You know, I hid my gender for a long time here, because I didn't want to put up with a bunch of asshole men attacking a woman's point of view. I was afraid that if I spoke up from my point of view, I would get trashed.

It has been so nice to just be myself here, without fear.

And then. @spoco2 spoke up on C-Punch video, as did a number of others.

Since then, it has been a downward spiraling troll fest that, for me, is getting uglier and uglier.

I like the guys that are doing the trolling. I also wish they would stop.

I realize that saying something is likely to set off another round of bashing on folks who come here as a respite from the Norm of the Internet.

I don't think censorship is okay. Please don't get me wrong.

But why this need to punish, guys? It is ugly. I'm not enjoying it.

Is this how people get run off from the Sift?

I have read posts, after the fact, discussing how so-and-so got their "feelings hurt" and left the Sift. Is this how it happens?

My feelings aren't hurt. I just don't want to see promoted on the front page what feels like an unending assault against the sensibilities of women and those who truly care about women.

I know I risk setting the trolls off again. (I hate calling the folks I like trolls.) I want to speak up, though. I don't want to stay silent.

Here's a question -- if these sexist videos (and yes, they are sexist videos) were RACIST videos, would the community allow them to continue? Why is that blatant -- or even sly -- sexism is still okay but racism is not?

Here's another question -- why would people I like continue doing things that they know upset me and others like me? I understand that behavior in the faceless morass that is YouTube or the internet in general, but here? Where we like each other -- mostly?

This is what spoco2 was talking about, I think. The bully boy frat boy tactics that are designed to shame people into silence.

Well, I'm not going away. And I'm not silent.