Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make it bullying

Great column by Colette Browne in the Indo today, pointing out that being irate at someone for messing up a schedule shouldn’t be mistaken for bullying:

To try to suggest that the treatment meted out to Prendeville, from a disgruntled guest over a scheduling issue, was in any way analogous to the horrific abuse suffered by Criado-Perez is not just stupid, it’s insulting.

Regrettably, resorting to using the “bullying card” is a tool that is increasingly being used by those who dislike having their opinions challenged by the hoi polloi online.

Some high-profile commentators, who have long been given platforms in traditional media, have reacted with horror when they find that their views are not universally popular in online forums.

However, holding a minority view does not automatically confer martyr status on an individual. It just means their opinions are unpopular.

This phenomenon was evident during the Pantigate controversy when some commentators, railing against the online backlash, seemed to suggest that central to the concept of free speech was the right to express an opinion without that opinion being challenged or derided.

Well said.