Shadows of a year, 10 days 'til Christmas

"Shadows from the light of a star," 5 x 10 watercolor

Where there is light, there will be shadows.
Or, no shadows, no darkness, no light.
Contrasts, opposites, create life. Sorry-happiness, tragedy-triumph. Failure-success. Trials-peace. The list goes on.
Read Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr, King David, and others...coming out of depths of despair, of illness, of injustice, of judgment, of racism, of  hatred, of condemnation, of hypocrisy, of selfishness, of fear and death, comes maturity, wisdom, survival, and eventual peace, for those who survive.
Or, as Jill Castilla, President and CEO of Citizens Bank told my students in the Twitter for Media Class, in the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Central Oklahoma students this fall, “You go through trials, and they’re preparing you for something greater.”
As the stars align in this month's star journey toward Christmas, the traditional, but not factual symbol of the birth of Jesus, those lessons come into focus. Out of poverty, into trial, into fear and death, came a joy and peace the world celebrates, if it certainly not always remembers or practices.
"And Jesus Wept." No wonder. They forget the star.
So, today's watercolor.

"Hating" hate mail--questions and guidelines

• Why are they so angry?
• Why are they so unhappy?
• Why do they hate?
• Why can't they abide different opinions?
• Why can't they respond in a civil manner?
• Why can't they respond without profanity? Without using trite labels devoid of thought? 
• Have they ever read Jesus' words about love and judgment and kindness?
• Didn't their mothers teach them any manners?

These are some of the questions that ran through my mind after being subjected to "hate mail" this week.

A better question--How do you respond?

National news about Enid

My comments in the New York Times article about the negative reaction to the Enid News & Eagle's endorsement of Clinton have drawn a deluge of  positive comments on "social" media.
That's because I posted the article and bragged about being quoted, proud of contributing to recognition of the importance of community journalism. 
Here's the link to the story online: Oklahoma newspaper
Then there were a few very angry comments in twitter and Facebook, throwing labels and judgments about me, the newspaper, media, and professors.
One I immediately blocked, and reported for abuse--not even responding.
Another, I wrote some facts, no opinions, in response to some of the inaccurate statements, and then blocked the person.
I'm proud of myself for not responding in my usual snarky, sarcastic style.
I wasn't exactly surprised at negative reactions, except for their vitriol. I was afraid someone would take my comments as critical of Enid. I would have apologized for that, because Enid is a great community. In the context of the article however, I meant all small towns and their newspapers.
Those comments came from  my personal journalism experience and more than 30 years working with community journalists.
So how should I have responded?
Perhaps I should have responded with "Thank you for your opinion. Have a great day."
That, or any other comment, would have provoked more negative comments.
I also slept on the situation, before acting, and slept again, before writing this.
Here are some of the thoughts I had on how to react to "hate mail."
The comment from one of my twitter for media class speakers, and I'm not sure which one, was one of my first thoughts, "You don't have to join every fight you're invited to."
Then I thought about Jill Castilla, the dynamo leader of Citizens Bank in Edmond, who just spoke to my students last week. She's used social media to rebuild that bank into a national model, and her methods ooze positivity: "Elevate where you're at," she says. Her social media framework is "GAP--Genuine, Authentic, Positive."
Another teacher of mine also had advice:

•  "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."  Matt. 5:39.
•  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
• "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Matt 5. 

•  

So the best response to hate mail, is no response. Don't feed the fire. I don't want nor need more negativity in my life, and I'm not going to change anyone with those attitudes. They are not worth my time or words or mental health.

•  

More than the actual personal attacks, two issues really bother me. The first is the hate-mongers' virtual ignorance about American government and the roles of the news media (That's a separate story).
Underlying it all  is the absolute disregard for civility and respect for others' opinions in today's America.
My former student from OSU, Roy Lee Lindsey from Cordell who now leads the Oklahoma Pork Council put it best: "This story is about everything that is wrong with our society today. When I refuse to do business with someone or stop talking to someone just because they have a difference of opinion than I do, I limit my ability to learn. Exposure to differing opinions and ideas is how we challenge ourselves and grow."

•  

My mother taught me manners--be polite, don't criticize people, be respectful. The people we looked up to, including our country's leaders, were those kind of people.
My mother would take a bar of soap and wash out the mouths of  people who spout hate mail, including our so-called leaders.

•  

But then, I thought of the words of Jesus again, which explains all the actions of the hatemongers, which is another reason to just turn away and not join them:
"But the words you speak come from the heart--that's what defiles you." Matt. 15:18.

•  

P.S. Another note--my attackers are so blinded by anger and hate that they missed the point, taking it as a political comment. It is only perspective about what it takes to be a courageous newspaper in a small city. I would have said the same thing if the politics and situation had been reversed.
Here were my words that sparked all of this, accurately reported by Manny Fernandez, Houston bureau chief of The New York Times: 

• "There used to be a saying that the editorial page was the soul of a newspaper, and if that’s the case, we’ve got a lot of weak-souled newspapers in the country because they’re afraid to offend anybody,” said Terry M. Clark, the director of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and a professor of journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. “This is an excellent example of the way American journalism ought to be — standing for something — and, man, it takes guts to do that in Enid, Okla.” 

•  

I'm very aware that many other people have been subjected to, been more than upset, and survived  a lot more "hate mail" in this past year than I. My experience is minuscule. The perspective, as with the article, is the point.

Tradition in nontraditional twitter class

My twitter page with group shot, from January

@Okieprof

My most exciting class at UCO these days is my Twitter for Media class, taught only in intersessions for two cram-packed weeks. 
It's also extremely satisfying to me because this traditional journalistic geezer is learning new tricks, teaching new things and connecting with bunches of terrific students as well as cool and energetic professionals, many of them my former students.
This makes about the fourth year I've taught it in between semesters in winter, and in May, I think, and its strength is the professionals in all areas who I bring in to talk to my students about how this social media tool has transformed communication in many fields.
I hashtagged the course #clarkclass in the early going, and it has become its own brand, with proud "alumni" no less. Students say it's more a class about life than twitter, and mark it as one of the most important they've ever had, in spite of the people who turn their noses up at it, thinking it's a blow off.

It is laid back, but it's intense at the same time.

After each speaker, the class "debriefs. "You can get running summaries of what the speakers say by checking my blog for the class #clarkclassUCO, click here: http://clarkclass.blogspot.uco.
You can also follow the twitter stream on the class, including student comments and assignments by going on twitter and searching #clarkclass. The speakers vary a little from time to time, but all bring insights. Last year at the closing session, one of the speakers Jenny Grigsby @refreshcreate took a group photo of us. It's currently at the top of my twitter home page above.
But this year, our first speaker, Jill Castilla, @JillCastilla, dynamic president and CEO of Citizens Bank in Edmond, suggested a "selfie."
Thus has been born another tradition in a nontraditional class...Group photos. We have seven more speakers coming up this coming week. Stay tuned.
Here are the group shots so far:

@JillCastilla, with @Okieprof in the background

@Dezhill UCO broadcasting professor Desiree Hill

@MikeSherman, UCO alum and sports editor, The Oklahoman

@rcrissinger, Rob Crissinger, UCO alum and vice president of Bumbershoot PR