26 June 2011 (Sunday) - Hate Mail

This blog received its first bit of hate mail today. A couple of weeks ago (17 June), I wrote a few lines about short bowel syndrome. It’s a particularly nasty condition in which sufferers have all sorts of nutritional problems, and there is a serious mortality problem.

I ended my article with the observation that having evolved as carnivores, but having become herbivores, Pandas all have the problems of short bowel syndrome. There are several references on-line to this fact. Here’s one. Here’s another. And another. And another. This isn’t insulting in any way to people who suffer from short bowel syndrome, merely a statement of fact.

Disease isn’t confined purely to humans. Cats get leukaemia. Dogs get diabetes. A lot can be learned about disease processes by examining the bigger picture. A very good friend of mine died a few years ago from Cushing’s disease. Should I put a turd in the post to my mate who’s Yorkshire Terrier has dared to contract the same malady?

There was nothing personal or insulting intended in my observation about Pandas: I was merely expressing my amazement that a serious medical condition isn’t exclusively confined to humans.

Was what I wrote offensive? I’ve re-read it a few times and I can’t see it.

However this morning at 6.20am (my time) someone in the Chicago area, whilst browsing the Internet using Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista came across what I had written. They didn’t like it and sent me an anonymous message saying “my son has short gut syndrome and comparing it to a panda i want to slap your face”.

Obviously capitalisation and punctuation isn’t this anonymous poster’s strong point. It’s a shame they didn’t have the courage to put their name to their post, but who needs names when you have an IP address (which is every bit as good).

I have reported this episode to their Internet provider (Cricket Communications).

I doubt anything will come of it, but it never hurts to remind keyboard warriors that the Internet isn’t as anonymous a place as they might think it is.