I have thought further about things and listened to input from experienced bloggers in the Pittsburgh area. Here are two recommendations that were made to me:
One, anonymous comments are a terrible idea. Enforcing a "no anonymous comments" policy is difficult (because people can adopt fake names), and tends to cut down on the number of people who comment. But the improvement in civility is significant, and for every person who walks away because they wanted to be anonymous, there will be someone else who shows up because they like the reasonable tone of the place. Also, even though some people will say that they have to be anonymous because they are afraid of retribution, the truth is that if retribution is out there, then retribution will find you, whether or not you're anonymous. If people want to avoid retribution, then they should lock themselves in their bedrooms.
Two, call out bullying for what it is: efforts to use the Internet to intimidate or silence people who don't agree with the speaker. We teach our kids not to bully, but we (the collective "we") engage in it all the time. The blogosphere is full of behavior that we would not tolerate in our own children. A lot of your anonymous commenters are using anonymity to bully, just as much as some members of your School Board have bullied the community. Even some of your "signed" commenters engage in bullying.
I have reason to believe that some of the comments submitted came from our elected officials. This blog will not be used to enable those who continue to bully the residents of Mt. Lebanon.
I realize that the amount of comments will drop significantly, but so will the bullying. I am sorry that it had to come to this, but I have had enough.
4 comments:
This was a very wise choice, Elaine.
Elaine,
Thank you for this policy update. It gives some credibility and accountability to those making comments on this blog.
Too many comments that are of accusatory nature have been posted without discretion. Although some may have validity, reading multiple anonymous posts became tiresome.
Keep up the good fight.
Setting the record straight in response to the anonymous comment directed at me inferring that I view the PTA as “evil”. That is not the case. I was a strong supporter of the PTAs where my kids went to school for many years. However, I do believe that the malicious pre-election e-mail that was circulated by certain PTA leaders violated the PTA’s mission and IRS regulations and this incident was politically motivated bullying behavior.
So, to the anonymous commenter, why not come forward and state why you condone such behavior and sign your name while you are at it?
To all the well-intentioned PTA volunteers: It’s your organization and you can put a stop to this in the future if you are willing to stand up just as the four who resigned from the PTA Council have done. If enough of you decide that politics and bullying are not the “PTA way” and you truly accept the vision, mission and values as defined by the PA PTA (from the website http://www.papta.org/domain/7), I wish you success in all your future initiatives. The Mt. Lebanon PTA’s future is in all of your hands.
-Charlotte Stephenson
PTA Vision
To make every child’s potential a reality.
PTA Mission: The overall purpose of PTA
• A powerful voice for all children,
• A relevant resource for families and communities, and
• A strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.
PTA Values: What PTA stands for
• Collaboration: We work in partnership with a wide array of individuals and organizations to accomplish our agreed-upon goals.
• Commitment: We are dedicated to promoting children’s health, well-being, and educational success through strong parent, family, and community involvement.
• Accountability: We acknowledge our obligations. We deliver on our promises.
• Respect: We value our colleagues and ourselves. We expect the same high quality of effort and thought from ourselves as we do from others.
• Inclusivity: We invite the stranger and welcome the newcomer. We value and seek input from as wide a spectrum of viewpoints and experiences as possible.
Integrity: We act consistently with our beliefs. When we err, we acknowledge the mistake and seek to make amends.
Thank you for signing your name, Charlotte. In case there is any confusion, when trying to choose an identity before posting, I realize that some have difficulty with their Google Accounts. You may select Anonymous, but sign your full name as Charlotte did. I am sorry that Google gave you fits, Charlotte. Thanks for letting me know.
Elaine
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