The Gang Mentality

So what does a person do when gang mentality sets in and the majority is of one thought, and you are of another?

A few years ago, an editor I worked with gave me my first break. I begged him and every other editor who's ear I could grab to let me write a story for the paper. They all said no.

He said yes. And I will always be grateful for that.

Years later, he made many enemies in our business due to his conspiracy theories, jabs, and yes, some outright slaps at some of his former colleagues. They don't like him, and they voice it on a regular basis, and sometimes in the most insulting ways.

He's not an innocent bystander. He has said and done some things I would never have expected from him, and has insulted people and alienated himself from many of those in our industry. He's hurt people's feelings and mocked them publicly on his website.

And yet, I got on with him just fine when we worked together. I see the things he's done, and yet I can't bring myself to join the opinion at large about him, whether he deserves it or not. He helped me find my voice.

So now I find myself in the minority. That doesn't bother me....it's not the first time, and I doubt it will be the last...but today I'd had enough. The rude remarks, the name-calling, the insults hurled in his direction while he's not present to give it back, was more than I could take today. I stood my ground - in the loudest fashion possible. And when the dust cleared, I heard the whispering...the hushed tones of opposition to my opinion.

And that's OK too. Expected, in fact.

Am I wrong? Is it stupid to continue to stand up for someone who helped me, but hurts others?

(sigh)