Don't use me for YOUR propaganda, Caleb Howe!

This blog post is my response to Caleb Howe, another Twitterer who used one of my "tweets", or Twitter comments as a springboard for his rabid-rightwing blog fodder. What's most disturbing is that he isn't just some anonymous twat in a basement somewhere. No, he's a professional twat.

His bio from Politics Daily:

"Caleb Howe is a Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC-based contributor to Politics Daily. He has been writing about politics, from the conservative point of view, for the past 7 years. In addition to his writing for Politics Daily, Caleb is a Contributing Editor at Redstate.com, Managing Editor of  Acticons.com, and a contributing writer for The American Spectator.
 Since joining AOL's political team, Caleb has broken several national news stories, and had his work featured on television shows like The O'Reilly Factor and The Glenn Beck Show, as well as in numerous online publications. He covered both political conventions in 2008, and Barack Obama's Inauguration in January.
 Caleb is a versatile writer who wields humor, intelligence, and high dudgeon with equal acuity. His biggest flaw is that he cares too much. To clarify, he doesn't care at all, but wishes that it were possible to care even less than that. His videos can be seen at his YouTube channel, and his superb photo-fakery can be seen all over the internet. A husband and father of two, Caleb's hobbies include hunting and inventing ways to kill people that involve parts of their own bodies being used as weapons against them."

Some of the other "numerous online publications" and conservative media contributions/mentions include:
The Minority Report, The Ed Morrissey Show, and NewsBusters. His latest is as "on board blogger and  'eCommunicationsCzar' (yeah...pun intended)" for the American Liberty Tour and its YouTube Vlog, also    creating the hashtag #brushfire for its supporters on Twitter.

So, he should know better, he just doesn't care. I know this is a bit of a David-vs-Goliath situation, as I don't have the audience or the forum he has. I've only been on Twitter 6 months, starting this blog only about a month ago. So I doubt few, if any, who read his verbal assault when it was originally posted will see this, my rebuttal. But it's worth a try.

To @CalebHowe:

After being mostly absent from Twitter for two weeks, busy with the start of the new school year and my daughters' multiple doctors' appointments, I returned a couple of days ago to discover you had inexplicably blocked me. When I sent out a question as to why, a follower sent me a link to your RedState blog page as a probable explanation.

http://www.redstate.com/absentee/2009/08/28/respect-the-dead/

It's so malicious and slimy of you to use my tweet out-of-context as the feature target for your diatribe. You know that it had little to do with the politics of Novak OR Kennedy, I would have said the same for either of them, even Michael Jackson. I wasn't talking to you, and you never responded to ask me, you just blocked me like a coward so I couldn't know you were going to steal my words. Days before, you and I had a lengthy debate on healthcare, where I told you of my personal situation and struggles. When you asserted my life wasn't the "real world", I reached out and invited you to my home to meet my family. I gave you my trust and respect in revealing painful experiences and you've twisted it into this ugly, vile thing you've authored.

You know my comment was about our culture's media-circus surrounding the deaths of celebrities, the elite, and the bizarre while millions of invisible nobodies suffer and die in silence. It had nothing to do with Novak-vs-Kennedy, I could care less. Two really old dudes with access to the best of care died after long, fulfilling, privileged lives. This televised fanfare is ridiculous whether it's about Democrats, Republicans, or Princess Di, yet it got way more coverage than the thousands that lined up for Remote Area Medical clinic in L.A., newly added to years of VA and TN clinics they've held on fairgrounds, treating people in livestock stalls.

YOU made this a partisan issue, YOU are creating hate where there was none, at least not from me. I won't speak for the others, because that is where you and I are different. Caleb Howe, you are a hypocrite, accusing others of the very hate-mongering you have created. You have abused the fellowship I extended to you, and it is YOU and this personal violation that makes the online environment toxic.

The reason this is not posted as direct reply to your blog site, as originally intended was
1. I assumed you'd delete it automatically, as you went out of your way to keep me from discovering it, even deleting DM you sent apologizing to me for tone of last conversation (to which I DMd you back a "no-problem", everything's cool response.) and
2. I was creeped out by sign-up page language on RedState site, and sign-up required to post.

Caleb Howe, you have misrepresented and exploited my speech in attempt to justify your own paranoia and bias, and projected upon me the hatred and contempt YOU feel toward others with whom you disagree. I never made that assumption about you, believed even though we have different views, we were both parents who wanted the best for our kids and our country, both good people at heart trying to do our best. You'll never know how truly sad it makes me to discover I was wrong.

I tweeted this remark shortly after 1pm that day, following an entire morning, beginning before 6am, talking continuously about the healthcare debate, and how frustrated I was that I couldn't attend my Congressman's townhall meeting taking place that day. My tweet was sent Aug 18th, your blog post date is the 28th, and it bothered you SO MUCH you waited 10 days to say anything. This wasn't about respecting the dead, you only got pissed because so many were sad Kennedy died, unlike the passing of Novak. You're just a zealot throwing a tantrum.

Laura Hernandez AKA: @LaBrujaRoja