March 7, 2012

Yesterday our small town voted on several important issues, at least to those of us living here they were important.  And it's a little disturbing how angry people become when things don't go their way.  I actually received an anonymous letter because I dared to express my opinion on a social network.  It was nasty, which is probably why it was anonymous.  It was also full of incorrect statements, again, anonimity is always convenitent when your facts are wrong.  In the letter it was suggested I might want to seek further education since my math was off (it wasn't).  The writer also made disparaging comments about a local business that had nothing to do with me, but demonstrated his thinking on one or two other issues.  He implied I live in a "big house" (I don't) and because I would suspect his own education could handle an upgrade he made it easy to figure out what neighborhood he lives in and what his occupation might be.  Why am I bothering to comment on something an ignorant coward would write to me?  Because it is troubling that our democratic process is suffering attacks that reach all the way into small-town america.  How, you may ask, is this an attack on that process?  Through intimidation.  It felt creepy to know that someone is stalking my facebook account, taking the trouble to copy my tax records, write me a letter on them, and drop them off at my neighbors mailbox (since I get my mail at the post office.)  Some people would no longer voice their opinion publically.  It just made me mad.