One Man's Perspective: Take a happy pill

I love the Internet and I really enjoy the Daily Reporter Web site.

I enjoy the opportunity to read the comments that our online readers share after a story impacts them enough to author a response. That said, I hate the anonymity associated with the reader comments.

We have a policy at the paper, we won't run your letter to the editor if you don't sign it. For some reason, that same level of accountability is not expected on our Web site. You can call yourself pretty much anything you want, as long as you don't dare use your name. That allows you to make comments that you wouldn't dare make if people knew who you were.

Now me, I prefer to use my name. I want you to know that my thoughts are my thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree with those thoughts really doesn't matter to me, because I have the conviction to stand behind what I'm saying by attaching my name to it.

What has really been bothering me lately is the people on the site who are just negative about everything. There's a few out there that use every story as a means to express their displeasure about the city's current job climate. The story could be about fixing a water fountain in the park, and somehow these people would find a way to turn it into a rant about the fact that the city isn't doing enough to bring jobs to town.

"Before you go around fixing those fountains, you better find a business to bring in 300 high paying jobs. Otherwise, people are going to be taking sips from your fountain as they begin their long trip to greener pastures elsewhere."

-- Submitted by Ihateeverything.2009.

Not everything is associated with job creation in Spencer. When a story is about a plant closing, or a major staff reduction, I get it. That makes sense.

But when the story is about a funded art project in the park - whether it appeals to you or not - I don't see the tie-in to perceived lacking "economic development" efforts.

Hey everybody, a local church wants to take an abandoned building and turn it into something positive for the youth of our community, and perhaps set it up to help those in need.

"Those do-gooders should mind their own business. Why aren't they out finding me a good paying job that's close enough for me to walk to, has perfect hours, and will pay me an executive salary."

-- Submitted by 3rdtimeOWI

"Yeah, where's my job?!"

-- Submitted by hischooldropout95

Here's a thought. If you were a perspective employer looking for a place to relocate your business, and you went to the Daily Reporter Web site for a little bit of research on the mental state of the community, would you want to relocate to a community with a collection of negative whiners? I would run for the hills.

It's easy to sit back and anonymously attack during a bad situation. But it's not just here folks. There are people out there working on the behalf of the city to try and make things happen. But there are a lot of other community leaders out there trying to convince the same businesses to come to their midsize town too. Everybody battles and the company winds up heading down to Mexico. That's not anybody's fault, and it's not neglect on behalf of the city, it's simply a sign of the hard times we face.

What doesn't help however is a bunch of armchair economic developers who rather than helping put our best face forward are constantly delivering punches that give this community ugly black eyes in the minds of others.

Let me ask you, "beergut-brainfart," while your busy clacking away on your keyboard, tearing down the efforts of everyone else around town who, in their own little way, are trying to make Spencer a better place; what exactly have you done lately? I mean besides complain, feel sorry for yourself and hide behind your anonymity?