I always get uncomfortable whenever the internet hate machine gets revved up. Even when someone says something truly abhorrent, the response always feels so disproportionate. It's like as soon as someone reveals that they aren't perfect, that they have some moral failing, they deserve to be have all sorts of abuse thrown at them.

When I was younger, I made some homophobic jokes at work, possibly in front of a coworker who was, I found out years later, gay. I was trying to be funny, and if anyone had told me that, no, they were hurtful, I would have been horrified. All I wanted to do was make people laugh, and I didn't have the perspective to realize that it wouldn't necessarily be interpreted the way I'd intended it. If someone had called me out on it then and there, would I have apologized? I don't know. I hope so. But if everyone piled on me, called me an awful person, got me fired, and generally tried to hurt me in whatever legal way they could, I don't know that I'd have learned anything. I'd be out of a job and miserable - who would I blame, myself, or them?

I've grown up since then, and I've learned. When I see an internet mob going after a person for holding an unpopular opinion, or making an ignorant comment for the sake of humour, I often end up with more sympathy for the target of their anger. They're still people, no matter what things they've said or what they say they believe. We've all been ignorant, and we've all learned. That's not to say we shouldn't call out people for saying things they shouldn't, but rage won't make them want to change.