I have no idea if the reports of his mental health issues are true, and my purpose in repeating the reports here isn't to spread rumors and innuendo. Mental health issues are no joke and I wish William nothing but the best in this regard.
My question is, how come critics never get the same consideration for our own health issues (mental or otherwise) or for extreme challenges that we're dealing with in our personal lives?
I'll give you two examples:
In June/July 2010, I got into a well-publicized dispute with Dan Peterson and Russell McGregor over an old FARMS Review of Books review of my friend J. P. Holding's book. The dispute spanned this forum and MADB and encompassed a number of threads. It involved the publication of my private correspondence without my permission.
At the time, I specifically mentioned on the boards that I was dealing with literal homelessness. The Chicago windstorm of 6-23-10 had damaged the roof of my apartment building so badly that our apartment was declared uninhabitable within hours. We had to move all of our belongings out and stay with friends. It was one of the most stressful things I have had to deal with in my adult life.
No one stopped. No one gave me a break. The crew at MADB ran thread after thread attacking me again and again (and running my private correspondence again and again), even though they were well aware that I was dealing with homelessness. There was no mercy, no compassion, no consideration for what was an incredibly difficult situation for me.
Here's another example. In 2012, Schryver and McGregor were attacking me on MADB, calling me things like "feminazi" and "man-hater" (without posting a lick of evidence for these slurs). I developed a psychosomatic reaction to their attacks. I literally wound up in the hospital on narcotic painkillers as a direct result of what they posted.
I don't blame the men in question for not knowing about this. I don't believe I ever mentioned it on the forums (frankly, I was afraid they'd only escalate the attacks to intentionally try and provoke more medical episodes if I said something).
My question is, why are we expected to tip-toe around the delicate psyches of apologists, but when it comes to critics, it's always and forever full speed ahead? I'm sure others in this forum can recall times when apologists were ruthless despite critics dealing with severe mental health and other issues.
Anyhow, since we're apparently expected to show leniency for mental health issues and other challenges in each other's personal lives, here's some things about me you might not know:
- My father was verbally, emotionally, and sometimes physically abusive. I left home for BYU at age 18 for more reasons than one.
- I was nearly murdered by a girl my age when I was 10 years old. This girl grew up to be a roller derby champion in Anchorage.
- My friend was kidnapped, raped, and murdered when I was 9 and she was 11.
- I have a diagnosis of "Major Depressive Disorder -- Recurring -- Currently in Remission."
- My first husband, whom I was married to for 11 years, was a clinical sociopath who loudly and frequently bragged about his sociopathy. He was verbally and emotionally abusive, spiritually coercive, and threatened me physically several times. He was also a serial adulterer whose adultery went back to our BYU days, something I did not learn the full extent of until after our divorce.
I guess I'm looking forward to receiving some of that leniency from now on.
The sexist poster’s actual personal attacks on me, however, received no such scrutiny. Go figure.