Respectless ignorance!

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I'm not entirely sure which of my points I should begin with, since they don't exactly fit together. I'll go with this one first though:

Ever since I was quite little, my parents told me that I could have whatever opinion I want, as long as

1) I can back it up with proof and details and (fun to collect arguements, actually)
2) I learn when it's appropriate to share my opinions (still working on this part, but for the most part I'm pretty good at timing)

This author obviously has the right to her own opinion, that's not what's in question. But the way she goes about expressing it without fair points or explanations is respectless. My next point is the issue of respect.

Why should you 'respect' Tolkien if you don't like his work? He isn't a God, or the head of a religion, he's an author.

I won't say you SHOULD respect somebody because of what they actively do, more that you should respect them for what they do quite unknowingly. And I'm not insisting that anybody respect someone that they truly have good reason not to. Let me explain: I truly don't like John Steinbeck's work. You would have to staple my eyes open, duct tape me to a chair, and find various ways of ensuring my focus to get me to reread The Red Pony, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men, and the whole while I would be singing "Lalalanotlisteningcan'tseelalala" to myself in hopes of blocking it all out. But I still respect Steinbeck. I don't like him personally (how could I, having never met him and not liking his writing?), but I respect him not from his actual work, but from the way others view it. My old English teacher is a Die-Hard Steinbeckian, and to quote Faramir:

The praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards.

If John Steinbeck earned the respect of this man, and this man has long since earned my respect, than Steinbeck, by default, also has my respect. So my opinion on Steinbeck's writing: I won't deny that he's a talented writer to have aquired so many noteworthy fans, but I couldn't care less about his work.

I think what my point is, is that the author can hold whatever opinion she likes, but she expressed it pretty harshly, and that Tolkien should be respected for the simple (or not so simple) effect that he and his work has had on so very many people.

Fea