The hate mail I’ve gotten for writing about a tree is wild This is one of the less obscene ones (subject line “why are you so angry??”) publicola.com/2025/02/24/a... - ThreadSky

ericacbarnett.bsky.social • 6 days ago

The hate mail I’ve gotten for writing about a tree is wild

This is one of the less obscene ones (subject line “why are you so angry??”)

https://publicola.com/2025/02/24/activists-want-to-save-grandma-brooks-cedar-her-family-says-theyre-misrepresenting-their-mothers-wishes/

Comments

dylanw.social•6 days ago

Wow, all over a tree the owner HATED? I mean, I had to cut down a red cedar a while back because it was too close to my foundation; if I hadn’t, would these people lionize me for a tree that was DUMPING RAIN INTO MY HOUSE

cj-cregg.bsky.social•6 days ago

Post the others please!

ericacbarnett.bsky.social•6 days ago

a lot of them are just lies. One said I showed up to "the event" (not sure which) with a "pre-written article" and talked to one person. I went out there yesterday and talked to every person who showed up from about 11 to 1, but obviously facts don't matter to people willing to make shit up.

poulchapman.bsky.social•6 days ago

Maybe publish them as letters to the editor if their name is included? Let the city see how loserish they are

ericacbarnett.bsky.social•6 days ago

Comments and hate mail continue to pour in today. You can see the ones I've approved on the post. People seem to think that a) I "refused" to speak to unnamed people who reached out (not true) and b) If I don't talk to everyone in the vicinity of any tree I write about, I'm a "liar."

viraldonutz.bsky.social•6 days ago

The internet was a mistake

premiumsteve.bsky.social•6 days ago

I feel like even the Ents would be telling this crowd to chill out a bit

sheridesabike.bsky.social•6 days ago

I see one of the commenters also accuses Brooks’ daughters of lying about the tree, too.

ericacbarnett.bsky.social•6 days ago

Most of the rest of them just call me a liar, accuse me of making things up (not sure what, they just say I fabricated the story), and/or say I'm being paid by developers.

pushtheneedle.bsky.social•6 days ago

How ironic. Tree Action Seattle claims the sisters were “paid off” by developers too. They are so sad

sheridesabike.bsky.social•6 days ago

An actually useful plug in would respond to any comment asking why you didn’t “speak to X” or “mention Y” with a list of adjunct teaching positions open at j-schools with encouragement to apply.

ericacbarnett.bsky.social•6 days ago

The “lies,” I believe, are my quotes from the elderly sisters who told me their mother wanted to sell her property without a requirement that the buyer save the tree.

davidmt.bsky.social•6 days ago

I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. The idea that this is just part of journalism is false. Disagreement is part of journalism for sure, but hate filled personal attacks and threats should not be.

So, once more, I'm sorry that you've been treated this way.

sirjack.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yeah, it seems like the group wanted this tree to be some kind of martyr for their cause and got too wrapped up in their altruism to realize...maybe not this one tree.

aurai.bsky.social•6 days ago

mmm I think that's being too generous to those people involved - they baldly invented a whole history about the tree!

meggayman.bsky.social•6 days ago

The part that sticks out to me is that these neighbors didn’t help maintain this tree! Or help with all the work that a tree like that comes with but had a cute false story to tell about the woman watering it!! They expect new owners to continue to take on this burden for their enjoyment.

xoxokiyoko.bsky.social•6 days ago

They’re mad you didn’t interview every single neighbor on the street omg. I don’t think that changes the “mom hated that tree”. They’re completely skipping over how they’ve lied about the tree being wildly important to “grandma”

abud.bsky.social•6 days ago

They didn't skip over it, they explicitly said that their lies are "beside the point".

carriehawthorne.bsky.social•6 days ago

I’m sorry you receive ridiculous angry emails like this one. I am so appreciative of your reporting and grateful for your work. Our region is better because of you

knitdan.bsky.social•6 days ago

Dear letter-writer

You are correct that most cities don’t have large conifers; for very good reason!

When a 30-foot backyard oak blows down the damage is limited to maybe a fence and some lawn chairs.

When a 120-foot ponderosa comes down it’s taking out houses and cars.

westnorth.com•6 days ago

Thank you for pointing out that the trees are themselves artifacts of suburbanization. They're domesticated, not wild.
Indeed, in the shaded forest many would take much longer to grow to mature size.

activeoppressor.bsky.social•6 days ago

Ok I just happened to find this thread but aren't urban trees beneficial? I mean in general.

dorothyneville.bsky.social•5 days ago

Urban trees are awesome! Necessary for shade, wildlife and mental health. But urban trees need to cooperate with dwellings and in such a small lot, a Western Red Cedar does not cooperate. No wonder the homeowner hated the tree.

westnorth.com•6 days ago

Little-appreciated fact about trees: they're renewable! Requiring tomorrow's buildings to fit around yesterday's trees (which were planted around yesterday's buildings) is kind of silly, because yesterday's trees might not be tomorrow's trees.

i-like-seattle.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yes, and so it’s a topic that is ripe for abuse as a mechanism for opposing housing

geekyboutiquey.bsky.social•6 days ago

I thought pointing out removing a tree & replacing it with another shaded tree was important to note. And you pointed out how it would take a while to grow. I didn't see the article doing anything but presenting the contrasts, but this person is focused on anything counteracting their own narrative.

xoxokiyoko.bsky.social•6 days ago

Well I loved the article, very well written, as always! What odd people and what an odd response to an article

pushtheneedle.bsky.social•6 days ago

They have totally exposed themselves as being a laundering vessel to oppose housing.

aurai.bsky.social•6 days ago

yeah this is a powerful 1-2 punch alongside that Urbanist article about the potential impact of trees-for-parking. No one needs to pretend these one-off protests are anything other than cranks on a last ditch effort

plesiomorphy.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yeah in my city we also get tree people who use it as cover for NIMBYism

expanse.bsky.social•6 days ago

They called your article a snot rag, but when NIMBYs are crying it usually means something's good's happening.

chimmysthoughts.bsky.social•6 days ago

Sending positive vibes 💛

You're doing great journalism, thank you!

andyrandles.bsky.social•6 days ago

Calling you "Trumpian" is hilarious 😂. These people are so unhinged.

diavoleria.bsky.social•6 days ago

Is it the Tree Murder Song people??

caryw.bsky.social•6 days ago

I appreciated your reporting on this and it’s important you’re getting the truth out. These hate mailers are vile and I’m sorry you have to deal with that. These people are despicable.

allirico.bsky.social•4 days ago

The comment from “Jane” is pretty wild, like god forbid this woman’s own children actually know what’s going on with their mom?

pammiel.bsky.social•6 days ago

Wild indeed. I appreciate you sharing that the woman who lived there had other opinions about the tree.

lochfyne.bsky.social•6 days ago

Omg that's insane! What a fucking crybaby

tarnado.bsky.social•6 days ago

I may be extraordinarly naive,* but the thought of gettin hate mail about your article never would have occurred to me if you hadn't shared it.

*also male, which makes a big difference in how people respond

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