For the first time since I've been doing this I've deleted one of my own posts, the one on Helen Thomas. The tone I had intended was one of sadness at the way a great career ended; I singularly failed to achieve that. The comments show that it came across as ageist (and at my age I've sometimes been the victim myself) and rather arrogant. (At least one reader took my meaning, but clearly most did not.) On rereading it, I feel I failed to convey the message I was looking for, and conveyed one I never intended instead. One commentator suggested I would try to blame the painkillers. They may have played some part in poor judgment on my part, but I'm responsible for my judgments, and I still wrote it wrong, and posted it, and I regret that. I apologize to offended readers and to Ms. Thomas.
Blogging is, by definition, personal and subjective, and I'm not likely to take down posts because people disagree with me: I'm here to express my opinion. You don't have to read the blog. But on the other hand, when I find on rereading that I disagree with myself, or at least my tone, I'll do the right thing.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
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6 comments:
Thank you for removing it and apologizing. Shortcomings should never be chalked up to age, race or gender.
I had read it and I thought it was fine except that you didn't mention anything about freedom of expression (which doesn't work in every field in America).
Nor was that my intended message, which is why I took it down. It came out wrong.
The world is a subjective place, my friend. We are all just another opinion in the opiniondom... through it's as Bob Dylan says: "steal a little and they'll throw you in jail, steal a lot and they'll make you King."
I do think that everyone reaches a point where they should know their own limitations. But I know people in their 90s doing wonderful work.In any event,Helen Thomas deserved to end her career showered with accolades, not hooted off the stage. That's part of what I was trying to convey, and didn't.
For what it's worth I didn't think that there was anything wrong with it at all.
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