This morning I woke up to this comment:
For those of you who don't know what post she is talking about, here's the link:
My response to belly talk: racism, xenophobia and bellydance
The commenter responded to every comment on the blog in a similar vein. Either she is very passionate about her philosophical and religious standing, or she's a troll. Don't be a troll. Be a belly dancer.
When I started this blog I was well aware that I would have some haters, some fans and some indifference. Most of the hate I've received has been funny to say the least. I've received messages from middle eastern men asking me to come to their country to attend their "traditional family gathering" (as one guy put it), been called "the worst kind of anti-feminist" and now a commie, to name a few.
Now, we're all entitled to our opinions and debate is healthy, however, what's with the hate? We are all human. We make mistakes and the only way to learn from them is to discuss with others and educate ourselves. I am by no means an expert on belly dance. I'm learning and part of this blog is for me to learn from the discussions that ensue. In fact, I'd like to encourage you to respond on my Facebook shares. If I've made a mistake or am not understanding or not seeing all the perspectives - please tell me ... nicely. Many of you have done so and thank you. I can only grow and others who read through the comments can also grow.
But this isn't just about me. I've seen a lot of hate on other peoples Facebook and YouTube posts. Why? Can't we speak nicely and respectfully to each other without name calling? Can't we walk away from conversations that upset us to the point of lashing out? I will admit that I must learn to do the latter too and I'm trying to separate personal feelings from debate.
When you call someone a name or say something nasty, think. How would you feel if someone said that to you? Sometimes they just laugh it off because they know who they really are and that you are being childish, but sometimes you hurt them.
So please, be respectful. Educate each other, but don't school each other. If someone is a troll, don't engage. If someone is wrong or you don't agree with them, tell them why but don't get angry with them.