Should I have taken the rude comment more seriously or am I really a Commie in a tie
Wednesday, while perusing Facebook, I checked out the memory section. That’s where they show you what you were posting on that date going back to the beginning of time. I saw a photo of my youngest daughter and myself at her college graduation. It’s a nice picture of me in a sport coat and tie, while she’s wearing her grad gown. I checked out the comments and found only one:
“A commie in a tie.”
It took me a few minutes but then I came up with the reason for this. One of my readers took offense to an article that I wrote about Donald Trump. It was far from the first and far from the last time that someone was pissed off about something I had written about the twice-impeached and now criminally indicted former president. The comment wasn’t a big deal, at least not to me. My feelings have always been if someone takes the time to read something I write, they’re entitled to leave me their opinion, good or bad. I’m somewhat thick-skinned about this. I can handle criticism. But, this was different. This person not only left something in the comment section of the article, but he also found my Facebook page to leave me the above note.
The reactions to this varied. My friends and fellow writers felt this guy went too far by invading this space. Some felt I should block him, while others said I should immediately report him to the Facebook police. I went in the other direction. I laughed it off as a one-time thing and did nothing. It turned out I was right but, it’s now five years later and revisiting this has changed my thoughts my thoughts. If this happened today, would I make the same decision as I did in 2018? The answer is a definite NO!
When this occurred, I didn't even bother to check out my stalker/commenter’s Facebook page. If I did, I would have noticed that all his posts were either about Trump or other Maga-type politicians. There was nothing personal at all. A little bit scary.
I also should have realized that if he could find my Facebook page, he could have easily figured out who my children are, as well as friends and other loved ones. From there, it’s a small step to finding out a home or work address. A bit more scary, right? Potentially, a very dangerous situation. I may be overstating this and I’m definitely overthinking this, but in 2023, better safe than sorry.
One of my favorite sayings about commenters goes like this: “What do you call someone who leaves a nasty comment about your writing?” “A READER!” I still feel this way but now I’ll be more aware. And I still welcome comments on anything I write…good or bad. But, I’ll be checking you out, SO BEWARE! It only took ten years to figure this out.
Now about that commie in a tie thing…
The increasing lack of privacy coupled with the availability of guns makes it appropriate to track and report trolls who cross the lines.
Oh yes my security on social media is as high as it goes and I am definitely not as visible as you are as a writer. There are so many trolls out there and they are definitely suspect at times. Family is definitely off limits. I don't believe you can be too careful as these trolls are quite professional at what they do.