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