What, pray tell, have I done to warrant this?
While it might be considered flattering to receive such scrutiny from our friends in the valley, what is the point of such a petty accusation? To get me to write more frequently on an ongoing basis?
If there is one thing SVI thrives on it is controversy. Their link feed on Facebook is riddled with condemning headlines delivered in an egregiously political tone. Some of my favorite SVI re-posts are the story about massage parlors getting busted in Boise, and tips on how to tell if your teen is a tagger.
All the sordid, sometimes silly details remind me of what we called the “CSO Blotter” in my college newspaper (CSO being short for Community Safety Officer). Bizarre tidbits about stolen shopping carts and freakish campus interlocutors sent a clear message to students: Don’t let this stuff include you!
SVI performs the same public service with unforgiving zeal. Through the lens of the Insider, an outsider might get the impression that the Inland Northwest is one big “I Am Legend” meth-induced zombie wasteland where people are left to fend for themselves in a vicious atmosphere of total chaos. Rapes, murders, pile-ups on the freeway, the message of this forum is that you’d better watch out or you’ll get what is coming to you.
It could be entertaining if it weren’t for the blatant racism.
When are the politicians going to FINALLY stop with this muslim butt kissing contest and PROTECT our country? -SVI, 1/7/10
If the right to vote was so important to minority groups then they should use that right as motivation to stay out of prison! -SVI 1/5/10
This is exactly the kind of rhetoric we don’t need in the Inland Northwest. It is offensive and unacceptable. I only point it out here because people should be aware that racism is still a big problem in our community.
I can’t help but wonder what the opposite of SVI might read like. Called the Downtown Spokane Outsider, it might report on random acts of kindness, have some interesting conspiracy theory about Republican obstructionism to health care reform, and feature an animated banner of Glenn Beck eating off the heads of small animals. I don’t know, I can’t even pretend to think this way.
Tags: Political Surprise · Rants · Shock Value · Social Observations · Werid But True24 Comments
24 responses so far ↓
Well it’s still entertaining, even with the racism. You know, entertaining in the way that Glenn Beck is entertaining because whatever he says is going to be mocked on the Daily Show.
Ahh, racism. One of the many (perceived) things that keeps people away from the Inland Northwest.
you can report the facebook account on their profile page (lower left) as not representing a real person as I just did.
I was with you until the end on this one. Until you portrayed the opposite of the racism and alarm-ism of SVI as the opposite of conservatives.
I sit towards the middle on almost everything and cringe when either side paints their opposite in this manner.
#3 Comment- What you did with the facebook account is petty . You disagree with someone, so you will essentially report their actions as fraud. Free speech only applies when it is supporting your view?
By the way, after reading some of SVI I really don’t like their blog. But, it is within their right to post it.
It sounds like he is jealous of you.
I think the guy goes a long way toward confirming a lot of the stereotypes people have of the valley. And we don’t need that kind of ignorance and negativity in this town. So, keep up the good work Mariah – don’t let the haters get you down.
Entertaining like a train wreck, sure. Dude espouses bile & vitriol and totally recanted ultraconservative (weak) platitudes.
Has a major phobia with “ism” and if it ain’t Reagonomics then it’s just fascist.
BTW, I like the “reporting” idea, I added the account to “blocked” status. I do occasionally miss the mild nausea from his rants…
Total blogger envy, I concur.
Holy hell I think I might be a tagger.
I am a victim of rap music and I want out!
Not a “hater”–a needy baiter.
What SVI-boy “doesn’t see” is that you advocate and participate constructively, while he sits aside and smears bile. While you walk the talk, and he pants the rants—evidently, and pathetically, he thinks that standing on the shoulders of what he criticizes or vilifies makes him taller. Oh, well.
Keep up the good work, and don’t let such weenie-ism get you down.
SVI is also a rabid neocon apologist. If he really wanted to win an Inlander ‘Best’ of anything he would tone down the rhetoric and TALK ABOUT SPOKANE.
Spovangelist- you should change your subheading to Uptight & White. You have written about community and inclusiveness in the past yet you only link in your “friends” section to people who subscribe to the same ideas as you. You don’t trust people to think for themselves or even to go to battle for your joint cause or you would have links to SVI & FreeSpokane. One way I illustrate the difference between conservatives and liberals is that when a conservative is fighting for his individual rights he is also fighting for everyone’s individual rights. But when a liberal is fighting for some “underprivileged” groups rights they are fighting against others individual rights. What you call Republican obstructionism to health care reform, I call protecting my right to choose my level of health insurance.
Don’t let it get you down, Mariah. Do your own thing.
i <3 Spovangelist!
It’s kinda funny the SVI has a photo of downtown spokane for their facebook photo.
Great Mariah – Keep writing! Your writing is interesting, insightful and entertaining – always. Way to “give it back” to them.
Having scanned through their/its/his Facebook postings for the past month, the most prevalent thread is a total lack of joy. Everything seems to be anger, frustration and contempt, except for the posting about the Saints making the Super Bowl and an “RIP” posting. I’m not sure whether they/it/he are to be pitied or scorned. Either way, they/it/he has probably built up a strong antipathy to those of us capable of genuinely enjoying life and transcending our circumstances.
The real irony here is that the Inlander doesn’t even have a “Best Blog” category in their reader survey this year!
Dear chairman, what’s the difference between “underprivileged” and underprivileged? Your quotes seem to indicate that these people’s marginalization is only so-called and not real. Providing access for everyone may come with some sacrifices from those that already have it, but it’s much easier to think of them as only “people” in order to preserve you own access, I mean rights.
By the way, Spovangelist, funny there’s no best blog this year. All that posting for naught.
All Inclusive wrote,
“Providing access for everyone may come with some sacrifices from those that already have it, but it’s much easier to think of them as only “people” in order to preserve you own access, I mean rights.”
We’re wandering a bit off-topic, no doubt, but I can’t resist an opportunity to correct yet another mistaken conception of “rights.”
The right to which the Chairman refers is not the “right” to health care, or any right of “access” to health care, neither of which exists, but to the right to decide for whom or what one will make sacrifices, if any. The latter is among the defining properties of moral agency. It is one of the factors which distinguishes moral agents (and free citizens) from moral subjects, and from serfs.
Hope this helps.
The Contrarian is so succinct at clearing things up. Now we can get back to the topic… My initial response on this post was an attempt to show how The Spovangelist has no desire for a free and open debate. She wants those opposed to her view silenced and points out a few “racist” lines from SVI to try and rally support against him.
Chairman, you’ve got some pretty wild ideas about what I supposedly think and believe. Quite to the contrary, if anything I’ve provided SVI with some extra traffic and attention by writing this little opinion piece.
In addition, I have never once censored the comments on the Spovangelist no matter how divisive or incorrect I believe them to be. This includes your own. Silencing? Please…
I think you gave this guy way too much blog time. I think the best way to deal with these wackos is to not give them the benefit of space on your blog.
It appears that just like spovangelist, most of the comments here are just non-factual opinions and biased.