When Surfing the Net: Beware the Wave of Stupid.

When I started debating on what my first blog post would be, I swore up and down that I was going to avoid politics. Here’s why: I’m majoring in political science in college and I devote a good 85% of my waking hours to politics, so frequent visitors, should there be any, are going to get plenty of that. But for my first post, I wanted something different, something unique and challenging, something that makes any potential reader stop and say “Does this guy snort cough syrup?” (In case you’re wondering, yes, but only on the weekends). So, my political side removed, I began to think about what would make a good post. Looking for ideas, I went to my local paper’s website, www.denverpost.com. I read through a few articles and suddenly, staring right at me was my first post. The story was about the recent death of Angie Zapata, a transgender woman in Greely. From the lead in to the article:

Prosecutors are worried that jury selection in next week’s trial of a man accused of killing a transgender woman in Greeley in July has become a lot more complicated.  That’s because 50 groups sponsored a full-page ad in 22 Colorado newspapers and purchased online advertising to commemorate the life and death of 18-year-old Angie Zapata.  The ad ran Wednesday in newspapers ranging from the Westminster Window and Durango Herald to the Gazette in Colorado Springs.

The facts of the case, as they are currently known are as follows: Angie Zapata was a biological male who lived as a female. At some point, she met with Allen Andrade online and the two of them went on a date. According to the prosecutors, Zapata performed oral sex on Andrade, and when he later found out she was biologically male, he became enraged and ended up beating her to death with a fire extinguisher. The reason this case is getting a lot of attention is that it is the first time a transgender murder is being tried under the sexual orientation in Colorado’s hate crime law.

Setting aside political implications which I promised I would, I think everybody can agree that this was a terrible tragedy right? WRONG!!!! As any third grader can tell you, a search on the internet for any topic will yield 75,000,000 porn sites within ten minutes. But that isn’t really important right now. They may also remind you that when dealing with any internet forum, you will be assaulted by massive quantities of stupid. The anonymity the internet provides allows people the comfort to say whatever thoughts may be on their mind, even if those thoughts would qualify them for electroshock therapy. Here are some honest to god comments posted on the Denver Post website, completely untouched:

that so called “girl” actually lead the guy that killed her into beleving he was a she..im not saying that killing her or him is justified but that would be some messed up @#$% and i dont know how the guy couldent tell he was a she????he must be debating if he was gay or something and freaked out when he did the deed…what the hell is this world coming 2???almost every female i know swings both ways and thinks its cool…gays are getting married…..do any of them read the bible???because to my knowledge thats a sin;(…thats just my pearsonal opinion though – Anthony J.

Well I’m no biblical scholar Anthony, but I’m pretty sure the bible frowns on murdering people with fire extinguishers as well, except of course when God ordered Jehosit to smite his mother’s third cousin Bethsezot with a fire hose for whistling Bob Dylan’s Times they are a’ changing in the temple, but that was a one time thing. By the way, who are these bi-sexual girls you know and can you hook me up?

 

When are we going to hear the end of this “dead guy in a dress” saga?
Charge murder and send the killer to prison if the jury convicts, but stop pretending that the dead guy in a dress was a real girl who didn’t set the stage for his own demise by inviting a guy he barely knew back to his apartment and having sex with him, all while holding himself out as a woman.
Just let this case go. While the dead guy in the dress didn’t deserve to be murdered, he wasn’t exactly totally blameless in this story, either. – Dan Dare

 

Dan, when Weird Al sang “Dare to be Stupid” he was not giving life advice. But Dan improves on himself later when he writes:

It’d make for better discussion if the people who are zipping through the comments and handing out “thumbs down” strikes to everyone who doesn’t toe the PC/pro-gay line would step up and try to participate instead of anonymously whacking the people who are actually stating their views in a mature, non-offensive manner.

But that’s probably asking too much of the Left – Dan Dare.

The irony of an anonymous poster complaining about other anonymous poster giving his review a thumbs down is enough to short circuit my frontal lobe.

I think the internet is great. I would place it above the wheel in terms of coolness factor and way above movable printed type in sense of being able to find cheap porn. However, we all need to stop and think before posting something really stupid online. If you ever have questions, just do what I do. Before you post something nasty or mean spirited, stop and think “Would I say this out loud in a social setting?” Think about that, and then post away, what the hell? Those jackasses don’t know you.

 

 

A special thanks to my man Ames, whose great advice helped me get this baby started. Check him out at A Candid World

A shout out to all my homies from RationalWiki who came to read my opening post. Hope to see you all back here.