To have the words "vehement" and "antiCatholic" tossed at me - when I
have been anti any type of people, any person? When?
have tried to affirm everyone and find worth in all people. I have
tried, and sometimes failed, but I have tried to post as gently towards
people as I could and spoken directly on other things..
If I failed to do that, then I have sinned, but the accusation that I am
anti anybody goes to the core of who I am. I don't give a damn about
the fact the people may disagree with me but to attack me at my core
essence as a person: when I have been anti anybody?
The "if you don't agree with me, you are the enemy" talk that is going
around a great deal these days is incredibly destructive.
That no one jumped up and said, "hey, Vince is not anti-anyone" between
the time that the post was made and the time that I read it, that says
something to me about where I fit into this community. Either I am not
worth speaking up for because you as a group perceive me as being
anti-people, or because no one values me enough to say a word on my
behalf, or because you think that I am so tough that I can laugh this
stuff off. As for the last. I hurt, too, I bleed as easily as any other
wounded person. And as for the others, that confirms this is not a
community for me.
And that some people think I am upset because of a opinion difference
rather than the personal attack, well, what can I say. Have it how you
see it; I know how it hit me like a rock in my stomach.
As far as my not being a part of the JMDL - I will deeply miss a lot of
it. What Les has accomplished is, and it is Les who I am feeling badly
about, because he did not create the JMDL for people to hurt one
another, but what Les has accomplished is a rare gift in the world. I
have communicated privately to Les and tried to say what I need to say
to that good man.
You all won't miss me. A month from now I'll be a faded memory, in six
months a trivia question/answer if anyone remembers me at all. Life
will go on for us all, and this JMDL will do just fine without me.
Obviously.
Next time someone throws the word "anti" at someone in here, the next
time someone goes in rhetorical overkill and plunges a dagger into the
heart of another, will anyone care? I hope the next person so assaulted
fares better than me, and finds someone to intercede on their behalf.
for the last time:
(the Rev) Vince
