This past week, a good friend of mine wrote an article that got a LOT of backlash. I personally did not agree with this, however, the way that people responded to her article truly made me sick.
A lot of people disagreed with her article, in fact, I think that most people disagreed with her. Some of the people provided their insight into how they believe she is wrong for having that opinion, and others took a different route.
She received comments such as, "your whole family is scum", "I hope you're not looking for a career in writing" and by telling her that she is fat. These statements could not be further from the truth. The author of this article is a beautiful, strong woman, and is an incredible writer.
I am absolutely disgusted by the way people responded. It made me really realize how many people choose to argue is completely wrong.
So, for my article this week, I decided that I needed to write a message to all of those who believe this is an effective way to argue.
First, responding to an opinion article with insults IS cyber bullying. No matter how you look at it, that is what it is. Not many people want to think of themselves as a bully, but that is truly what they are becoming by doing this.
Second, responding with insults is not going to change anything. No one's opinion will be changed because someone called them fat. If these people truly cared about the issue, they would be genuinely trying to change her opinion by providing good argumentative points.
Third, by bullying someone who has a different opinion than you, you are only reinforcing their negative opinion of your side of the argument.
Fourth, many times the insults you aim at the person are hypocritical. In the example of my friend's article, people were upset and said that she was body shaming women, but in response, many body shamed her by calling her fat.
Next time you argue, please keep these points in mind. It's counter-productive to simply throw hate at someone with a different opinion than you. So show them love, and show them your side of the argument.
