Peanut Free Baseball at Wrigley Field gets lots of press today BUT…..

It also got a ridiculous amount of crazy, vicious, insulting and disgusting comments from Chicago Sun Times readers. John and I were interviewed yesterday for a nice little piece about the Chicago Cubs hosting a peanut free sky box for the first time Monday August 3oth. A fellow food allergy mama started a face book site solely for the purpose to raise awareness and help get the Cubs to allow a peanut free section for one game. It was a great story that had “legs” as we say in journalism school…it ran on all the local morning t.v. shows, news radio and I think even USA Today picked it up. Read the story and reader comments (beware) here: Allergic Fans Cheer

At first I was happy, because first and foremost it gets people talking about food allergies, and it praises the Cubs for listening to their fans and giving peanut allergic fans an opportunity to attend a game just like everyone else, but in a more safe environment. For one night. On a Monday night. Against the Pirates. In a Sky box no one was using anyway. But then came the backlash. Remember the comments posted after Joel Stein’s infamous column about food allergies? Yep, those same people must have been posting today too. So rather, than getting all pissed off about it, I figure I would highlight some of the more “interesting” comments people said about me and my son (my rebuttals are in italics):

1. I am sorry and no disrespect toward this child and his family, but this story proves the once mighty America has fallen. What is next, no ice cream day for people who are lactose intolerant? Why yes, that would be the logical next step. Just kidding. And yes, you did mean disrespect.
2. This seems like a great family and I do not mean to be an a-hole, (but you are an a-hole) but I am sick and tired of all this PC krap (SIC) we have in the world today. Really, how PC of you to post this intelligent comment.
3. The wussification (SIC) of America continues..I know, posting anonymously is so not wussy.
4. That’s right lady, smother the boy until you turn him into a girl. Perhaps I should ask YOUR mother for child-rearing advice?
5. It’s our birthday present to him,” said Kelly Rudnicki, a blogger and author on food allergies who has written two books, including The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book. I that says it all.
   This kid will be dancing on one of the floats in that parade they have on Halsted in a couple of years. Wow, he actually took the time to requote me. An A for effort, and just to clarify, is there something “tricky” in that title that “says it all?”. For the record, I’ve danced on those floats for many, many years and would stand proud on Halsted any day.
6. EXTRA CREDIT FOR BEING THE MOST, WELL, DISTURBING:I ‘d like a section where I only sit with MILFs. Now, THAT is a title that says it all. Nice one Larry Horse (yes, that was his pen name)

This is just a sampling folks, but I thought I’d save you the trouble of getting ill and just give you some of the better Springer Zingers of the bunch. Should we be sick to our stomachs and offended? Yes. Should we write letters defending our stance? Yes. Should we keep pressing on, educating and doing the best we can as parents who just want our kids to have little moments of normalcy here and there? Definitely. But should we care what any of these people say? NEVER.

And in the spirit of TV News, as Ron Burgundy would say, “Stay Classy”….that means you, Online Newspaper Readers.

That’s all, carry on.