Matt Morris:

I’ve never been called “mouthy” before.

After reading an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times which unpacked one woman’s perspective about the new, extremely controversial Arizona Immigrant law, I posed the following question on Twitter:

Could YOU walk down an Arizona street without fear of interrogation? #WhatIfYoureTheUnAmerican http://nyti.ms/b0PFOy

My grandfather is much darker skinned than I am. His features are not unlike those of someone who might be stopped in Arizona under suspicion of being an “illegal”. My grandfather, however, is an American citizen. This tweet, which seemed more an intellectual exercise than a clear-cut political statement, was born out of imagining my grandfather being stopped on the street and asked to defend his right to - well - walk down the street.

I make a habit of sharing articles on Twitter that I find compelling. My Twitter followers usually appreciate it. But about an hour after I posted my tweet, I read this public response:

@MattMorris don’t fall in to the Rosie O’Donnell syndrom [sic]. mouthy gay liberal and no one cares what rock she’s under just be musical and fun

Don’t be a “mouthy gay liberal”? My mouthy gay liberal jaw dropped wide open. 

Frankly, I found this message to be derogatory and insulting. Never in my 20+ years working in the music industry have I been told, in essence, to shut up and sing. Not until this tweet. Those last 5 words - ”just be musical and fun” - pack a mighty, mouthy punch of their own.

Incidentally, the Times piece was written by Linda Greenhouse, the winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize. She is a regular writer for the Times on the subject of the Supreme Court and the law, and she teaches at Yale Law School.

Perhaps someone should tell Ms. Greenhouse not to be so mouthy.