Was I too harsh on a former student of mine who posted an ignorant comment about Sotomayor. . .

. . .on my Facebook page? LOL

former student at: 2:59pm July 13
You maybe right on Graham but Sotomayer is even worse. She has NO business on the Supreme Court and is the biggest bigot in the world!!!!


me at: 3:10pm July 13
{name redacted former student] your calling Sotomayor a bigot shows your base and simple ignorance. I am not sure what type of basic understanding race, racism and the struggles of people of color you have but its obvious you get your talking points from the hatemongers on the right who prey on low information voters like yourself. Seriously, even her critics in Congress... Read More... who took issue with some her comments didn't call her a bigot or racist because they know she isn't.

Sorry to get so personal but you calling her a bigot shows you to be nothing more than an ignorant low information voter who I encourage to debate me further on the issue. Bring it on and show the world, as well as my facebook friends how truly stupid you are. So you made the accusation that she is a bigot, now I want your ignorant uniformed ass to back it up. . .seriously bring it on.

Other than that, it was fine.

I would say No if they were a current student too, if I weren't so sure they would cry to mommy and daddy about how much of a meanie you are.

"bring it on!" ? If I were a professional I would safeguard my professional reputation while online, particularly to former students (or clients, whatever) by acting like a professional.

While I agree with your viewpoint, there is an adult and professional way in which to state an opinion.

. . .when it comes to politics and students take my classes for that reason.

he made the accusation..therefore the burden is on him to back it up...Had he disputed your views on Graham and asked you to back them up, I'm quite sure you would have obliged him.

being a teacher in this case. Insults don't usually open up minds.

you told him he was parroting a rw lie.

Not because you are wrong but it could have been worded much better. It comes across as a rant. Not something I would personally want to have the school board looking at should a problem ever arise.

I can only imagine...

and I might have been inclined to draw the little peckerwood out a little longer, find out exactly what makes him feel compelled to call her a racist, and then snap the jaws of the trap shut on his pencil neck after he'd been exposed as a total idiot to the whole world.

Then, I'm still sick, sick of it, and not feeling charitable at all.

That's the part I think you should have left out.
The rest of it was fine.

dismantling the argument of the student. First, I'd have forced the little shithead to pony up a few facts in support of his assertions, and then I would have--in an entirely academic fashion, mind you--twisted off his head and crapped down his windpipe.

Ya gotta get 'em on the quality of their ideas, though. Name calling (ignorant low information voter, how truly stupid you are, ignorant uninformed ass) and posturing (bring it on) doesn't do the trick. Make the little shit cough up facts to support his thesis, and then dismantle his "facts" and --again, academically, using words, arguments, points of view--make him eat them.

Oh well. The horse is out of the barn. Never get mad at them, though--they LIKE it when you do that. When they make you lose your cool, they've "won." At least, so they think.

I think that the best way to get to people who are just espousing some canned response is to question them until they aren't sure as to why they held their opinion in the first place. My wife is very good at doing that when she keeps her temper from getting the better of her.

Calling people names and putting them into categories is fine and dandy for when you are hanging out with friends, but not for a serious debate, even with a relatively ignorant opponent.

namely *ss, I think it is fine. I'm old, and use of such words isn't something I do. On second thought, and because I've read the other posts now, I'd add that I'd probably take the personal comments out. But it appears you are a college professor, so perhaps that might not make a difference. My experience in education is with elementary and pre-school children, and you do talk to them differently--even when they have grown up (old habits die hard).

If both those assumptions are true, that student is fair game. If either is untrue, I would say you went too far. However, I fully understand your anger and your desire to "further educate" that former student, but I doubt you'll ever hear from him or her.

:dem:

-Laelth

:kick:

PWNED.

He posted to YOUR page you're entitled to rip him a new one.

Why is there so much hand wringing about the feelings of some dipshit bigot when we don't seem to have nearly as much consideration for the feelings of those who would end up as victims of said bigot.

:shrug:

I'm no diplomat though so you might want to take my words with a grain of salt.