Saturday, May 28, 2005

I Love Hate Mail

Recently I was asked to host the wonderful weekly Grand Rounds--a carnival of medical posts from a variety of bloggers. Since I had participated in a number of previous Grand Rounds, I was delighted and honored to do so.

That's when the hate mail started to arrive. Here's an example that was posted on the blog of Iatremia (it is gone now because Michael determined that it was inappropriate):

Pat Santy is an arrogant bigot. I can't believe Grand Rounds will be hosted alongside her racist tripe. This doctor, for one, will never visit Grand Rounds again. Santy embarrasses the profession.

Posted by: blackjesus at May 26, 2005 12:58 AM


The same poster left a few gems at my blog, also. Fortunately he said he wouldn't dignify my blog with another visit (hurray! one less troll!)

The there were the email:

You are the sickest person on the internet. They shouldn't allow doctors like you to practice.


Grand Rounds used to be a decent effort. By including you in it they have picked up the scum at the bottom.


(Note: I won't be posting Grand Rounds until Tuesday morning--but I am still taking submissions until Monday evening, May 31st!).

Well, there were more, but they were generally along the lines of the samples above (except more profane).

One way to look at so many loving comments by the Leftist Progressive People of Love is that I must be doing something right to have annoyed them so much. While understanding perfectly that they consider such intellectually erudite comments examples of civil discourse; on some level it amuses me to contemplate how much people like these writers reveal about themselves and the causes they support.

Rather than make any argument against what I say on the blog, they become filled with rage and make ad hominem attacks on me personally. If that's the best they can do, their ideology must be in deep deep trouble.

I have to honestly admit to the "arrogant" accusations. That particular quality-- and rebelliousness against authority (any authority)-- are probably my greatest failings.

But if my detractors--who would rather focus on me, rather than my arguments--only see bigotry, sickness and scum, I'm afraid they must look within themselves for its source.

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