I made another mistake yesterday. I didn’t clearly identify my intended audience when I wrote this blog post. I’m going to try very hard not to make that mistake again.
This post is written to Pkarlgh who pronounces his name, “Karl.” He is my faithful podcast listener and loyal friend. One of the things that endears me to Pkarlgh is his playful irreverence for the English language. But the thing I most appreciate is that he always lets me explain myself.
Guess what, Pkarlgh? Some people are really angry with me. I can’t do anything about that because the angry people aren’t you. You’ll let me explain myself. They won’t. They are filled with mindless outrage so I can’t communicate with them. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered mindless outrage. I know I can’t reach irrational people. Only God can do that.
I’m writing to you because we’re friends and your opinion matters to me. I know it’s uncomfortable to find little ole’ me thrust into the middle of a mob. It’s difficult to maintain perspective in a hail of F-bombs. An onslaught of hate will eventually erode even the strongest resolves. But I don’t want to lose your friendship because of a misunderstanding.
Yesterday’s blog post was written to “sanctimonious, hypocritical, privileged” individuals who have shamed “non-essential workers” for wanting to end the quarantine and return to work. It is my opinion that everyone is essential to somebody. It is also my opinion that “non-essential” workers should not be accused of selfishness, greediness, or “killing people” for desiring a paycheck. I think that’s the gist of yesterday’s post but you can read it for yourself and formulate your own summary.
That was my mistake. I assumed it would be understood that I wasn’t speaking to ALL essential personnel. I absolutely should not have done that. I should have made it clear that I was talking about a tiny subgroup of people.
At no point did I single out any particular occupation. Specifically, I did not “trash nurses” or “attack health care professionals.” The accusation that I don’t appreciate the people “on the front line” is not true. I have family “on the front line.” But that doesn’t matter! An individual’s value is not contingent on my being personally familiar with them. I can (and do) appreciate the efforts of people I have never met. I have benefited from the services of countless strangers and I’m sincerely grateful for all the people whose work contributes to the quality of life in this country. It would be insane to suggest that health care workers are not doing an essential work and that is why I didn’t say it.
I used the phrase, “This pandemic is a mountain top experience for you, but it’s time to come down.” You told me that I painted with “too broad a brush.” That’s fair. It was a huge, sweeping, generalization that didn’t apply to the majority of people categorized as “essential.” Most of the essential personnel are not having a mountain top experience. I wasn’t talking to them.
This is important, Pkarlgh. It matters a great deal to me that you understand what I’m saying here. – Painting with a broad brush is the most compassionate way I know to offer criticism – Speaking generally to an unspecified group is how I avoid attacking people personally.
The reason I didn’t say, “you sanctimonious, hypocritical, privileged, nurses…” is because I wasn’t talking to nurses. I wasn’t talking to truck drivers, grocery store clerks, doctors, politicians, police officers, or ANY OTHER GROUP. I was talking only to sanctimonious, hypocritical, privileged INDIVIDUALS. The raging mob will not comprehend this, Pkarlgh. They don’t care about me. Their anger isn’t personal. They just like destroying things.
We are all suffering. The most sanctimonious, hypocritical, privileged, individuals elevate their personal hardship above everyone else’s. That statement should not offend anyone who isn’t a sanctimonious, privileged, hypocrite. In fact, most of us should agree about it.
You said something to me yesterday and I’ve been thinking about it all night. You said, “If one person calls you a horse, you can ignore it. But if 50 people say you’re a horse you should pay attention.” You said this in reference to all the negative comments I received yesterday. If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that hundreds of people can’t all be wrong.
You raised a valid point. I really did think about what you said. I thought about it a lot. Your point of view matters. Your opinion matters. And your criticism is both welcome and appreciated. And since we’re friends, I know you’ll hear me out when I give you my response.
The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians that anyone who is in Christ is a “new creation.” The old person is gone. A completely new person comes to life. 1 John says, “…but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” And then there’s this:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
Pkarlgh, I love you. And with all gentleness and good humor, I disagree with you. The unbelievable good news is that because of Jesus, I’m not a horse. Even if a hundred people tell me otherwise. My identity is not determined by majority opinion. My identity is declared by God.
I am not defined by the lies people tell about me. I am not accurately described by those who hate me. Neither are you, Pkarlgh. The heat is on me today but you’re next. All it takes is one ugly lie to bring the mob to your doorstep. When they’re outside your house with pitchforks and torches, they won’t care about the truth. They only want blood. They’ll call you a horse but I won’t believe them. I know who you are.
As I said, your opinion matters to me. I need to know you understand who I am. If you get what I’m saying then go to the comment section and write, “You’re not a horse.” That would encourage me a lot.
I expect the mob will react to this post with the same animosity as last time. I promise the hatefulness of a few individuals will not color my view of the whole group. I know the angry mob doesn’t speak for all of you in the silent majority.
And I know that you’re not horses either.
51 Responses
You’re not a horse, John.
I would say you’re not a horse, but…
“On principal I never say anything that another person is obviously trying to get me to say. My first wedding ceremony took two hours, because after the priest said repeat after me, I fell silent.” — Ron Swanson
I respect your defiance of self proclaimed authority. Stay strong!
You are not a horse.
Your words express what many of us are experiencing with the frustration of not being able to return to our jobs. Thank you for vocalizing what many of us want.
You’re not a horse.
The picture of the healthcare worker standing in front of a protestor may have been why so many people thought you were writing to healthcare providers.
That’s probably right. It turns out that picture was a hoax but it’s still the thing that communicated a message to people who didn’t read what I wrote.
Curious if the reaction would have been as severe with a picture of a truck driver.
I think it had more to do with a CCA member, who is holding a personal grudge, and who shared it to a few militant nursing groups with the caption: “This guy is talking about nurses, y’all.”
But, hey, what do I know? (*wink) 🙂
Apparently you know nothing as you are wrong. Lol!
According to someone who evidently knows what happened…you know nothing. 😀
I’m not sure who “Audra” is?
Does she have administrator access to the Facebook page so she can see who shared the posts and to which pages?
🤔
You, sir, have quite a bit of what my grandpa called “horse sense”, but are most definitely not a horse. I have quite a bit of appreciation for both of those facts.
John you are not a horse. But I do detect among your detractors, be they paid or not, a number of a certain part of a horse.
Haha you’re not a horse.
Quote I heard recently, “The pioneers get the arrows and everyone else follows.” Or something like that. The people advocating first are taking the arrows to the rest of the majority of America’s benefit…
I know you wrote this to Pkarlgh, and I’m not Pkarlgh 😉 … but you’re not a horse. 😎 To borrow a phrase from Steven Curtis Chapman, we are who God says we are … doesn’t matter what other people might say that we are.
You are not a horse. No matter how many people tell you that you are. The mob is rarely right.
#notahorse
I think you’re missing the point of the criticisms though. Essential worker don’t want fame, we’re not chasing clout. Even the ones making tiktoks about it, even those you declare sanctimonious and hypocritical (the existence of whom I have not seen anywhere in person online, so I feel a bit of skepticism regarding your post about these supposed jerks); all we want is to stay safe and keep our families through this pandemic. We’d rather be waiting it out at home, but without us, the wheels fall off and there are consequences ranging from inconvenience to death if we don’t go to work.
Not everyone is essential. I get wanted to go back to work and normal life, truly I do. But it’s selfish to sit tucked away in relative safety while we’re out here risking our necks to make sure life goes on. Unemployment payments are going out to make sure people are okay. There are forgivable loans for small businesses to stay open. This hasn’t been handled well, but my high risk parents absolutely do not deserve to die because you’re tired of being stuck at home.
So please, stop encouraging reopening before it is responsible to do so.
“…but my high risk parents absolutely do not deserve to die because you’re tired of being stuck at home.”
To be clear, you are choosing your high risk patients over millions of people in circumstances you don’t know anything about. You are within your rights to do so but I am within my rights to disagree. The decision of who should live or die is above both our pay-levels.
“Not everyone is essential.”
That is an incredibly callous thing to say. I won’t ask you to name names.
“But it’s selfish to sit tucked away in relative safety while we’re out here risking our necks to make sure life goes on.”
Now you’re suggesting that it’s selfish to say in quarantine? I thought I was doing my part helping to save lives when I follow protocols.
My hope is that posts like these will offer some perspective. I agree with you that there are consequences when health care workers don’t go to work. Can you understand that there are also severe consequences when ANYONE doesn’t go to work?
Other healthcare workers have noticed the sanctimonious posts.
https://www.facebook.com/luke.mckinney.336/posts/10102182706231582
You may or may not be a horse! If a horse is the equivalent of bad, then we’re all just wretched little horses running around each other. But when you pull a horse’s tail, you’re bound to get kicked, regardless of your intentions. You could be trying to save it from running off a cliff, but all it knows is that you pulled. You pulled hard with the post yesterday, so you got kicked hard. I understand what you meant from your post and happened to catch a bit of your livestream, so I know that you own your mistakes. I would offer this, be careful who you isolate. You tell the truth, even (or especially) when it hurts, but they way in which it is done can speak volumes. The hoof prints on your chest will heal, but the memories of everyone involved may not. I’m sure you already know that.
In case it’s not clear, I’m a fan, and this incident doesn’t change that. So from one redeemed horse to another, finish the race.
I’m not mad at you. The post actually made me aware of a cultural current I didn’t really detect. But I get it. And I know you and others need to get back to generating income. So I bought your book from amazon. I probably will keep reading past the foreword. 🙂
Thanks, Patrick. I applaud your pluck!
Reading this made me think of Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Maybe think about that for a minute before you continue to justify your rightness.
Always good to check my pride.
Thanks for the reminder.
Now you just need to actually do it. Maybe stop looking to your 11k followers for validation on what’s right and look to those above you for counsel to help you see what you are not seeing.
Reading this made me think of Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Just trying to help you out. Apparently you don’t want it or need it. Good luck at the day of your judgement. Keep lifting up those who agree with you and putting down those who don’t and see how that works out for you in the end. I will continue to pray you find guidance that I cannot offer. Goodbye.
You’re not trying to help me out.
You’re signaling your own virtue.
Later.
Chuck you must realize how arrogant you sound. Simply because you disagree with John and I agree with him does not make you somehow right and the rest of us wrong. It does not give you some sort of moral or Biblical high ground. Quoting scripture and then not following it yourself within 2 posts actually made me laugh.
You are not a horse!!!!
John, you are NOT a horse!!
I understood what you were saying, but maybe I understood because I am Pkalgh. I get your sarcasm because I listen and read your stuff. I just listened to your explanation and I was really shocked at the mean spirited responses by some to your apology. If these people call themselves Christians and yet show no ability to forgive that is a clue they need to check their heart and relationship with Christ. We are instructed to forgive by Jesus, who while hanging on the cross forgave the people who put him there.
You are not a horse!
You are NOT a horse!!!
The fact that thousands of verbally-abusive healthcare workers think their response to you makes YOU look bad just astounds me…
Though, I did have several nurses reach out (in private messages) and say the Facebook Activists groups for healthcare workers are full of paid actors and trolls. I don’t know if it’s true. But she said a REAL NURSE could lose her license for threatening not to treat someone based on political disagreements, yet that’s exactly what HUNDREDS of them did…
I was told I should ask for their supervisor’s name and let them know I would be filing a report, to see if they’re even real healthcare workers in the first place.
Wise lady you raised here John. It’s almost like your homeschoolers prioritize things like “logic” and “thinking for yourself”.
Another thing to consider, which should encourage you to take heart:
Even the people who are being respectful of tone don’t necessarily know what they’re talking about…
I’m thinking of the “sociologist with a specialty in economic policies” who just told me that “calculations aren’t really necessary.” 🤣
Yeah. I made note of that comment.
We have discussed many times the power of “tone” to perpetuate BS. A wretched lie is a wretched lie even when it’s delivered “respectfully”.
“Overly cautious state spending is almost always counterproductive.”
That’s another gem.
The economic policy expert has a future in comedy.
“But thise who are demanding for lockdown to end (instead of demanding basic income or similar) are fighting the wrong battle, playing into the government’s hands, and putting everyone at risk.”
I honestly don’t know how to converse with someone who suggests that rejecting dependency on government provided basic income is “playing into the government’s hands.”
I’m suspicious that he’s not that stupid. I think he’s talking to the people who ARE that stupid.
You’re not a horse, sir.
I reposted your hatred of nurses. Obviously that’s exactly what you meant! Anyone with a brain knows that many of us have harbored a hatred of nurses and you finally spoke for us! Thank you!
Just kidding
I did repost it because I too felt like the insane virtue signaling was, well, insane!
One of my “friends “ said “if we have to make plates we should stay home and sell them so we won’t kill anyone!”
I said “what?!”
Anyway, I think you’re brilliant and I’m glad to call you friend – without quotation marks!
I will be sharing this too!
You’re not a horse, sir. NEIGH, I say !! Not a horse!
I so needed this!
Totally not a horse, John! I got what you were saying and I agree. And, lots of people showed up to prove you right.
You’re not a horse and that really goes without saying. I am guessing the ninja doesn’t think so either.
❤️
You are most definitely not a horse.
You are not a horse!! I appreciate you and your ppint of view!!
And apparently, I misspelled my own name and the word “point” and can’t edit my comment. Whoops!!
I’m in a very forgiving mood today. I completely sympathize with making mistakes.