The Jerk Store Recall.

Recently, someone made a nasty comment on the column of a newspaper to which I contribute. It was offensive enough to stop readers from continuing to comment. We tried to ignore the person but waited for someone to tell the offensive reader that he was being rude. I finally volunteered, “The jerk store called and they want you back” -- a slight variation of the famous line. Immediately someone else blurted out, “Is that a line from ’Seinfeld’?” Another sent me the link with a question, “Did you steal that line from ‘Seinfeld’?” Why would he send a link and ask me at the same time? It’s inconsequential but proves a point, Hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet venomous jerks become big bullies. These are usually the same people who preach tolerance. They might even sport a “coexist” bumper sticker on their car.

Some of the comments on Huffington Post are shocking. On the more upscale or well established media sources – those behind a pay wall for subscribers only – some sources will pay for a subscription in order to have access to the comments column. The group of jerks will use a pseudonym to post ugly sentiments. Once recently I commented on a military question and got a speedy reply from another reader which read, “You don’t know what you’re talking about A**hat.” I was surprised by the nasty tone if the response but figured I should leave the site and not tangle with the creep. Insensitivity and rudeness seem to be running rampant ever since we became politically correct. The old morals and ethics of yesteryear have vanished completely. It’s not unusual to hear young children tossing epithets at their parents. As someone once said about political correctness, it simply reorganizes hatred.

Where have all the well-mannered people gone? We need them as a first line of defense against the boorish nitwits who have taken over society. What we really need is a total Jerk Store Recall. I’m forming the first Society for the Extinction of Jerks on the Internet (S.E.J.I.) Any subscribers here?