About dubious "awards"

     There are people who go around bestowing dubious "awards" to people they don't like. For example: Ray Comfort is called the "bananaman." Presumably the purpose of such awards is to poison the well so that others don't listen to what the target has to say. Leaving aside, for the moment, my general principle that those who would silence opposition have no confidence in their beliefs, such activity is really an admission of a kind of inferiority. There would be no purpose to making the claim of Ray if he were not influencing people. The mere fact that they take the trouble means that he is on the public radar and having an effect. Now, I think that Ray's effect is harmful. And I will say, to whoever will hear, why I believe he is harmful. But I will not invent some "award" for him, even to sound atrocious, for a simple reason. I don't think he's better than me. He is more effective at getting his message across. That probably has to do with having more money than I do. But I don't need to insult and misrepresent him in order to feel superior.
     And that is the nature of the abusive "awards." They are bestowed because the bestower feels inadequate. He is putting on a false face in the hope of getting people not to listen to someone he sees as his better. Drawing attention to such an award is seldom much better -- although I have indicated to our resident clown that he seemed to be working toward earning one about which he had previously complained. Does he have a great effect? Maybe. But he's funny. And every time I post about him, I acknowledge that he has an effect -- mostly to make me laugh. But I also know this, those who would take him seriously will do so despite my laughter and my posts. I'm not sure he has anyone who isn't himself.
     I'm not too worried about those who would try to make me feel bad about myself. (Unfortunately, there is still an initial irrational reaction. I am human, after all.) There aren't that many of them and, when I think about it, I realize that they are unwittingly paying me a true homage. They are indicating that I am intellectually and spritually higher than they can ever hope to achieve. And should there ever become many of them? That would indicate that I had achieved a reach beyond my expectations.