You're Always Going to be Wrong - an Advice Column

One day this blog is going to be gone (maybe very very soon if things work out the way I want them to) and you're going to have move on to another source of entertainment.  Because I care so much, I need to share some things with you about your commenting on blog posts.

I think the golden rule about posting a comment on a blog is:  No matter what you write, you're wrong.  Once you've engaged a blogger on his turf, you're pretty much proving that you don't know enough about the world not to pick a fight inside the enemy's headquarters... while in handcuffs. You can't "win" and if your aim is to "win" in the first place, you're a loser.  It's the internet. If you don't like what you're reading, stop.  There are plenty of other sources of opinion out there that you can agree with.  There is zero need to torture yourself by reading stuff you disagree with to a point of commenting on it.

Have you ever noticed that Jaime and I never comment on each others' blog?  I have commented on his a couple of times and they were either funny or simple clarifications.  We both know that engaging the other on their turf makes you wrong from the first word you write to the last.   And speaking of Jaime - he doesn't even put up with your bullshit.  You can't post a comment on his blog without his approval.  He does many of you a favor by doing that.  I just let you look stupid at your own risk.

Recently I posted a piece about teachers. It is quite possibly the most commented post in the short, miserably pathetic life of this blog.  Much of the comments are garbage aimed at attacking me instead of the premise.   What makes it worse is that I put a warning at the top of the post not to read it if you are sensitive to people criticising teachers.  Did you heed that warning? Not a single one of you did.  Even a family member of mine who is a teacher passed the warning right by and posted a nasty comment... which was nice since my family generally dislikes each other and never speak.

The lesson here is simple - if the author warns you that you won't like it, don't read it.  Save yourself the trouble.  Life is way too short to sit around reading stuff that makes you angry.  Be happy that someone gave you warning for once.

The teacher post did garner a few good commentors who spent a lot of time arguing their points against my points.  "Tim" was one of these people and he did a good job staying on topic and even encouraging me to look into some of his claims.  The rest of you thought that the best way to fight my argument was to fight me.  What you really did was validate my claims and show a myriad of people - who read the blog and never post comments - that not only was I right about teachers, but I was right about the intolerance of criticism aimed at them.  The emails came pouring in after most of you acted as I thought you would - like guilty people.

The bulk of the emails said something close to "I've always thought the way you do, but have been scared to say anything.  You know who vicious people can get when you prove them wrong and your post proved it."  Others simply told me that they disagreed initially with my assessment of people's behavior in relation to the criticism of teachers, but found that I was right after the comments started coming in.  Funny how that works. 

On the email topic... People who want to disagree with me, but see the fallacy in posting an argument under an assumed, or anonymous, name tend to email me directly.  They want the credibility of their identity, but they don't want it made public for various reasons, and I'm okay with that.  It's funny how these people can argue against my points via email and they never once attack me personally.  It seems that serious people with serious thoughts are more inclined to have a discussion with me rather than sling insults at me anonymously.  They realize that I've won the second I've pushed them to the point that they attack me and not my argument. 

(And don't confuse rules governing your attacks on me for the rules governing my attacks on you.  If you say something stupid, I'm going to let you know about it - that's my job as the proprietor of this crappy joint.  You have the choice not to make yourself available to my critical eye - I suggest you do so.)

Those of you who think you're "getting David K good" by hurling anonymous insults at me via the comments section on the blog don't realize that anonymity reduces the impact of those insults.  If you want something to mean nothing, refuse to put your name behind it.  Nobody thinks you've "shown David K" when you do it anonymously. Their first thought is "they're real brave making claims anonymously, what an asshole."  The same goes for people saying nice things about me anonymously - it means nothing.

The lesson here is that anonymous comments don't carry weight.  Why waste your time?  If you're going to go after a guy who has the guts to use his real name, you're at a disadvantage if you don't do the same.

Then there are those of you who don't realize it, but make an argument that any stance on an issue can be "right" as long as you are coming from the right situation.  Your reasoning of circumstance makes actions like theft, rape and murder all acceptable as long as "your reality" allows for it.  For example, you all think that had I not gone to work for my parents, my outlook on welfare (and other things) would be different.  As if my moral compass would be moved 180 degrees if my parents weren't able to hire me to work for them.  Somehow you think I'd be okay with receiving a handout if my situation were different.  And not only would my thoughts on welfare be personally different if my situation was different, they'd be morally correct!  With that reasoning you could make any behavior morally correct and socially acceptable and that includes things like incest, child pornography and spousal abuse.  Do you see where you're wrong on that?  My personal situation doesn't change my view of what's right or wrong and it shouldn't be the crux of your argument as to why your moral compass is broken and doesn't align with mine.  Wrong is wrong - you can't get around it with a thousand excuses.

The lesson there is that my circumstance in life is not a good argument against my argument.  If that were the case, everybody would be right and nobody would be wrong.

I guess the final piece of advice is about not spitting on the cook at the kitchen where you get your free meals.  I don't charge for this, you're not required to read it and the world would keep spinning if you or I disappeared tomorrow.  Dropping by here and antagonizing somebody who entertains you for free makes you look like an idiot and makes people wonder why you don't have something better to do. 

I really don't mind all that much that you spend your precious time here on earth dying to tell me I'm stupid all the time.  I think it's neat you care so much.  It makes me much more important than I ever needed to be and it doesn't take up nearly as much of my time as it does yours.  Besides, you look silly to others out there how read this blog.  Maybe that's why you guys refuse to use your real name, you're afraid people will make fun of you.

When this blog goes away, it won't bother me a bit.  However, you're going to move on and I hope you take my advice and use it.  I don't want my former readers going around making my old blog look bad. And God knows you need to put your best foot forward with the next blogger you become obsessed with.

Comments

[Jorge]

well whatever the pending event that closes this blog, hope the best for you and your family. Good luck.

[susie]

All the very best. Thamks for your articles (opinion)in this blog. lol

[Lupe]

Thank you for allowing us to vent. Whether we are Democrats or Republicans or Independents at least we got to say what ever we wanted to. Pure and simple the blog will be missed. But, if you have to close it, so be it. Good luck to you and your little family.

[the troof]

http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/mediabuzz/2011/04/newspaper-tree-to-be-relaunched-soon.html

[RC]

This posting should be retitled as "I'm rubber you're glue"

But regardless, hope things work out for you. Would be nice to see Newspaper tree return, if that is fact what this is in regards to.

[chucky]

Your too arrogant to close the blog. You like talking shit to everyone. It makes your day.

[david k]

Chucky,

Arrogant people wouldn't take the time to blog. You really don't know the meaning of that word, do you?

Closer to reality would be "you like being an asshole too much to shut down the blog."

Either way your wrong and when the day comes it will pass us all like it was nothing.

As far as newspaper tree - I have nothing to do with that and they will not be featuring anything even close to the crap I produce. I wish them luck and I'm happy for sito.

[Sara]

David,
I have no problem with you voicing your opinions. I actually agree with a lot of it. I don’t think there should be tenure (and there is in EPISD, regardless of Texas being a right to work state). I do think that you should be judged as a teacher by your results on state tests. Myself and many of my colleagues actually did come from the business world so we are not “completely clueless as to how a competitive market works. “ I would appreciate the education system being more like the business world. I would like my amazing state test results to count more than another ‘less-useful’ teacher’s 20 years on the job.

What I do have a problem with is a general lack of respect for education. The fact that you made a game of collecting referrals only demonstrates the bigger issue. If your parents thought you were plenty smart enough for college and had nothing left to learn, that’s fine. That’s their prerogative. My concern is for the other students in the class who were held hostage by your antics. My only reason in bringing up your daughter was to point out that she may one day be stuck in a class with a student like you. Her and every other student in that class will lose out on time and attention that teacher is spending on controlling that student instead of educating them. I imagine you and your mother won’t find it as funny if you end up on the other side.

[eileenk]

Each and every time David acted up in class and I got a call I asked the teacher why he wasn't sent to the Principal for discipline. Many, many times I was told "I can't do that - the principal gets mad at me or I can only do it so much and then I get in trouble or they measure my performance on how many times I send kids to the office". I was supportive of the teachers and principals when they reported David's behavior to me and I did try to solve the problem of removing him from class so he would not disturb others. I even advocated having him suspended - but to no avail. I cannot force a teacher or administrator to do their job. I offered solutions - they found a reason not to accept those solutions. Since the beginning of time there has always been that "pain in the ass" kid in a class room or teaching environment. But - when I was in school not a teacher or principal hesitated to take disciplinary action. That goes back to a school board and a superintendent that has balls and uses them. But we haven't seen any of that since the 1980's and that's when you can track the beginning of the horrible performance of our schools, kids, parents, elected school boards, and overpaid superintendents.

[district 1 voter]

when i went to school my defensive line coach was the assistant principle and when you were sent to his office you received an ass wooping. i saw 300 pound 6'5" line man with tears coming down their faces when they came out. then, somewhere it became illegal for this to happen. probably because of lawyers im sure. when i went home and my mom had found out my dad addded to the ass wooping i received again. now with my kids, if the principle is not going to do it, then i am and if my kid calls social services so be it. if that doesnt work then there is always roswell military. the teachers are handcuffed these days due to lawsuits. maybe that is what you should have done with david, mrs. k. sent him to roswell. i know many spoiled brat mexicans that went there and it straightened them out.