The Truth About Comment Sections and Keyboard Warriors

Todd: Have you ever noticed something? The people that care about a subject usually aren't afraid to put their faces with their opinions. They'll get on camera and they'll have a conversation. They'll explain why they believe what they believe. And then there's the other people. I call them comment cowboys. They ride into the comment section, all hat and no horse. They throw out one or two lines designed to stir up trouble and then gallop off before anyone can have a real discussion. They don't want conversation, they want a reaction. They want to stir the pot. Recently, one of those comment cowboys got offended because I said something that apparently struck a nerve. I was talking about catching people trespassing on the property during a certain hunting season. We had photographs, we documented it, and then I made a statement that statistically during that season, It generated more hunting related trespassing complaints than any other hunting, fishing, or trapping season, and that's nationwide. And that's also based on records kept by the state in Freedom of Information Act request. Immediately people jumped in the comments claiming I was attacking those hunters. Here's the problem. It wasn't my opinion. It wasn't me stereotyping anyone. It wasn't something I made up because I don't like those type of hunters. I like all hunters. That statistics came from a freedom of information request. It's data. If the numbers change next year, then the numbers change, the statistics will change, and I'll talk about that too. But statistics don't care about your feelings. And let's be clear about something. I don't have a problem with any type of hunter. In fact, I don't have a problem with anybody hunting our property if they've been invited. If you're willing to help maintain the property, respect the rules, and hunt with permission, you're welcome. But if you show up without permission, you are trespassing. It doesn't matter whether you're carrying a turkey call, a deer rifle, a fishing rod, or a metal detector. Permission does matter if it's posted. And there's rules on posted and unposted land. And then there's another comment cowboy that wrote into town. They wrote something along the lines of, funny how you're suddenly worried about trespassing when it isn't your dog. Now that one actually stopped and made me laugh because anyone who's followed me for more than five minutes knows I've been saying the exact same thing for almost a decade. I've repeatedly said that there's a difference between an accident and a habit. If dogs cross property lines on an accident, it happens. But an accident doesn't happen every day. If every time you cut your dog loose, he's running into your neighbor's property. That's no longer an accident. That's a management problem. And I've said for years that hunters have the responsibility to know their dogs, their territory, and to avoid creating problems for neighboring landowners. I've also said that repeated violations deserve consequences. None of that's changed, not once. I've never stuttered and I've never varied from my stance. The only people surprised by those statements are the people who don't actually listen. They don't watch the podcast. They don't read the articles I've written. I've written thousands. They don't hear the full discussion. They don't know the context. They read one sentence, invent the other ninety-nine, and then argue with the version they created in their own heads. Comment Cowboys. All hat, no horse. That's what they do. Social media has created an interesting phenomenon. Some people generally want to learn. And some generally just want to disagree. Those are great conversations. I enjoy those. But there's another group that doesn't come looking for understanding. They only want conflict. They're not interested in facts. They're interested in scoring imaginary internet points. And usually they disappear the moment you ask them. To have an actual conversation. If you're confident enough to type it, you're confident enough to say it. Turn your camera on and come on the podcast. We'd love to have a respectful discussion. You might change my mind. I might change yours. Or maybe neither one of us changes our minds, but at least people watching get to hear both sides. That's how conversations work. But dropping a drive-by comment and disappearing, that's not debate. That's entertainment. So the next time you see a comment cowboy ride through the comments, remember, real conversation happens face to face and not behind a fake profile. Comment cowboys just ride through kicking up dust. Last night I had a person that was going to be on the podcast. They confirmed the discussions had been happening over a couple of days. It's not like that at you know, that morning it was, hey, you're gonna be on the podcast? Yeah, great. The discussions had been going on since June. And it's July. So it wasn't a surprise for anyone. But the person Just before the podcast was supposed to go live, started coming up with all kinds of excuses why they couldn't be there. Well, folks, let me tell you a little secret. I wasn't even wanting to do that podcast. I had something else totally that I wanted to do. But when this person told me that they wanted to be on and they wanted to have their story heard, I said, I need to tell this because people are asking me. It was the story about the Larry Grimes GoFundMe that nobody seems to know what happened. They raised over four thousand dollars, Larry's got none of it. And the person whose name is on the GoFundMe contacted me and wanted to talk. But suddenly when it was time to turn the camera on and talk to the viewers, they had all kinds of reasons. Th they couldn't get on camera. So I had the podcast anyway. I was already set up for it. I couldn't do the other one that I wanted to do because I didn't have my guest lined up, which by the way is going to be a great podcast. I'm not going to let you in on what it's going to be, but you're going to love it. So I went ahead and did the podcast and I brought up the GoFundMe on screen and I showed that how much money was earned. I read the exact text of the podcast, and then I scrolled to the bottom, showed the person's name, and showed what the GoFundMe was about. There's three words. The GoFundMe according to the GoFundMe page is for food, monthly bills, and housing. That's what the GoFundMe says it's about. But for some reason the person in charge is claiming it's for something else. And then they claim there was a police investigation and they couldn't say something because there's a police investigation. But keep in mind, they reached out to me and wanted to talk. So they accused me of smearing their name and some other stuff. I I'm not smearing your name, brother. I'm just reading What the GoFundMe says, and I'm repeating your statements. So anyway, there's that. Just comment, Cowboys. My friend Steven says it's easy to stand in the dark and throw stones into the light. Stand in the light, folks. Stand on business, stand on truth. I'll catch you later.