Update: Follow-up statements available here (August 2008) and here (March 2009).
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Original Post (02.15.08):
I want to be very careful how I share these words with you. Given the numerous accusations and attacks I have received lately, I am finding it very easy to respond in ways that are defensive, confrontational, and antagonistic. While those behaviors might be appropriate if I was enlisting in a battle for my place in the hierarchy of our dominator culture, they are neither relevant or productive in this context. Furthermore, I worry that these actions would be interpreted as yet another reason not to listen to a word I have to say.
I am upset that there is gradually developing a bizarre and twisted understanding of who I am and what I am about. And I am angry that individuals, who I presume are otherwise capable of critical thought, are jumping to the most outrageous conclusions. I am also deeply disturbed at the joy others have taken in painting such a disturbing picture of me.
For a variety of reasons, there is very little I can say about the recent news. So, unfortunately, I cannot give you the answers that you might seek. Worse yet, I can do little in the way of defending myself against a whole host of claims about my character that are both irrational and damaging. What I can tell you is that this may be a situation that demands a great deal of patience and a departure from our expectation that everything in life will make perfect sense. In fact, it may demand that people give me some room to breathe as I try to make sense of the situation myself.
Trust me, I know this situation raises a lot of very serious questions and has created a great deal of shock and confusion. And while I desperately wish I had the opportunity to talk openly about it and clear the air, I do not. So please offer my family and me the compassion not to make judgments and speculations based on information that is incomplete and not fully understood.
Thank you.
Kyle
