Rev Dr Barbara Reynolds - Silencing the Flock

Most of you may have been keeping up-to-date about the saga which is rumbling on regarding Barack Obama, Rev Jeremiah Wright Jr and Rev Dr Barbara Reynolds.

I won't bore you with the details but provide a link to a site where you can obtain a version of events, at your convenience.

The angle I am taking on this story is: How do you deal with people who write things about you which appear on your blog/site which you don't like.

Dr Reynolds has received a slew of negative verbal attacks due to her perceived role in the 'taking down of a brother' - Barack Obama via Rev Wright. Her blog ReynoldsWorldNews had a post supporting Rev Wright which was written prior to this debacle. Interestingly enough most of the comments were post-debacle and contained comments which suggested she was a Judas, 'how can you sleep at night', 'shame on you', etc. The comments were vociferous, clear, emotional and very frank. No misinterpretation of their dissatisfaction with Dr Reynolds was possible. Comment after comment castigated her in no uncertain terms with the odd dissenting voice being quickly fired upon.

Now the interesting point for me was how Rev Reynolds dealt with the barrage of unflattering comments. She did not exercise her right of reply. It is her blog and she could respond in anyway she liked without censor. She, instead, decided to, firstly, remove her post regarding Rev Wright, including all comments.

The next day I checked her site and realised that 'anonymous' persons had written comments on another of her posts -related to the Rev Wright issue.

Today, I notice, all comments have been disabled.

For someone who is/was a journalist, who understand that politics is a dirty, nasty game and if you take a dip in the cesspool you will inevitably be soiled, it is astounding to me that she has decided to silence those who voice their honest opinions. For someone who purports to promote the 'word of god' she represents all that is negative about those who stand on pulpits and preach to the 'flock'. Don't stand up and be different, don't shout out at perceived injustices. Just don't have an opinion of your own.

In a so-called democratic society, I would recommend that in future, Dr Reynolds, you allow, welcome, enable dissenting voices to be heard. Is that not what the Civil Rights Movement was objecting to? - state-sanctioned silencing of those who, rightly, objected to the status quo, those who refused to accept segregation as a natural normal god-given way of life.

Come on, Dr Reynolds, let those voices be heard. Don't silence those who have an opinion. It does you nor the causes you support or promote any favours.