I don’t know what it is–maybe the moon is aligned with the planets, the wolves are howling at the moon, and the wingnuts have come out to frolic. But I’ve attracted some new trolls and all of sudden have been visited by one who I’d hoped had abandoned me for more promising pastures.
Joshua S.C. Parkhurst is one of the early members of my Troll Academy. He’s been banned so many times I can’t begin to count. Given the wide number of IP addresses he’s used to access this blog, I surmise he’s even used his own law firm’s computers to gain access to my blog & leave derogatory comments. Josh, you ought to make sure you’re not doing so now or Cary Kane might not approve of such use. In fact just for the hell of it I’m going to contact the firm to let them know about the unprovoked campaign he’s waged against me for four years and counting. UPDATE: Parkhurst uses a wireless router (not his law firm’s computers) which provides him changing IP addresses. This, in turn, has allowed him to circumvent the IP blacklist of my comment filter.
Here are a few of Josh’s ‘greatest hits’ published here and wherever else he can find an outlet to trash me:
“Tikkun Olam” [sic] is a lightly trafficked blog with virtually no significant discussion. It is replete with factual errors and largely consists of personal and vindictive attacks…The site owner…can be routinely counted on to insult, demean, and attack not only Israeli policy, but anyone who dares speak out in favor of Israel in the current conflict…
…The narcicissm [sic] that you see from sites like this [Muzzlewatch] and “Tikkun [sic] Olam.”
You shot your mouth off…
…You attack[ed] someone who doesn’t hate Israel as much as you do…The only legitimate opinions for Richard are those that hate Israel as much as he does.
…his ranting about Israel…
You…dive into a tirade of “everything I hate about Israel…”
…The objective evidence show that the Israeli “brand” is doing quite well.
…Unlike you, I’m not a liar.
AIPAC itself does not get involved in electoral politics.
…The effect of “the lobby” is most likely greatly exaggerated.
Richard…has become more and more unhinged as of late.
The IDF was remarkably restrained in its response. They could have simply mowed down the frontline of women…
Richard is one of those people who gets hysterical…
Richard’s views are…morally and intellectually bankrupt…
…There will also be useful idiots like yourself…
Lebanon has no basis whatsoever not to recognize Israel and guarantee it full peace.
…Will you…admit that you are a fool?
He once accused Leila Abu Saba, one of the kindest gentlest bloggers I know of peddling “hate.”
A word about my accusation above that he is a “liar.” One thing I never allow anyone commenting here to say is that I hate Israel. In fact, I love Israel and wouldn’t criticize it at all if I didn’t. Josh makes the common error made by all intolerant uber-Israel folk: he mistakes criticism for Israeli policy for hatred of Israel. At any rate, my comment rules make clear that this is a definite no-no if you want to remain as member of my blog community. And Josh says I hate Israel not just once, but every chance he gets. For that, he is a liar, in fact a serial liar. And he violates one of Judaism’s important prohibitions against motzi shem ra (“spouting lies and spreading disinformation”). And that is one of the reasons he is banned. If he wishes to violate my comment rules he simply won’t be welcome.
Josh berates me for banning him. He seems to think I have an obligation to allow every schnook like him who wants to diss me to have their say here. I’ve often suggested he start his own blog and say whatever the hell he wants about me there. You see, I don’t care what Josh says on his dime. It’s saying it here that bugs me. So Josh, take a hint. Instead of getting all in a huff about being banned. Just get lost. Find someone else to bug.
Josh has even contributed to Barack Obama’s campaign. At MyBarackObama.com, he even lists these as his interests:
Issues: equality / civil rights; civil liberties / privacy; peace & social justice; foreign policy / security; economic fairness /
Even once claimed he was a member of Peace Now to establish his supposed liberal street cred. Even goes to other progressive blogs like Muzzlewatch to smear me. A swell example of a Jewish mensch.
He’s president of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy. I hope he’s better at preserving housing than he is at preserving Jewish values like derech eretz. You know, I’ve never even heard him talk a single time about any Jewish value come to think of it. I don’t even know if he has any or knows what the concept is.
Josh practices employment law and fights for the little guy according to his firm’s website:
“Fair treatment in the workplace is crucial for realizing the American Dream. People regardless of their age, race, gender or background are entitled to be free from unlawful discrimination and harassment…I believe in fighting for the rights of people who work hard for a living.”
You see, Josh is opposed to “harassment” when it comes to his own clients. But as for harassing those HE doesn’t like–that’s another story. Talk about living one’s values and practicing what one preaches…
I wonder whether Josh’s law firm approves of conduct like his in their staff attorneys. Sure, lawyers are entitled to free speech like all the rest of us. But I’d think they would also care about their reputations as well.
I didn’t ask for a fight with Josh. I didn’t know who he was until he began venting his spleen here. I only responded in kind. I have repeatedly asked him to stop harassing me and banned him repeatedly and he acted with obsessive disregard for my wishes. I still retain the hope that he will see reason and find someone else in the blogosphere to annoy.
It is possible that there are legal clients who want someone like Josh to represent them. Someone who’s a nasty SOB. Someone who can’t take “No’ for an answer. Someone who resorts to stalking and harrassing those whom he dislikes. Or maybe Josh is a different person in his law practice than the ugly person he becomes here. At any rate, he might want to consider the way in which he comes across here and whether that is the type of human being he wishes to be, and whether that is the type of person his clients or his colleagues would wish him to be.
Parkhurst used to post on the Jewish Encounter forum, he made a laughing stock of himself. He’s completely illiterate in Hebrew and a total ignoramus of anything even remotely Jewish and/or middle eastern – some people are determined to make fools of themselves!
It sounds like Joshua deals with harassment and bullying regularly for his job. That is probably why he feels like he can deal with your harassment and bullying. I have to admit that I am disturbed by the amount of time and effort you put into damaging the reputations of those who express views you don’t agree with.
I also think you don’t have the education necessary to be a serious commentator on the Middle East. This was embarrassingly obvious when you called a Pakistani terrorist an “Arab-American”.
@David: This is one of the Aussie Dave Irregulars sent here by the initimable Dave himself (perhaps David IS Dave though that’s doubtful since the former can actually spell and string a sentence together). Anyway, Aussie Dave has taken the opportunity to write yet another admiring blog post about me which I truly appreciate. Especially the link so his arch-right wing readers can get some culture while they’re slumming here.
At any rate, it’s a laugh when David someone accuses me of bullying Parkhurst who started the bullying himself before I’d even said a word to him or knew who he was. As I wrote, I didn’t ask Josh to attack me and lie about my views. He chose to do that himself. I don’t lie down and take it when bullies like Aussie Dave & Josh come my way. I RESPOND. Get that? RESPOND. Not INITIATE.
I also think it’s really cute that when one of the wingnuts finds a single mistake you’ve made, they circulate it through the wingnut internet ether so that every single pro-Israel wingnut knows about it. I must have powerful medicine for them to waste their time collecting all those boo-boos. Actually, I should save them time & compile a list myself so they can come here & check it themselves.
And may I point out YOUR mistake? Naveed Haq is Pakistani-American, not Pakistani. Only someone as intolerant as yrself would label him a “terrorist” w/o acknowledging his severe mental illness as well.
Attempting to destroy someone’s livelihood is not a legitimate response to comments posted on a blog. I am saddened that you cannot see how your actions are a vicious overreaction.
-ron
@ronny:
In Judaism, attempting to destroy someone’s reputation by lying about them, provoking them, publicizing yr distorted views about them widely are deeply offensive. It is called motzi shem ra. That concept either is unknown to you or means nothing to you (unless it was your ox that was gored in which case you’d feel differently). If he wishes to smear my reputation with lies then I strongly believe the blogosphere and people with whom he interacts should know what type of person he is. If they don’t have a problem with how he presents himself online, then he will not be impacted. If people whose respect Josh needs don’t like what he does, then he will stop doing it.
I for one don’t turn the other cheek. Unlike you & Josh, I’m prepared to stand behind what I do or say and have it quoted (as long as it is not distorted, twisted or quoted out of context) anywhere at any time.
I also find it interesting that you’re adopting precisely the same argument used by Aussie Dave, who has written a blog post about this matter & makes it one of his pasttimes to feebly smear me. Clearly, you’re taking yr talking points from one of the nastier Israeli Islamophobes in the blogosphere. That doesn’t give yr comments terribly much credibiilty. And if you’re one of Dave’s acolytes what do you think about his empty threat to sue me for libel? Was that a “vicious overreaction” too or just desserts? If the latter then you’re a hypocrite like yr friends Dave & Josh.
And do report this comment back to Dave & ask him to write another post about me. But have him be sure to link to me so his readers can go slumming through the liberal Jewish blogosphere.
Are you seriously comparing a flame war on the internet to someone’s personal life and livelihood? Do you honestly not see the difference?
-ron
@ronny: You clearly don’t write a blog. If you did you would understand that one’s blog is a representation of oneself, what one believes, and one’s reputation. Josh Parkhurst has attempted (feebly) to destroy my reputation and done so intensively over a long period.
Get yrself a blog & a few trolls and then come back & tell me how you feel about it. Until then, as the lyrics of the rock song say: “You don’t know what it’s like…”
Ugh. It’s too embarrassing to have a blog.
-ron
Yes, it is said
“Make the World a Better Place?” David Grossman should start with himself.