I have felt very impressed to respond to some of the recent comments made on my blog regarding my dear friend Martha. I decided to generate a new post because I think it is necessary that no one misses this message. I don’t want to fight anymore and I hope that this message eases some tension between my readers.
Firstly, Martha is a close friend of mine. We lived together in Australia, worked together, and both attended the University of Utah. She is a wonderful person with many honorable attributes including compassion, independence, intellect, and courage. Our only disagreements throughout our friendship have been the result of us being too much alike. We are both strong willed women, passionate about equal rights, and struggle daily with conservatives, especially Mormon conservatives, who don’t understand our political and social positions and judge us for them.
When I read Sara’s comments, I was initially angry and defensive. Other than knowing her as Kate’s older sister and occasionally viewing her blog, I knew very little about Sara. I could not understand how a few of my favorite Obama quotes would prompt someone to attack my political position and my conscience on my personal blog. I drafted each of my responses for several hours, editing out my emotions and hoping to just answer her questions and politely defend my position. My relationship with my family is more important than arguing over politics and winning an argument, especially since it was hard for me to keep my emotions in check.
I don’t say this to make Sara feel guilty about her comments. I think we managed to have a fairly successful dialogue considering the divisive topic. I did it more to say that I understand where Martha was coming from and that her intentions were to defend her friend’s beliefs as well as her own beliefs. I am not condoning Martha’s inflammatory comments. In fact, I think they greatly hindered the discussion and relatively neutral blog environment. But I think she has “paid” enough. Please refraining from posting any further negative comments about her. She is a great friend of mine. She is a strong woman with passionate beliefs like many of my other blog readers. "We are all more alike than we are different".
I appreciate everyone’s contribution to the blog and I hope that your comments will continue even now that the election is over. Thank you for reading this. It comes from the bottom of my heart.
5 comments:
Okie dokie.
And again, I apologize for coming across too strongly in my initial comments. I figured you live too far away to come & beat me up :)
From a purely sociological standpoint, I think it is so interesting how one family has managaed to produce two very conservative and two very liberal children!
I'm glad you liked the brownie pudding cake!
Krista,
I feel quite guilty for my thoughts and comments. Martha and Sara are both politically astute and passionate about their beliefs. During the week of the "comments" volley, I was with Sara and her children on a mini vacation. Thus I was more aware of your post and the resulting comments than I normally would be. My remarks about Martha were an emotional reaction of a mother defending her child. I realize that some of Sara's comments were inflammatory as well. Regarding someone commenting negatively about your favorite Obama quotes on your personal blog - blogs that are open to the public by their accessible nature can become somewhat impersonal and invite opposing comments. FYI, so you can understand us conservatives, the quotes you found inspirational were fuel to our negative feelings of our President elect. I am quite certain the opposite is very true in your feelings about McCain. I am proud to be an American and will support our new president.
You did a wonderful job as mediator and your restraint was quite admirable considering your passion about your beliefs and your love for your friend. Your strong desire for family harmony is a very commendable quality. Since you listed Martha's great qualities, I would like to tell you about Sara.
Sara is very loving, kind, patient and truly one of the happiest people I know. She is very intelligent and extremely talented with music and cooking. She is a wonderful mother, wife, daughter and church member. She currently serves as a counselor in the Primary AND Ward Choir Dierctor, even though she lives in a Gilbert, Arizona ward with plenty of people to fill either one of those positions. Her excitement over new things, enthusiasm and optimism are a joy to observe.
I will continue to check your blog and will probably resume my non-commenting modus. I love learning about your life in Dominica. You come from an awesome family and I dearly love your biggest brother!
Pam
Pam,
I hope you don't think I was picking on your comments specifically and I don't want you to feel guilty about voicing them. I completely understand your reaction to Martha's comments as a mother. I just felt impressed to end the battle and put in my two cents! Thank you for outlining Sara's good qualities. It is always nice to hear how people admire you and I don't think people compliment each other enough. Thanks for reading my post. A more light-hearted post is in the very near future.
Krista
P.S. Feel free to continue commenting... blogging isn't as fun without comments!
I love politics and I HATE politics. Politics has the ability to transform well meaning and thoughtful passion into incendiary and immature mud-slinging (did you see any of the campaign commercials!). Too often hypocrisy, malice and myopia enter political "discussions" (yes, I'm including myself in this description). It is very hard to not become reactionary when responding to opposing views. And unfortunately, the ease and speed associated with blogs take away the ability to edit our words and calm down. I know I have pushed "send" and "publish your comment" more than a few times and regretted it later.
So, how about the weather!
Krista your post was very kind and flattering, and largely unneccessary! Thanks though :)
I would like to offer an apology, however, to those who may have similar political/moral opinions to my own. It is they who I represented poorly by fighting fire with fire, and know (as evidenced by your own blogging style, Krista) that the responsible thing to do would have been to either say something genuinely productive or keep my mouth shut.
I don't mind the variety of comment threads on this and other blogs that have my name being tossed around by those who disagree, but also recognize that no one who might be on my side of the table asked me to jump down Sara's throat.
Pam/Sara, We may understand eachother better than you might think. I love Krista like a sister, and wanted to defend her from what I perceived to be unwarranted attacks. I regret that I upset you so much.
Kristin: well said.
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