Internet rules: it's okay to be a bully.

The internet, specifically social media, never ceases to amaze me.

I was traipsing around the Harvard uber-nerd's billion dollar cash cow last night and came across a thread started by one of the local TV stations last night on a hot button issue in Oklahoma.  

I addressed this hot button issue a couple of blogs back regarding a certain green leafy substance and it's legality, or the desire for it to be made legal in this state.  I have modified my stance because there is now a petition circulating that is trying to legalize it for it's medicinal, not recreational use and I am in favor of that. 

That said, during the discussion I decided, for the most part, to neuter myself and state how I anticipated the comments to go by saying that the people who were going to be agreeable to it would be considered "gold" and those who opposed it would be subject to the internet bullying tactic of shame and ridicule and, not surprisingly, it came in droves.

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Then something did surprise me.  Someone replied to my comment, justifying shame and ridicule of anyone who opposed the legalization as...in his point of view...those who opposed it were "misinformed, uneducated, and ignorant".  

He further justified his position by saying that his opinion was based upon "compassion and reason, rather than fear, speculation and disproved propaganda".  Which apparently made it okay.  What it really said was that he enjoyed degrading people who could be potential signatures that would place the measure on the ballot, not to mention potential voters who would approve or disapprove it on election day.  Further I called him out as someone who was blatantly pandering to the majority and that stopped him in his tracks.

In all my years of sparring on the internet, which stretches well beyond the 10-years that social media has been mainstream I have never heard bullying tactics justified using compassion as it's primary basis, much less endorsing bullying tactics to force the idea on the undecided voter.  In short the salesmen (and women) who were piling on people who objected to the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes did a piss poor job of selling it.

There are several new toys that Okies do not need right now, and it's people who run on emotion...or the inflammation of others emotions, when they want to get a potentially beneficial thing passed in this state.

Another two-blog day, folks.  Mark you calendars.