How harassing!

I went to a seminar last week on bullying, harassment and abuse. Yes learnt quite a few good tricks! (only joking).
I came away realising how much more harassment there is in life than I had realised. And there are of course realisations of acts perpetrated in the past of which one is deeply ashamed. Mea culpa!
I also recognise how much I have also been the victim of harassment. Something, I think, I have been reluctant to recognise. Thinking maybe that it goes with the territory and that I should grin and bear it...as a man, as a Christian, as a priest...well as a human being. I think one thing I learnt was that that position is unsustainable.
Writing a blog and allowing comments leaves one open to harassment! I have just read today's email and responded to a couple of vitriolic comments, deleted a couple of stupid ones and given thanks for a couple of supportive ones.
What gets me about harassment of this form is the sheer cowardice of so much of it. Various respondents writing pseudonymously (that's "under an assumed name" for those who think I'm too smart for my own good) they make wild accusations and expect to be taken seriously, or expectto me to welcome this sort of crap.
For my part, attempting to not harass others I commit myself to not write anonymously and to not write what I do not believe. In not being complicit with harassment I commit myself to not publish stuff about me which I consider to be more hurtful than fair comment, and to remind any readers that I am not harassing you with my weblog...you are choosing to read it and you can choose not to!!