A Personal Spin

Believe it or not there is very little that goes on in this town which truly gets me ticked off.  I tend to bark and growl a whole bunch at times.  I raise my voice, chomp on my pens so I am told, even tap my feet.  I might even get to the point where I scare the alligator off my sweater with my words and demeanor.  But as far a truly getting upset, not much can get me there.

One way to do that though is to let me see an example of when people stoop to the levels of complete stupidity for no apparent reason but to be vindictive and simply mean, it really and truly sets me off.

There is a letter being sent to various businesses in town and the local area that choose to advertise in the Fairhaven Neighborhood News.  The letter apparently attempts to get some validity by using a name that is extremely similar a very legitimate and relatively new organization.

It just shows how fearful the author is that his or her opinions will otherwise be totally ignored unless able to cloak the letter in a semblance of legitimacy. 

The letter goes on to attempt to belittle the editor of the Fairhaven Neighborhood News, and  to dissuade advertisers from using the newspaper, and goes so far as to make the extremely and poorly veiled threat of a boycott against anyone who continues to advertise in the paper.

As far as the actual letter itself, you may or may not be able to get your hands on a copy, but it should be readily available through multiple sources, and based on a Facebook comment I saw I believe the editor of the paper in question will even be publishing it, either on line or in print (NOTE: Just prior to publication of the blog, the online version of the Fairhaven Neighborhood News became available.  The letter can be viewed).

As for myself, I simply cannot find it in me to "reprint" the dribble of a coward.

I am sure someone, somewhere is sitting in their dark little world wringing their hands with glee over the little stunt they feel they have accomplished.

Perhaps when they are sitting there they should ask themselves just why it is they had to hide their identity to do something like this.

Someone apparently feels they have been "wronged".  In seeking redress, in an attempt to somehow seek retribution, or in an example of something nothing more than another deranged mind wandering the dark recesses of our world, someone took it upon themselves to attempt to be clever.

The slight drawback, none of us are ever as clever as we think we are.  

We all realize though, and I do mean all of us, at least eventually, that it is the actions of small minded people that tend to build the foundations of more reasoned thought.  It is indeed the outrageous act of an individual that tends to draw attention, but the reaction is seldom that as desired.

There is no mistaking the tenor of the letter.  Its pettiness.  Its desire to destroy.  

On its face it attempts to be nothing more than some disgruntled business owner with a mindset that someone the business has been wronged.  Part of me wants to belief it is that simple an explanation.  Part of me wants to cling to that strand of thought believing its was just someone reacting to a perceived slight.

To do otherwise would require me to acknowledge a thought out campaign that took time and effort to intentionally attempt to destroy a newspaper, and worse a person's livelihood.  

I have known Beth David for about two decades.  In that time, I have never heard anything from her, or seen written anything in her paper where she actively or even by implication, has told customers to avoid businesses other than those who advertise with her.

The closest comment that could even remotely be interpreted that way would be the oft comments to her readers encouraging them to frequent those businesses who do advertise.   What newspaper, magazine, organization or group that seeks advertisers or sponsors doesn't do exactly the same in one form or another?

If that is somehow the rationale behind the letter, well I think the writer hasn't a clue about the symbiotic relationship between those who seek and those who pay for advertisement, and would be reason enough to ignore the comments and advice from the fictitious group.

Trust me when I say that this blog piece is really just a personal spin against a purely senseless and surreal action.

I have not written it to try and convince anyone of anything because I sincerely hope anyone reading this blog needs no convincing about the legitimacy of that letter or what you should do with it.