The Exploding Gopher

This evening, if you caught the Exploding Gopher, you caught a knee-jerk reaction regarding a post I read on a fellow blogger's blog. You know me, the eternal pessimist and cynic--I always assume the worst of intentions and attack people accordingly. This blog has caused a lot of heated discussion during the past two-ish years, and I've seen my fair share of inappropriate comments. I fear I was unfair to this man in jumping to conclusions, and I therefore humbly apologize for the personal and likely offensive things I said about this person. To do so demeans me and compromises my position to criticize another. I understand that and am truly sorry for those comments. Sticks and stones may break bones, but I've been on the receiving ends of harsh words as well--they can hurt.

Having said that, the entire experience reminded me why, despite the breaks I've taken and the difficulty of maintaining a blog, I continue to do what I do. Initially, I just posted a comment to his blog outlining my concerns. I then republished his post and my response here (with some added choice words).

Very soon, my fellow blogger not only took down his post, but also issued me a personal apology for what he said that had offended me. It takes a strong person to stand up for what he believes; it takes an even stronger person to know when he was unfair and right the wrong. For this, sir, I thank you.

This story is proof that, in whatever small ways, you can make a difference. If you read something you disagree with, you can have a productive discussion and get someone to understand your point of view.

Having said that, I understand that the ends don't necessarily justify the means (that is, I'm sorry for being a jackass).