Re: Do We Really Have It Right?
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:29 pm
Thank you for your non response to my post.ceeboo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:57 amI have a few comments regarding sexism as well.
First, as one of the people that have been accused of being a sexist on this thread, I have exactly zero interest or desire to attempt making a defense from this accusation - nor do I have any interest in making any excuses concerning said accusation - The way I see it, the accusation leveled against me is either true or it's not true. If it's true then it is what it is - I am indeed a sexist and I own it. If it's not true then i think it would be rather silly to try to defend/or excuse something that isn't true. A third option simply doesn't exist. So as far as I am concerned, I will continue to consider the accusation and I will land wherever it is that I land on it. For the rest of you, I am more than happy to let each of you land wherever you land on it as well.
Having said that, I wanted to express a few opinions that relate directly to this thread and the many discussions found in this thread - "Do we really have it right?" First, I want to talk about the dangers of making an accusation like calling someone a sexist (or a white supremacist or a homophobe or a xenophobe or a nazi or an anti-Semite, etc) - Among the dangers, this can place a stop sign in the road of discussion - this can divert the discussion - this can alter the discussion - this can deflect from the discussion - this can end the discussions, full stop. After all, who wants to discuss things with a "sexist" or a "racist" or an "anti-Semite?" Rather than discussing things with these kinds of people, perhaps it would be better to throw then in the human waste pile and forget they even exist........ Woke Camp 101, in my opinion. Another potential danger in all of this is how the accused might become very hesitant to engage with someone who has labeled them and placed them in a negative category - They will be forced to weigh the risks involved and will likely decide on not engaging or challenging the ideas/thoughts/opinions of the accuser. Yet another example of how a protective shield can have significant impact on discussions - or prevent discussions from ever taking place.
Sometimes I wonder if these negative labels that are tossed out, are tossed by design and with intent. If they are. they sure provide a great reason to stop engaging and they also seem to provide a protective shield over the one doing the accusing. The accuser, in many instances, becomes almost untouchable and they now have a built in reason to stop discussions - After the accusation has been delivered, they can simply walk away with their protective shield firmly in place. And for the accused? They either try to make a defense (AS I have already said, I have no interest in that) or they leave it where the accusation was made and simply allow each person reading the thread to decide for themselves if the accusations are accurate, or not accurate, or somewhere in the middle (This is where I am choosing to leave it)
So, as far as this thread goes - "Do we really have it right?" - I think accusations from one board member made against another board member is very much a part of the wider discussions taking place here. And these accusations surely can play (and often do play) significant roles in and around online personas as well as how we see people from our side of the screen . I have to believe that accusations, of any flavor, play significant roles in the question "Do we really have it right?"
The floor is yours, if you would like it.