Threatening Letter to a Fellow Blogger - Unacceptable!

Pa-Oh-tie...I think I'm just going to have to give you a cold shower, to chill you out and take your mind off of me...I wear sweatpants to bed and have red hair...not blonde, and I am so not exotic! But you are very cute.
Sharon...in regard to my ballroom dancing skills - null and void - although I did take ballet for nine years and jazz for five - loved jazz, even went from school to school performing, had a lot of fun! If I told any of my friends this here in Italy, they would laugh in my face. If I told my friends from high school that the members of the CI CIRCLE call me a cheerleader and peppy, they would laugh in my face, I was an athlete - so anti-cheerleaders. It's unbelievable how many people we can be in one lifetime. Sharon, Marlee Matlin on Dancing with the Stars would be an incredible event - live for you and your amazingly informative blog!

And now on to very serious things...
If you have not read Paula's blog today, please go and read it. Note this:

My comments elicited some support but also many angry blog posts and comments at HearingExchange and elsewhere online. I even received a threatening email from one person who warned me to stay away from the upcoming AG Bell convention. Measures are being taken against that person as the email has been reported to the appropriate authorities.

*steaming*

The idea that a person threatened a woman like Paula who has constructed a lifestyle based on trying to make the world a better place by providing valuable resources to people of all ages and degrees of deafness makes me step back and evaluate whether blogging and sharing ideas is really such a good idea. A blog is a safe haven to express one's opinions, random thoughts and personal thoughts that invites people to reflect and share their own feelings on issues addressed. Blogs give outsiders a glimpse of the blogger's soul and that concession of privacy must be respected. Of course people don't always agree with what is said, that is obvious, especially on deafread.com, but respect for such opinions must reign. God, to threaten Paula because she is a strong woman with ideals and conviction is the weakest, most pathetic maneuver by a sick person I have read about since I started blogging. I hope that at least for this blog, people reading THIS will go to Paula's blog and leave an encouraging comment, can you even imagine what she must be going through after such a violation?
In life we tend to focus on negative things instead of the positive. I always get on my mom's case for having washed my mouth out with soap (Irish Spring wintergreen - blah) because I said the word "shit." (as you can see, the soap treatment had no effect on my trashmouth) My mom always rebuts with, "You always remember the negative and never talk about all the positive things I've done for you as your mother!" Negativity hurts more than positive feedback heals. However, I hope in this case all of the wonderful commenters that comment here will take the time to help her heal.
Paula,
I am sending you a huge hug from the front of my computer. When you really care a lot about a person, in Italian you say "Ti Voglio Bene." Well, ti voglio tanto bene. Bacione,
Jodi

And then Karen Putz came along and left her comment (rotfl):
Karen said...
Mikey (McConnell) wrote: "That person is a PUTZ!

I have a rule for cyberbullies. No tolerance."

Hey, hey, HEY! Watch your language. I'm a Putz and proud of it. :)


Paula, babe, need a milkshake??

Here's a hug instead.

After last week's round of nasty emails and dumb comments, I've learned to dismiss the toxic people outta my life. There's enough nice people to focus on instead.
February 6, 2008 3:15 PM

NEW WEBSITE FOR DEAF TWEENS - GO PAULA ROSENTHAL!

Well, I've got my pjs on and I was just about to head for bed, when I checked CI CIRCLE and found Paula's message:
Hi everyone,

It is my great pleasure to announce that the HearingExchange Kids
site is now live! I hope you'll take a look at the site I've created
for elementary and middle school aged kids with hearing loss. So many
of our kids are mainstreamed and don't know anyone else with a
hearing loss so now is their chance! :)Here's the link:
http://www.hearingexchangekids.com.

The site has a Forums area for the kids to talk to one another on the
message boards. It is password protected and registration is
required. For registration, the kids create a username and need to
enter their email address. Their email addresses will be kept
strictly private. Please encourage your children to use only a screen
name online and not their real names. I will be moderating the boards
to reinforce this.

I have posted a series of links within categories on the right
sidebar that will appeal to the kids. These include other blogs and
websites, captioned videos, games related to hearing loss,
information, conventions kids can attend to meet others, and a lot
more.

There's also a Kids Speak section where I will publish the kids'
short stories and poems. So, if you have a budding writer or poet, be
sure to tell them about it!

The kids can also participate by submitting links to their favorite
kids sites to the Links area.

I'd love for parents to be guest bloggers. If you have a funny story
that you and your child want to share, please email it to me. You can
also participate by sending me links to things you think will be
beneficial to the kids. The Links area is for general kid related
sites, but the sidebar categories and links will be geared
specifically for kids with hearing loss.

Please take a few minutes to look over HearingExchange Kids and let
me know what you think. Help spread the word by emailing this to
whomever you think would be interested so our kids can meet online,
develop friendships and help their peers!

Thank you,


Paula Rosenthal (bilateral Freedoms) Mom to Julie, age 12 (bilateral
Freedoms and 2 sons with normal hearing, ages 10 and 4

Paula also writes on the tween site, itself:
Welcome to HearingExchange Kids, “the” place for kids with hearing loss online! If you’re a kid in elementary or middle school and you’re deaf or hard of hearing, HearingExchange Kids is where you can hang out, meet other kids, play games, watch videos, get your poems and stories published and so much more.

I’m Paula and I wear two cochlear implant processors. I wore hearing aids growing up and went to public school. I was the only student in my grade with a hearing loss and I only knew of one other student in the entire school district who was like me. I had lots of friends but every now and then it would’ve been nice to talk with other kids who were deaf or hard of hearing. My friends with normal hearing just didn’t “get it” when I was frustrated in the cafeteria or missed the jokes while everyone laughed. I’ve created HearingExchange Kids to be a place for you to meet and talk with other kids who “get it.”
IS THIS WOMAN/MOM UNBELIEVABLE OR WHAT? YOU MUST CHECK OUT THE SITE, IT LOOKS AMAZING - GOTTA LOVE ROCKIN' HOT PINK! SHE HAS INCLUDED A LOT OF INTERESTING LINKS LIKE THE CI CIRCLE CAFE PRESS TEES, TOTES AND SWEATS WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANT RELATED DESIGNS - ALL PROCEEDS GO TO VARIOUS CHARITIES. GO! GO! GO! SIGN UP YOUR KIDS!!!