I mentioned the other day that the story of my Statehouse battle had been picked up by a few papers. It’s interesting just where those stories were, and just what sort of comments they generated from readers.
From the list that Google generates, about 60% were from within Ohio, while the rest were a smattering from around the country, including some smaller towns around Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, two towns in Connecticut, and even Beaumont, Texas.
But the comments are always the most interesting for being an interesting combination of people who get it, and other people who like to wallow in ignorance.
Those stories generated around 30 comments (most of them generated no comments at all). For some reason, Akron folks got the most worked up about it, with about 20 of those comments.
It was rather gratifying to see that a third of the comments just asked why the heck the state government was wasting its time on this. They recognized that it should be a non-issue.
But the other comments are the amusing ones. One guy wrote nothing more than:
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Entrance.
as if that actually said anything. Just the usual mindless parroting we have to deal with. No thought about why a lack of shoes should prohibit entry. And the response to that wasn’t much better:
works for burger joints
Clearly, this second remarker doesn’t pay attention. Burger joints generally don’t care. It just amazes me the sorts of assumptions people make and take as gospel.
And then there was this one:
I wonder if this guys feet hurt enough to go shoe-less in the winter? I doubt it. What a dork!
and this one:
Ten bucks says this guy doesn’t go barefoot when there is snow on the ground and it is below zero outside. Some people thrive on drawing attention to themselves, such as this douche bag.
Of course you are all familiar with this picture:
Thousands of people turned out Saturday for the Hocking Hills 46th Annual Winter Hike from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave. Notice anything about the man in the middle wearing the black beret and jacket? He walked the 6-mile route barefoot.
from The Hocking Hills Mid-Winter Hike.
I wonder if I should try to get in touch with the guy and collect my $10?
And then here’s the one I really like, that packs multiple ignorant assumptions into on little ball:
Isn’t anyone concerned about things like ringworm?
To answer his question: “Uh, no. Not the ones who know what they are talking about.” The guy may be thinking of Hookworm, but we know that’s not a problem. And ringworm is just a form of athlete’s foot. You know, the fungus that prefers a warm, dark, moist environment, like the inside of a shoe. (Though, to be fair, ringworm usually shows up elsewhere, but that also means it is not something related to whether one is shod or not.)
In the end, about all one can do about these sorts of comments is laugh.
Either that, or write a blog entry laughing at them.
I haven’t even heard about hookworm since the ’50s, when it had been reduced to a pejorative comment about hicks in the sticks, rednecks, and assorted others who disparage knowledge. You would have to go a decade or two before that to find it a legitimate health concern. What ever happened to hookworm? It wasn’t more wearing of shoes because we still go barefoot most of the summer.
More power to the hobbits!
Sorry, I forgot to ask for comment notification.