I just received an email from someone who was offended by the watermarks on my photographs. This blog is mine and mine, alone. I do mean to offend, if comments such as: DON'T BE RACIST, END THE WAR ON WOMEN, DON'T BE A JERK, REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE, and NICE MATTERS , offend, then I clearly have struck a nerve.
After the Ferguson, MO decision, I put up the watermark END RACISM. That prompted an email: "I am sorry you don't like white people. I am leaving your blog." I thought that was an interesting interpretation of my watermark.
We all have our biases and I do have prejudice. Mostly I dislike interacting with racists, misogynists and jerks. Luckily I don't have much opportunity. Maybe I should say "Please."
UPDATE
My blog, my choice. I am not posting any more comments about this topic. Back to sewing machines.
You know you are still breathing if you are offending someone. Some people do make it their life goal to be offensive (I taught art in middle school) and some people's life goal is to be offended (lawyers and the media love them). The rest of us just do things and try to make our corner of the world a better place.
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DeleteI like your blog and your "watermarks". Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteI like your watermarks too, but the real reason why I keep coming back are the pictures of your dogs.
ReplyDeleteThey are cute, my dogs.
DeleteIsn't this a great country? You're allowed to post your politics, and we're free to disagree.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Some of my best teachers did not share my social or political views.
DeleteI appreciate your watermarks too. And I don't think you need to make any "pleas" about them.
ReplyDeleteI was being sarcastic.
DeleteI love your editorial insertions! Pretty please with sugar on it continue.
ReplyDeleteYour watermarks are both thought provoking and entertaining. Oh, your blog is great too! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, are we grownups here? Can we disagree on some things and agree on others? Whoa. Maybe I am in the right country after all. You have the right to have dogs and I have the right not to. I have friends that have dogs.
ReplyDeleteThis Reader is okay with the Pic's and love the Blog. Thank you for all the educating your provide. And the Puppy is Cute too!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteLife goes on... as some of the others have said. There will always be someone that takes offense. We can't please them all.
ReplyDeleteStanding up for what you believe in.... to me is a good thing.
Thanks
DeleteI am delighted with the watermarks. I thought it was such an original concept to protect your images as well as promote some of your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, your content is so interesting especially the technical bits that it was ages before I even noticed the watermarks, I was too busy looking at your lovely machines and pooches. Anyway, its your blog so you can put what you like, not that a statement like End Racism should cause anyone offence. Take care Sharon x
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the person thinks you don't like white people. Especially since so far I haven't seen any watermarks mentioning white people. Probably says a lot about the sad state of people's reasoning abilities in the digital age.
ReplyDeleteRemember the old saying ' you can't please all of the people all of the time' and this proves it. I don't find your words on photos offensive. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, if some don't like what you watermark your pics with the answer is simple, don't read the blog. I've learned quite a lot about my old Singer from reading your blog so thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm still at a loss as to how someone can deduce that you don't like white people from End racism please??? Oh well it's a funny old world.
Peg xx
I LOVE your watermarks -=- I am of your political bent, as it happens -- love the photos of your dogs, love your excellent tutorials, love your adoration of sewing machines (which I share), love your generosity to the SMAD community, and love your sense of humor and general zest for life. So there.
ReplyDeleteSo There.
DeleteI believe we should get together for drinks....
DeleteI don't agree with -all- your political leanings, but I won't stop reading because of that. I come for sewing machine information. And dog photos.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with all of your watermarks, either, but to your point, it's YOUR blog, not mine. I really do appreciate the great information and useful photos of these beautiful old machines.
ReplyDeleteMy only suggestion, respectfully submitted, is that positive messages (Call Your Mother; Be the Person Your Dog Thinks You Are) warm my heart more than the negative ones (Don't Do a Jerk; Turn Off Fox News). It's the "advocate for" rather than "advocate against" that I think speaks to the better angels of our nature.
Again, love the blog, and as someone else posted, it's great to live in a country where we can all say what we think/feel in a spirit of diversity.
And with all due respect, I publish these comments.
DeleteElizabeth, even if you're not publishing any more comments, I hope this one will come through, at least to you. I love, love, LOVE your watermarks. In fact, I sometimes pay more attention to them than to your photos. I can't tell you how many people I have raved to about your blog for that reason alone. Of course, as a sister vintage sewing machine aficionado/collector/repairer/user, I DO also love the content.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up! And thank you for being a subtle but persistent voice for justice.
I can't believe someone left your blog because you said 'END RACISM' meaning to them you didn't like 'white people' (hate that term anyway) - I think that means they think all 'white people' are Racists? Very strange.
ReplyDeleteAnyway - totally agree - I can't understand anyone who is what I call 'people' prejudist! You may not like someone because of a certain thing, but you really can't generalise that to the whole of that 'race'. People are individuals.
Keep up the good work - love your blog. (and your dogs!)
You go girl... you're my hero!
ReplyDeleteAfter 35 years working in a state legislature and many courts from justices-of-the-peace, family courts,
ReplyDeletecriminal and civil courts and ending my career in U.S. District Court, I have come to the belief that most
people get their thoughts on racism, etc., from our media, and they have no idea what they are talking about.
Could be. Certainly I see plenty of media misogyny daily during this election cycle. Peeves me.
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