Facts=Mental Illness, Apparently
Before I begin this story, let me make it clear that I am in no way making light of mental illness or the unimaginable pain and suffering that those with mental illness often suffer. And as you’ll see from the story, the reference regarding mental illness was not mine, but directed at me.
This is a story of twitter and its power to reveal. In this case, it is revealing much about the person I have this exchange with. His name is Bill Palmer, Editor in Chief of Beatweek Magazine (formerly iProng).
Our story begins last night. One of the people I follow on twitter retweeted the following from @billpalmer:
“no child left behind” DESTROYED our education system. as with all GWB messes, there may be no undoing that damage. http://bit.ly/aEJPcC
I immediately saw this as the fallacy it was (the whole “blame everything on Bush” movement is ludicrous and juvenile, IMHO). Despite personally despising NCLB and the overstretching arms of the federal government on local and state education, I tweeted back to him:
funny…Clinton blamed Kennedy for No Child Left Behind, not so much Bush. http://bit.ly/bdAZ5v
The remainder, well, I’ll just leave fully intact (and in the event Mr. Palmer decides to delete the tweets, I took the liberty of grabbing screenshots). Items beginning with @scotters were his reply to me; those with @billpalmer were mine to him:
@scotters if Ted got caught up in GW Bush’s anti-public-school propaganda war, that was Ted’s failing. but it was Bush’s sin all the way.
@billpalmer that’s why it was supported on both sides? they voted it. not saying was good program at all, but it was widely supported.
@billpalmer passed 384-45 in House; 91-8 in Senate.
@scotters and yes, the Dem party’s failing was cowering in the corner during GWB’s “you’re with me or you’re anti-American” propaganda war.
@billpalmer your timeline is wrong. votes on NCLB was in spring of 2001…well before that rhetoric
He then stopped replying directly to me, but wrote this as a regular tweet instead:
new rule: blaming democrats for the permanent damage that GW Bush did to this nation is officially a mental illness.
Funny how that works, isn’t it? When challenged with actual facts and timelines, it’s time to insult and belittle. Well, Mr. Palmer, I choose the side of the facts, even though I did not and do not support NCLB. And your own words speak volumes about you, and by extension, your publication/website.
PS If you are on twitter, let @billpalmer know how you feel. Perhaps he’ll diagnose you as well.
Before I begin this story, let me make it clear that I am in no way making light of mental illness or the unimaginable pain and suffering that those with mental illness often suffer. And as you’ll see from the story, the reference regarding mental illness was not mine, but directed at me. This is…
Of course its GWB's fault, hello! look the boy only got into office because 1) he is part of the skull and bones 2) he was GWB seniors favorite little squirt. It is interesting though to see the interaction you have with some heavy hitters. dude, when you gonna run for office? Do it! you know you have tech at your back! Lets send you to Oly…it will save me throwin away my vote lol