Since I am the custodian of the offending comment, let me make some remarks.
1. It's out of line, no question.
1a. My own father died (as I made inferentially clear in my original post) of colon cancer when I was 14. No, I don't want or need anyone's pity. But I do get why the comment is out of line. I get that at a very personal level.
2. I'm not going to censor it, because the marketplace of ideas is already dealing with it.
3. Nobody has complained to me about it.
4. Warren had not complained to anyone about it, doubtless recognizing it for what it was, and the author for who he is.
5. Those who started the complaint chorus are riding uninvited to the defence of Warren Kinsella, who is clearly more capable of defending himself than half the bloggers out there combined, and has his own blog and his own high profile in political circles with which to do so.
6. The ensuing controversy, wailing and gnashing of teeth is giving the commenter in question exactly what he wanted; in fact I would say it was force feeding the troll to the extent that he'll end up as foie gras before we're done.
7. Dignified silence, which is what Warren himself was observing, would have been by far the best and most effective response, as well as displaying the most character.
It's a stupid joke from a well known troll. Period. It doesn't say anything about 'the right'. It certainly doesn't say anything about the Conservative Party, and I don't even see it as saying anything about me.
I now return to my regularly scheduled birthday
