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Terrorist attacks civilian journalist
Contributed by: Francis Miller on 8/8/2006

Well, it had to happen. After numerous stories and a rating that had more 5 ratings than not, someone has attacked my postings and put in enough 1's to drive my ratings down overnight into the 3 levels. So, how does one react to such a terrorist attack.

As I sit here reflecting on it, I realize that out there is someone who dislikes me immensely. One of my stories must have struck close to home. Most often someone who rates a story low does not do so because it was poorly written, but because they don't agree with the stated view. Given our polarized world, that means one would tend to get 2.5 ratings, unless they pandered to the crowd and sought to entertain them constantly. But, to have gone so far as to create an enemy, well, all one can do is echo, Donald Rumsfeld and say, "My goodness".

So, out there is some diabolical creature feverishly searching YourHub for my postings to rate the stories a 1. They must have as much time on their hands as I did when I wrote the thing in the first place. Who could it be? Maybe it is Joe McDaniel who is jealous. No, Joe is a highly artistic photographer and he would have just taken a picture of me in a compromising position and posted it. Maybe it's one of those women at the reference desk in the Library who resent my using their printer for my research. No, they are too busy helping teens find research for their homework to mess with me. Maybe it's one of those kids at the Library who resents my using the computer when they want to play games. No, they are all back in school now and more worried about hooking up than to mess with some guy in his 50s. Maybe, its one of those people in Community Planning who went bonkers when I shed sunlight on their nefarious ways. No, they are too busy having lunch with the businessmen in Franktown to worry about some ex-comish who they wiped off their shoe like the miniature business person in the Capital One advertisement who had the audacity to look for a loan. Or maybe it is a PERA-site retiree who resents my calling into question the social contract they have with society. I did run into Bob, the guy at the Apple store who retired at 51 from teaching biology at Cherry Creek High School and now fluctuates between riding his motorcycle and doing odd jobs, which is what he did before he retired. No, Bob is too happy and content to worry about some member of the public who is jealous and resentful at his working six months a year and getting 70% of his salary for another 35 years. So, who could it be?

Well, crime scene investigators always look to a member of the household when a member of a family is killed. It is only logical. So, as I think on the situation, I can only assume it is Mid-Night, my cat. Mid-Night's loyalties have always been linked to who fed him last. He was so abused as a kitten that his trust and bonding with humans has been an inch-deep and mile-wide. But, my suspicions aside, this presents a huge problem. First, I cannot prove it and he would never confess. Second, if I forgive him, can I really forget? Probably not. If I use my powers of denial and assume it isn't him, then that means that every person I see in the grocery store could still be out there ready to slam me the minute I write something they don't like. They might get violent and then I would have a reason to be paranoid.

Here is my decision. Blood is thicker than water and two brains are better than one. Mid-Night and I are going to team up like Sherlock and Dr. Watson and fight this terrorism. We are going to go on as usual and live our life freely. We will calibrate our egos and ignore the ratings, both positive and negative. WE WILL LEARN TO LIVE WITH TERRORISM!!! Eventually, the person involved will be so wracked by guilt that they will surface. When we encounter them in the grocery store the expression on their face, like that snarling, derise smile that looks like the Joker from Batman will give them away. And, what will we do then? Nothing, absolutely nothing! Because to do anything is to give your power over to someone who is not deserving of it. Enemies can become like an addiction and the minute you give them attention you have given over your power.

So, in honor of my new enemy, I dedicate the soliloquy from Cyrano de Bergerac, which is fitting in this case:

Cyrano de Bergerac

Your precious independence! Your white plume!
What would you have me do?
Sleep for the patronage of some great man,
And, like a creeping vine on a pole tree,
Crawl up where I cannot stand alone?
No, Thank You!

Be a buffoon,
With the vile hope of teasing out a smile on some cold face?
No, Thank You!

Eat a toad for breakfast every morning; make my knees callous;
cultivate a supple spine?
Wear out my belly groveling in the dust?
No, Thank You!

With my left hand, scratch the back of any swine that roots up gold for me,
While my right, too proud to know my partner's business, takes in the fee?
No, Thank You!

Shall I use the "fire" God gave me to burn incense all day long?
No, Thank You!

Struggle to insinuate my name into the columns of the gazette?
Calculate, scheme, be afraid?
Love more to make a visit than a poem?
Seek introductions, favors, influences?
No, Thank You!
No, I Thank You, and again, I Thank You, No!

But, to sing! To laugh! To dream!
To walk in my own way, with an eye, to see things as they are,
A voice that means manhood,
To cut my heft where I choose!
Not a word, a "Yes" or a "No"!

To fight or right!
But never to make a line, I have never heard in my own heart.
To travel any road under the sun, under the stars,
Nor care if fame or fortune lie beyond the dawn,

Yet, with all modesty, to say,
My soul, be satisfied with flowers, with weeds! With thorns even!
But, go then in the one garden you call your own,

In a word, "I'm Too Proud To Be a Parasite"!
In my needs to light the germ, that grows towering to heaven like the mountain
pine,
I stand not high, but alone!

Why go about making enemies?
Watching other people making friends, everywhere, as a dog makes friends,
I mark the manner of these canine courtesies, and think,
Here comes, thank heaven, another enemy!



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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Shawn Hansen
posted on 8/8/2006 @ 10:05:06 AM
(Not Rated)
Your closed minded captions on your photos are offensive, racist, homophobic and just plain wrong. Posting stuff like that and expecting to go unnoticed is naive at best. "Enemy," "Terrorist" these words don't apply to me, and "Journalist", well...
[Report as objectionable]
Showing 1 of 1 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Francis Miller

Parker , CO

Francis Miller has posted 699 stories and 9 comments since joining on 11/17/2005. Francis Miller's average story rating is 4.2.
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