At the opinion desk, we post our articles on both Twitter and Facebook to facilitate discourse and expose our writers to constructive criticism. Oftentimes, the comment section is full of thoughtful, wholesome and considerate insights. Other times, not so much.
So without further ado, the hate comments that managed to rise above the rest and command our attention:
Caleb Elizondo @CalebElizondo7, opinion editor —
Regarding “STEM education lacks humanity:” “It’s amazing how often hubris, ignorance, presumption, and naivete travel together, and this article exemplifies that. The presumptuousness of someone who hasn’t even finished his freshman year casting some sort of broad-stroke criticism across an entire college is laughable …”
In my better moments online, I pause to reflect; does anyone really care about what I have to say? Will anyone, or even myself, remember what I’m typing a week from now? I haven’t come to a sure conclusion, but in regards to this commenter the answer to both questions is clear. This comment has lived in my head rent free for roughly a year now and brings me an occasional burst of giggles at least once a week.
Charis Adkins @Charis_Batt, opinion columnist —
Regarding “Family Weekend should be rescheduled:” “Charis Adkins, I read most of these comments and essentially no one agreed with your opinion. Is EVERYone [sic] else wrong?”
Ma’am, I literally just work here. They tell me to write an opinion, I write an opinion. You’re a grown woman picking a fight with a 20-year-old who wrote this article in a Red Bull-fueled fever dream at 3 a.m. What do you want me to say?
Maddie McMurrough @MadsMcMurrough, opinion writer —
Regarding “Something smells Fishy, Camp:” “If [Fish Camp] would have been three days at a tropical resort with a personal servant she wouldn’t have enjoyed it. She held her breath and shut her eyes like a toddler being force fed her vegetables.”
It’s ironic that a full grown man is lecturing me on maturity, while he uses an ad hominem argument against someone that can display more respect for others at 20 than he can at his age. I think this commenter is just deflecting his own maturity issues onto me simply because we have opposing opinions.
Saanya Troutman @Saanyalache, opinion writer —
Regarding “What happened to syllabus week:” “I guess the next article will be ‘can you believe they gave us homework due during spring break’ or ‘Assignments due on Monday? Who does that’ … softies”
Oh my gosh. It’s almost as if a Texas A&M student opinion writer can’t write an opinion about how she likes her lucrative education to be served — at A&M. Though I appreciate the article suggestions, I think I’d rather write a piece on “How to use proper capitalization and punctuation as a full-grown working adult” because I think certain individuals who happily flex their Twitter fingers have forgotten what correct spelling and grammar is.
Lilia Elizondo @Lilia Elizondo, opinion writer —
Regarding “A&M is UT’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend:” “I guess Ms. Elizondo was never assaulted by one of [UT’s] ‘students’ at Midnight Yell.”
What? Do I have to be assaulted to not like someone? Where is this aggression coming from? Is this a threat? Who has to assault me? Should I prepare for someone to assault me? Why is the word students in quotes? Why is this actually kind of funny to read and making me laugh out loud? Why am I still laughing as I type this?