in your hearts with Jesus. Pray over your dear friends and remind them of where their value comes from in a face to face manner and move forward.

    Please don't give a larger arena to something you find so disgusting by drawing more people to it. It can become addicting to try to defend your character or those you love to a world of anonymous interneteers who's opinions just don't matter. Just say "no!" Please! For the sake of your readers. Don't encourage people to comment to stuff like this!

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  28. I think Anon 8:29 pm is right. Commenting and trading insults with the fj people only adds fuel to their fire and gives them more publicity. Brings out the worst in people of God. I stand behind everything I said, but from now on, I will keep my comments to myself concerning them and their hatred.

    The Duggars and Maxwells and others they pick on have already figured this out. They are much more grace-filled than I am and know how to turn the other cheek. It's good to defend your friends, but I think it would help more to pray for them and encourage them. Ignore the "haters" and block their comments, isolate them to their own forum and let the Lord handle it.

    One more thing, I hope you're reading fj people, you are doing the same thing that those from Westboro Baptist Church do. Think about it, please. You are in the same league with them, just different teams.

    Jane

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  29. I am firmly with you and Enola, but I do have a few thoughts on the the whole situation.
    The whole question comes down to:

    (1) "What if the Liberals ans scoffers are right and you and I are wrong?"
    (A) Nothing bad will come of it.

    (2) "What if you and I are right and the Liberals ans scoffers are wrong?"
    (A) They will probably be dead and you and I will continue life and help to rebuild our country,
    hopefully learning from the mistakes we are living through.

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  30. Patrice,
    both of you provide a great service to all of us by allowing us into your life's.

    And it's a shame that those people with have to suffer harshly if a collapse does happen because they have no other skills than spelling and snarking.

    God Bless you all.

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  31. I get a "page not available" message when I try to visit the original post on PF. But I'd like to point out that I'll be letting the EMTs into my compound when the SHTF, and I'll be doing it without a spelling test. Anyone without a skill of use to the rest of the group will be sent on down the road, at the point of a gun, if necessary. Liberals suck, and I have taken to removing them from my life, largely because they have no manners, no character, and few skills of any use when the power is out.

    Liberal "criticism" is infamous for resorting to personal attack as a distraction from their lack of logic. My opinion is of no more import than any liberal's, but I believe Enola is doing a fantastic thing, raising off-grid kids.

    Xa Lynn

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  32. I have read your blog and Paratus family for some time now. Maid Elizabeth is an angel. She does a ton of good. I love both blogs and learn much from y'all.
    Melissa

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