People think that you can say anything to anyone, anywhere.
But it is only in limited circumstances but one thing is true First Amendment does not protect you from the consequences of what you said.
The Mary SueBy Vivian KaneJuly 8th, 2020J.K. Rowling, Bari Weiss, Margaret Atwood, and about 150 other prominent writers and public figures signed an open letter in Harper’s Magazine, published online yesterday, calling for “open debate and toleration of differences.” The letter decries cancel culture (though it never specifically uses that term) and claims that liberals are wrong for demanding “ideological conformity” from others on the left.There might be a nugget of a valid conversation in there, but it’s buried under so many bad-faith specifics and anti-trans dog whistles that it’s impossible to take it seriously.The letter, as a whole, is total garbage.According to the letter, “it is now all too common to hear calls for swift and severe retribution in response to perceived transgressions of speech and thought,” which sure sounds like code for “people got mad at me for using my giant platform to be awful.”
An open conversation.
James Baldwin said,
We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.
I think that we all can have an open conversion on whether we need a new baseball field, or a new library, or big government verses small government but when you deny me of my right to exists that is not an open conversation, that is oppression.
When those kinds of people are signing the letter—especially when we can’t know who its primary authors are!—it’s pretty difficult to dismiss the deliberately vague cancel culture scaremongering as being anything but anti-trans dog whistles. And it seems that some of the signatories have realized that, as at least a few are walking back their participation after seeing their name listed among such outspoken TERFs.
When I signed a letter like that I made sure that I agreed to the whole letter.
"but when you deny me of my right to exists that is not an open conversation, that is oppression." And when anyone does that then we should fight back by any way or means we have. Too many like to play kiss kiss and don't want to offend. But words do have consequences and many times those consequences can lead to the community being beaten up, or killed. Let's give those who oppose us not a single inch to do so.
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