After getting wind of the Twitter smack-down going on between Curt Schilling and some ignorant fools after congratulating his daughter Gabby I thought, this is just another case of a person in the public eye dealing with some haters.
However, after reading the disturbing, barbaric, some threatening, messages being directed at Curt’s daughter, Gabby – not a public figure – I thought, wow, this feels like a new low. I’ve seen some shocking things across many social media platforms, but nothing quite like this. I understand and applaud Curt for going after those geniuses, who clearly underestimated the swiftness of his investigative prowess, coupled with and fueled by the inevitable rage any parent would feel in defense of their kid in this situation. Curt took to his blog 38 Pitches, with this post, “Is it Twitter’s Fault?” I’ve always said, “Don’t blame the app, blame the user.”
After digesting this and checking through Curt’s twitter feed myself this morning, I was feeling infuriated for him. I had an opportunity to share my thoughts with Dan Patrick of The Dan Patrick Show on NBC Sports Network this morning.
At one point I said that I don’t care what happens to these kids because they are old enough to know better. What I wish I could have added is that, I hope Curt will choose to disengage quickly, and it now looks as though he has. In my experience when the trolls don’t get a response, they typically climb back under their bridges to wait for the next victim. It is bad enough that his daughter has seen a lot of the tweets herself and those words, those most personal attacks against her, can never been unseen.
Ignorance breeds ignorance and when you engage with trolls they multiply. This only adds unnecessary embarrassment and upset. It begins to perpetuate an unending cycle which can easily turn the victim into a bully, and is a monumental waste of time and negative energy.
I can see all sides of this situation very simply and which do not include sports history, personal or political beliefs. This is a father defending his daughter, because that’s what parents do. Mess with my kids and I will come and uptown funk you up… in the most calculating, intelligent, legal manner.
Parents teach your children well. This is a great example of why we need to educate our kids early about the difference between appropriate online behavior and the potential life altering consequences of behaving like ignorant savages.
Thanks for stopping by,
ox J. J.
J. J. Cannon 