You've heard, of course, of Ms Lynne Gobbels, who got fired because she had a pro-Kerry bumper sticker on her car and refused to follow her boss's order to remove it? No? Go to: http://www.americablog.org/. Her story has been dissiminated all over the blogosphere, provoking the usual reactions: «I thought the US was a democracy?», «She should sue the bastards», etc... A fund has been set up to help her out, until she can get another job or collect unemployment.
There are also other types of reaction, for example: «Better she be fired then [sic] thousands of us lose our jobs under a John Kerry failed economy», or «Sporting a Kerry sticker not only shows poor judgement, but substandard intelligence - both valid reasons for dismissal», «Just from looking at her, I'd fire her too», etc.
I have to marvel at how people can rejoice at the misfortune of a complete stranger and post cruel comments about her on the web for the whole world to see. Now if the victim were a public figure, let's say Julia Roberts or Donald Trump, and I were jealous of her looks or his fortune, I could very well imagine myself feeling a perverse happiness to see them suffer. But someone I don't know, whom I've never met and probably never will, who hasn't done anything to me? I don't think I could go through the trouble of actively typing and posting some vicious insults at her, thus demonstrating my foul character. That's a lot of energy expanded just to be nasty, don't you think?
Today's resolution: Explain the concept of karma to as many people as possible.
There are also other types of reaction, for example: «Better she be fired then [sic] thousands of us lose our jobs under a John Kerry failed economy», or «Sporting a Kerry sticker not only shows poor judgement, but substandard intelligence - both valid reasons for dismissal», «Just from looking at her, I'd fire her too», etc.
I have to marvel at how people can rejoice at the misfortune of a complete stranger and post cruel comments about her on the web for the whole world to see. Now if the victim were a public figure, let's say Julia Roberts or Donald Trump, and I were jealous of her looks or his fortune, I could very well imagine myself feeling a perverse happiness to see them suffer. But someone I don't know, whom I've never met and probably never will, who hasn't done anything to me? I don't think I could go through the trouble of actively typing and posting some vicious insults at her, thus demonstrating my foul character. That's a lot of energy expanded just to be nasty, don't you think?
Today's resolution: Explain the concept of karma to as many people as possible.
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