Bitter ‘Green Onions’

I have a fan — fellow Okie blogger Jim Martin, publisher of Fried Green Onions and a number of other blogs. He apparently reads this blog often and he likes to leave me “nice” comments. He even likes to expound on his comments here with commentary on his own blog about things I have written here. Once you get past the poor grammar, his remarks both here and there are always entertaining, highlighted by fallacious and unreasoning commentary punctuated with acrid ad hominem personal attacks.

Yesterday, I published a post here entitled “Delusional Reality,” in which I was commenting on Sarah Palin’s intentional, delusional or intentionally delusional revisionism in her attempts to whitewash the historical record of the waning weeks of the presidential campaign. Mr. Martin apparently took offense to the post and responded on his own blog:

“Delusional reality: Brad Neese: Living Large and Woman-phobic”

Did you hate yo mama Brad baby or is it just that Sarah is common folk that irritates you blubber mouth? Nothing like an obese woman hater who was rejected by the chicks due to caloric intake to spread a little feminine frothing.

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In one short paragraph, this brilliant writer has packed in so much bitterness, vitriole, absurdity and ignorance that it’s hard to know where to begin, but I’ll take a stab at it.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room, so to speak. Mr. Martin ridicules my physical size, something he has done repeatedly in the comments here and on his own blog. Somehow, apparently in Jim’s world, my weight disqualifies me from expressing my opinion — on my own blog even. And rather than discussing the merits of criticism of my position through the use of sound logic and well thought out reasoning, he resorts to hateful attacks about my person as his primary indictment of my writing.

Now, I’m not unaccustomed to such personal insults. I’ve faced them since grade school. However, I typically (although perhaps unwisely) expect more from an adult — especially an adult who’s roughly twice my age, “Grandfather of 9… Father of 4… Husband of 1… [and] Child of God the Creator … Jesus Christ”. Even more so, I would expect better from someone who, based on photos from his own website, doesn’t appear to be the perfect model of physical fitness.

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Secondly, to answer the first part of his question, “Did you hate yo mama Brad baby…?” The answer is unequivocally “NO!” I love my mother. I have always loved my mother.

To answer the second part of the question, “is it just that Sarah is common folk that irritates you blubber mouth?” Define common folk. Common means different things to different people. If by common folk you mean unapologetically uninformed and unqualified, then it would indeed irritate me that she was nearly elected to be a heartbeat away from the most important job in the world and that she’s so highly regarded by so many on the right after eight years of the miserably failed presidency of another “common folk” person.

Third, to answer the “woman-phobic” charge, I’ll have to break it down into digestible parts:

1. I am not, nor have I ever been “woman-phobic.” By definition, “woman-phobic” would mean that a person has a fear of or contempt for women. I have neither. I love my mother and respect her tremendously for the important role she played in my life. I love my sister and have tremendous respect for her, a successful professional woman working for a successful Oklahoma energy company. I love my wife and regard her as my very best friend and closest confidante; she is a wonderful soulmate and a great mother, something which I have the highest regard for.
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   Additionally, in my career, I have worked with as many women as I have men. In fact, I have had more women as supervisors than men. My recent business partner for the last five years is a woman and that proved to be very successful and profitable. Some of my dearest professional friends are women. If I were “woman-phobic,” these experiences certainly wouldn’t have been as positive, rewarding and mutually beneficial as they have proven to be and help to make me the successful professional that I am today.
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2. “…an obese woman hater who was rejected by the chicks due to caloric intake…” My wonderful wife of 16 years would be the best defense witness against Mr. Martin’s allegation, not to mention a few other— well, it’s probably best to leave those unmentioned. Were there some “chicks” — very edifying description of women, by the way — who rejected me because I was overweight? I’m sure there were, but then again I’m not interested in a relationship with someone so vane and shallow. I can say that my “caloric intake” hasn’t diminished my quite satisfying love life. (I’m sorry to the weak-stomached — and my daughters — too much information, I know.)
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3. “… a little feminine frothing…” I’m assuming that Mr. Martin is alleging that I was attacking Sarah Palin because she was a woman. That is simply not the case. I was criticizing the comments and actions of a politician who happens to be a woman. Perhaps unlike others, I can distinguish the occupation from the gender. Whether Mr. Martin wants to believe it or not, I treat men and women equally. I am as supportive of a woman politician as I am of a man politician. Conversely, I am as critical of a woman politician as I am of a man politician. I’m interested in the ideas, beliefs and policy positions of a politician; it matters not to me whether they have male parts or female parts. Mr. Martin shouldn’t project his own chauvinistic tendencies upon others’ motives.

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Alas, ignorance is bliss for many. But unfortunately, willful ignorance has become a badge of honor for far too many. Mr. Martin’s blathering can be entertaining, but sometimes it’s hard not to want to help people overcome their ignorance; but they have to want to overcome their ignorance, which is obviously outside my control.