Burning Books, One Word At A Time

[onager]

Interesting op-ed piece in The Advocate by trans activist Calpernia Addams.

Oh, I almost forgot. According to the savants in That Other DU Group, we hate LGBT people over here. Black people too. But since those hatreds are unfashionable nowadays or something, we just freely hate religious people. Wash, rinse, repeat...

Addams' article deals with something we've discussed a lot in here lately - speech-nannying and attempted thought-policing. (Because when we try to discuss it in That Other Group, our posts will get hidden. Ironically.)

I think Addams hit the nail squarely on the head with her definitions of this BS, and where it came from. And I see examples all the freaking time in That Other Group:

Appropriated academic lingo is the weapon of choice for in-community censors and thought police. These arriviste extremists have weaponized terminology like cisgender, created in the sterile labs of academia for use in the classroom, and plundered other established social movements for an arsenal of response-silencing buzzwords like privilege checking that all create the same result: intimidation at the threat of being labeled a bigot by someone whose oppression outweighs your own.

The strategy of the thought police is usually perfected in academia, where a relatively challenge-free, protected existence allows students and professors to practice a style of discussion wherein one’s opponent is systematically disarmed of every right to speak or think until the only point that is allowable belongs to the most oppressed social justice warrior.

Anyway, this article made me think, which is always good if often painful in my case.

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/04/17/op-ed-burning-books-one-word-time

[trotsky]

1. Definitely a tactic that's been used on DU.

Good read.

[libodem]

2. I posted an article

Similar to this in Feminism and Diversity. Is the T-word the new N-word.

I do think it is important to be respectful and call people what they want to be called. OTOH I can't stand censorship. And I don't like being shutdown by being called any sort of bigot. I've had it happen. It really makes me mad because am seriously against bigotry.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. In the past month I've been called an anti-semite, and accused of hating black people.

Granted, both juries removed the posts attacking me. One a unanimous vote, the other 6-1.

[Warpy]

4. The troll I hate the most (yes, TROLL, here at DU)

is the word jumper, that poor sensitive little creature who just can't stand to see one word or another lest he or she wilt like the delicate flower s/he is and stay that way all day, getting nothing done because the offense was so great.

I've seen a lot of discussion groups destroyed by word jumpers. This is not a trivial complaint.

If we were to please them, we'd be left talking of sunshine and baby smiles in words a two year old could understand, descriptive language completely gutted.

I'd rather wince at the occasional c-word than have that happen. Language police suck and censorship sucks and no word is as bad as either.

ETA: I should add that the board I'm gravitating to most often is a no-holds-barred board as far as language goes unless posters hurl them at each other. That is a good place to put the line and the board is completely civil, if profane enough to curl the hairs in long blue noses all over the net.

[libodem]

5. I'm with you Warpy

The intolerance and being totally offended make me think of religious fanatics and right wingers. {{{Shudder}}}.

[nil desperandum]

6. Words

Right, the biggest problem with free speech is all the folks who say things that somebody doesn't like...I'm always amazed at the large number of people who pretend to love the first amendment until they hear something that irritates their tender sensibilities...

I don't have to like your speech I only have to respect your right to it. These days too many people get confused that a contrary view is not necessarily a personal attack but merely an alternate view point to an objective.

That's why the ACLU is so important, protecting the Nazis and Rush Limbaugh (hypocritical, lying sack of excrement that he is) in their right to express their disgusting opinions. Those who work to limit speech are working to deprive us of the rights we were born with and which are protected from government intrusion by the amendments. It's important to defend all the amendments from government intrusion as allowing restrictions on one amendment opens legal precedent for restrictions on all amendments. One can certainly see the results of failing to fight these restrictions as our 4th amendment protections and 1st amendment protections are under constant pressure.

It's important to say what you feel you need to in order to express yourself, and those who don't like it will have to learn to deal with it or they should expect life to be filled with unsavory moments of discomfort over words they don't approve of in their daily lives.

[uriel1972]

7. Hmmm, having been at the pointy end of nasty campaigns...

I find those who want to wrap themselves in free speech want the right to call me F_G and C__KS__KER without me being able to reply. If you want free speech, you should recognise the consequences of your words and the potential to harm.

Call me the thought police all you want, but I am all for creating places of comfort for vulnerable people. Places where the abuse of free speech is minimised.

Just my two cents.

[onager]

8. Two cents gratefully received.

Thanks for the input. I'm sorry you have to deal with the crap. Nothing seems to bring out the Inner Asshole in people more than Internet anonymity.

I don't have any problem with people declaring "safe spaces" on the Internet. But I've been to some "safe spaces" that were anything but safe. They seem to be havens for self-selected cliques that dogpile anyone who wanders in out of curiosity, not just obvious trolls. Sometimes even members of the larger community (like LGBT or atheists) get attacked, apparently if they don't express themselves in exactly the right way according to the In-Crowd Party Line. But I try to avoid such places.

Things do seem to be changing for the better in some cases, along with the trolls and jerks. I was recently on a board about military history. An American tried to make a bad joke about the British Army enlisting openly gay members. That brought an immediate slapdown from an officer currently in the British Army: "Yes, we do and they are very good soldiers. Any other questions?" No, there weren't, and the loudmouth shut right up. Unfortunately I know it's not always that easy.

[uriel1972]

9. Yeah I get you about cliques...

and the concern-trolling that shuts down discussion. The 'other' place is a good example. I just tire of feeling shut out of MMO's and the like because of language and attitudes.