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| PZ Myers posted this comment on Ophelia Benson's "What Amy Said" post following a comment in which I said , "I'll honestly be one of those people in leadership positions to do something" if a real threat were mustered. |
Ophelia Benson, blogger at Butterflies and Wheels, recently authored a post titled "What Amy said" in which she, among other things, urged leaders in the atheist movement to stand with people in the atheist movement who happen to be the recipients of threats.
It's no secret that I have had disagreements (click for them) with Ophelia Benson and other fellow blogger friends of hers such as Rebecca Watson, Stephanie Zvan, 'Lousy Canuck, and 'Surly Amy,' but I -- regardless of all of this -- would certainly stand by Ophelia and any other atheist who happened to be the recipient of a threat...especially considering I have been the recipient of threats and a great deal of hate mail.
The problem, though, is that Ophelia and her blogger friends have been unable, to date, to produce something that would be considered an actionable threat - one that can be sent to authorities who would take action. What I have seen so far is internet trolling, people making silly comments on the internet, and generally what we would expect directed at public figures. One instance of what Ophelia Benson considered to be a threat actually turned out to be from one of her supporters.
All of this aside, I've extended my hand to Ophelia and others who may be the recipient of threats...and I got quite the astonishing response from PZ Myers - a person who might just be one of the most popular bloggers in the atheist movement. See the above picture.
My comment, still in moderation at the time of this posting, is
Let me get this straight…
I come forth, willing to rebuke threats made against fellow atheists and I get ridiculed by none other than PZ Myers who questions my role of leadership in the atheist movement.
Do you forget, PZ, about writing blog posts concerning my church/state activism and receiving legal threats by a local chiropractor?
Apparently my position of leadership in my local community secular group, my speaking engagements at conventions, appearances on TV shows, newspaper interviews I have participated in, my podcast appearances and hosting a podcast, my church/state activism, my being named in lawsuits by national organizations, my protesting, my attempts to start SSA groups, and finally the real-honest-to-God threats I have received for being an out atheist while being a student at a Catholic college mean nothing to you?
All hail great leader PZ, I am not worthy of being considered a leader in the atheist movement!Shame on PZ Myers for ridiculing leaders in the atheist movement who happen to extend their hands, at the request of another blogger, to stand with atheists who are the recipients of threats. ...and if I am somehow not rightly considered to be a leader in the atheist movement, what makes PZ Myers a leader? What am I lacking? A larger audience? A blog network? Awards? More speaking gigs?
Update: Ophelia considers my offer to stand in solidarity with victims of threats to be a "calculated insult" and, for whatever reason, thinks that I only consider physical threats to be real threats:
My offering help, apparently, is also 'trolling' 'as usual.'
...and PZ apparently doesn't care what I have to say. Name-calling, too, is the order of the day:
