A kind message from a friend, NOT!

I received the following message (posted below) from a colleague who is not a friend. I had sent the colleague a message asking if they might offer a comment for a story I was writing for my local area newsletter. Yes, I did default to the North American Familiar and addressed this colleague by their 'christian' name. 

I did at least say 'Dear,' not Hey. 

I am used to getting cranky emails back from time to time. The only way to accommodate such emails, aside from trashing them, is to appreciate them. So let me try.

My original email went out almost two weeks ago.  It was one of a small set I sent to academics who had expertise and knowledge regarding civil protest and institutional surveillance. This colleague did not respond until today, after the story I had contacted them about previously, was published.

I note the academic slight of addressing me as Mr, not Dr or Professor.  I guess that is to counter balance my faux pas of addressing them by their first name.  

Then there's the selective quote: "in support of Hamas."  The full quote: "In support of Hamas and the Palestinian cause.  Thereafter I use the term pro-Palestinian. Splitting hairs?  Some of the people I saw supporting Palestine did say they supported Hamas, some said they did not. In the early days there were clearly people supporting the Palestinian cause who made it clear they had no issue with Hamas. 

But what I most appreciate is the effort they went to to track down my story, read it (but not carefully),  then pen and send me this dunning note.  After all that they break it off as they have more important issues to attend to.  Well, I sure hope they do.

Not to worry 'Dear Not Your Friend,'  I won't be making any effort to contact you again.

Mr. Menzies:

I am not your friend. I did not give you permission to address me with my first name.

The fact that you insist  - as per your latest post - on parroting false Zionist propaganda that student protests on campus were "in support of Hamas" is in my view a clear indication of your bias and false pretense to fair-handedness, as well as your careless attitude towards the safety and well-being of UBC students.

The fact that you also stated the number of Israeli deaths but failed to mention the more than 70K  Palestinians killed in a genocide (as attested by international standards) is another indication of whose lives you value more. I encourage to take some time and learn about anti-Palestinian racism.

There is a lot more to say about your poorly-framed piece. But I have other more important issues to attend to.

Unless there is a clear work-related justification for you to contact me in your capacity as a fellow UBC employee (which I very much doubt), I am asking you to desist from emailing me or getting in touch with me again. I have no interest in hearing your response or carrying this interaction any further.