(So yes, that was in fact the real Stephenson who commented on Monday's post.)
While reading over his emails to me I started to doubt the legitimacy of Christwire. I began to think that it was just satire, much like The Onion. He continuously mocked me and my beliefs (something a devout Christian shouldn't do) while I showed him respect in every email. Now, I have nothing against conservatives or Christians, I just wanted him to clarify his sources. I respect his opinions and beliefs, like I said, I just wanted him to clarify that statement. Any "investigative journalist" like he claims to be must provide accurate sources.
What I received in reply to my questions was nothing but jokes and verbal attacks against me and UNH. He refused to get into a "drug debate" with me, as he called it. I never wanted to start anything, I just wanted to see his sources. Here are some pieces of the a few of the emails between us. (To keep this shorter I did not include everything.)
I started by with this:
"I don’t understand how you claim that marijuana is as dangerous/hardcore as “cocaine, tequila and heroin mixed together?” They are completely different drugs with different effects. Also, everyone should know that mixing drugs (and alcohol too) is the easiest way to overdose. This is something I learned in high school health class... Just to let you know I am an honors student at UNH, I write for the school paper, play several intramural sports and I run a blog by myself. I also go to parties on weekends and play video games. I am not 21 and I drink alcohol. I still seem to be doing exceptionally well in all my classes and I take my newspaper assignments and blog very seriously. I guess you could say that I am very motivated."
He replied:
"Well, I understand that you can fall prey to drug addiction up there in that state. It has always had a reputation for the lazy. What sort of industry is up there anyway? And I'm sure UNH rank's at the top of pot smoking schools... I don't know why, but those kids always like their Grateful Dead nonsense and now Phish. It is sad to think of the thousands of children lost to that "Dead head" lifestyle. There really is nothing redeeming in the pro-green, pro-destruction of your body with drugs Hippie world. You're white for crying out loud, why the dreadlocks???...I can't imagine someone like you even finishing college with such a monkey on his shoulder, but then again the bar has been lowered on college achievement especially at UNH. They graduate anybody these days. Probably just to raise more money from your desperate parents so they can hire a bunch of liberals and expand their school swimming pools."
I replied:
"After reading your article I spent some time researching marijuana. I couldn't find anywhere that said that marijuana is equally dangerous as mixing tequila, heroin and cocaine. Could you please clarify that for me, or send me the source of that statement?"
He replied:
"I don't need to debate you on drugs. They are bad. PERIOD. Stop trying to sell your "junk" theory to me anymore. People like you should be imprisoned for a long, long time. I can just think of all the little children you hurt, the children you make CRY!"
(To keep it short I replied to his comment below, explaining my blog, and how I have a solid group of readers. I asked him if Christwire was real or satire.)
He replied:
"I can hardly believe that UNH students are sober enough to make it through a morning shower, let alone a blog post. I have to genuinely question the credibility of anyone who states otherwise. Please wave the bong smoke from your eyes and focus on reality. How can you ever expect to be a moral leader or a manager of a fast food restaurant with such fuzzy beliefs and self-proclaimed indulgences? Well, best of luck regardless of your obvious affection for socialistic liberalism.
Sarah Palin 2012, my friend!"
My final email, which he has not yet replied to said:
| "Sarah Palin 2012? Thanks, now I am 100% sure that your website is complete satire. There is no way anyone in their right mind would support a candidate for president who can't handle her duties as thegovernor of Alaska." I am hoping that he will reply back. Please do not start a religious or political debate with me, I hope I didn't offend any of you, and I apologize if I did. I fully respect other's views. I would like to point out that he never gave me a source or answered my original question. That leads me to believe he (obviously) made up that statement, which started this whole episode. Any idiot knows that marijuana isn't as dangerous as cocaine, heroin or tequila by themselves, let alone mixed together. Stay classy, not UMassy. |
Its lame he wouldn't admit to making that statement up. Good job calling him out.
ReplyDeleteI feel like he does it just for the attention. He creates contoversy so he can argue with people because he has nothing better to do in his life. I am not religious but aren't some of the qualities of Christians to be open minded and not judge? Clearly Stephenson Billings does not show these qualities to you or other people that reply to his blog (I read a few other of his posts). He is a self-proclaimed "Investigative Journalist" so he is free to his opinions no matter how ludacris they are but in return shouldn't he give others their right to an opinion?
ReplyDeleteDM, I feel the same way. He is just looking for an argument which is probably why he kept responding to my emails. You are right, if you are going to have these opinions it is only fair to respect other's opinions.
ReplyDeleteI see nothing untoward or insincere in my correspondence. You people are reading far too much into a direct, honest response to your hackneyed and belligerent tirades. I have tried to shed a tiny bit of light and intelligence on your dark corner of hell, but you have cowered and cried like some bubonic rodent. I find you people arrogant, humorless and drug-addicted. How do you expect to get on in life if those are your most salient characteristics?
ReplyDelete“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.” -- William F. Buckley
I think Stephenson is awesome. His writing captivates the audience and he puts together some very well structured thought out sentences. You can't hate on this guy for entertaining us with his unique satire!
ReplyDeleteBOOM ROASTED.
ReplyDeleteYou don't see anything insincere? You called out the entire student body of UNH! How can you make those statements so blindly? We are college students and you are an old guy. Get a life! Does it make you feel good about yourself to go around and call everyone with different opinions than you pot heads and hopeless?
ReplyDeleteIf Stephenson supports Palin he is obviously very conservative and probably supported Bush (or at least when he ran against Kerry and Gore). Former president Bush not only smoked pot when he was young, but he also did cocaine. According to Stephenson anyone was tries a drug is an addict, so therefor Stephenson supports drug addicts. See Stephenson? It isn't hard to make assumptions and to put words in other people's mouths.
ReplyDeleteHe's probably just pulling your chain.
ReplyDeleteConsider this:
ReplyDelete"Poe's Law points out that it is hard to tell parodies of fundamentalism from the real thing, since they both seem equally insane. Conversely, real fundamentalism can easily be mistaken for a parody of fundamentalism. For example, some conservatives consider noted homophobe Fred Phelps to be so over-the-top that they argue he's a "deep cover liberal" trying to discredit more mainstream homophobes."
Christwire is a Satire, although a fairly entertaining one. My friends and I stumbled upon it last year. Some of the main contributers to Christwire are members of the Landover Baptist Church.(landoverbaptist.org) The Landover website is even more ridiculus than Christwire, but in its TOS it does say that it is completely fiction.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly believe in speaking truth to power. In this care, I am speaking truth to you children with the hopes that maybe you'll pass it along to your parents (who, frankly are probably the rich white liberals running this country into the ground with your Obama-style takeover of corporate goodness. Yes, they are the power).
ReplyDeleteUnivserity of New Hampshire looks pleasant enough. The location is green and cheerful and New Englandy when kids make college tours in the spring but true experts know it's more like that hotel in The Shining when winter comes-- children blocked in an neurotic fortress where alcohol and strange girls roam, where the only typing work that gets done is complete nonsense and where, in the end, you find yourself breathing heavy in some dark mess of bushes on your knees.
As for Peter and his blog: "University on Nonsensical Happenings" is the most perverse leftwing college propaganda machine I have come across in a long time. It's intent seems to be subdue UNH's hungover students long enough to sell them ill-fitting t-shirts and tickets to a bearded hockey team that spends more time on the ice spitting blood than scoring goals. It is shameful there is no common sense representation of evangelical beliefs, no outright support of Sarah Palin and no encouragement for the students there who want to grow up to be the next generation's conservative corporate leaders who will fight health care, unions and estate taxes with all their much-deserved wealth.
With my love and blessings,
Stephenson Billings, Investigative Journalist, Christwire
Just to clarify "Peter" isn't my name... just a fake one for the blog's email account...
ReplyDeleteIt is seriously, poetry, to read.
ReplyDeleteNew information has been presented. Christwire is associated with Brandman University, is the online portion of Chapman University.
ReplyDeleteListed among their notable alumni is a porn star...
So yes, Christwire is completely satire.
I was on that website for at least an hour today, skimming articles and eventually found that it was impossible to tell whether or not it was satire. If it is, it's not funny. I actually found it to be like Steven Colbert's book "I am America (and so can You!)", of which I read several pages before realizing it was a cheap attempt at fundamentalist satire.
ReplyDeleteLet me say this loud and clear: I am in no way supporting the fundamentalist agenda. I'm supporting the idea that if you're going to make fun of something, do a good job of it.
"I'm supporting the idea that if you're going to make fun of something, do a good job of it."
ReplyDeleteAmen, sister.