Facing Down My Foes

You may have noticed I've kept a relatively low profile lately - blogging less and attending far fewer star-studded Hollywood premieres. No, I don't have mono; I'm being stalked. Online, but just to be safe, I've also stopped sampling cheeses in the supermarket. And why? Yet another attempt to intimidate me from expressing my views.

If anyone wants to see how low the public discourse has sunk since I first started this blog, just take a look at this:



Yes, this is the web banner for a new blog (which I refuse to link to, for obvious reasons) entirely devoted to attacking me. Isn't that sick? Of all the people on the 'Net whose words deserve obsessive focus, it's no false modesty to say I probably rank somewhere between Andrew Sullivan and the writers of "furrie" porn. If that isn't redundant. And the worst part is I'm pretty sure the creator(s) of this site is someone(s) I've never even met! What kind of disturbed individual does that - publish an entire hate-site because you disagree with a writer's politics, rather than to air a petty personal grievance? It's this kind of social pathology that makes me glad there are still so many barriers to more widespread web access.

As for the charge that I tell "lies", well, this is obviously someone who hasn't checked the site in a while. Sure, we're not one of those hyped-up corporate-funded blogs with a Lexis/Nexis subscription and a fact-checker, but we do our best. The innocent mistakes of our early days - like referring to UN chief Kofi Annan as "that black guy from The Electic Company" - are long-gone. And when did I ever write that I "hate America"? The only time I can ever remember those words coming out of my mouth were a few years ago when I was introducing Frankie Munoz at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards. Like many others, 9-11 changed me. Since that day, I haven't donated a cent to the PLO. Not to mention, I changed my ringtone from "It's Raining Men" to "American Pie." Accuse me of anything you want, but never let it be said that I lack sensitivity.

I suppose I should wear this opposition as a badge of honor, instead of cowering in my apartment and making inquiries about dual citizenship. But does the American sensible center that has claimed me as primary spokesman really need its first virtual martyr? I think not. From now on, I will be blogging mostly from an undisclosed location. However, I will still be available for college speaking engagements.