Gonna take a step out here and make a community post at the risk of taking some heat here.
I'm not the most popular poster here and I'm definitely not the most eloquent. This post is far from the last word, but I think it's an important to say it and I don't know how else to talk about it other than just ... you know ... talking about it.
I think we need to have a real discussion in this forum about how we, as a community, engage with each other. It's one thing if it's an anime thread, or one on stupid shit we are buying, but when it's a serious topic, we have a lot of work to do. Between the jokes, the total mocking of opinions that people don't perceive as in lock-step with center-left Liberalism, and the dismissal and paternalism towards BIPOC people, it's become really unappealing to engage in posting here.
Full transparency, this was borne out of the discussion in the (now locked) "Don't buy a gun" thread. I watched (and participated) in a discussion that very quickly turned into a large number of BIPOC people being dismissed or treated with paternalism. A lot of people seemed uncomfortable with the pushback, maybe even insulted. A large number of BIPOC people continued to (rightfully) pushback and not let dismissing their ideas slide. Instead of allowing that to continue, the thread was locked.
I can see some reasons why it got locked, but ultimately, it looks to me like when discussions truly get uncomfortable and people's feet are held to the fire, moderation decided it was better to just sweep it under the rug and stop talking. I'm a white guy, so I don't wan't to speak for BIPOC people, but, if it were me, I would feel silenced or like my pushback was too inconvenient to allow. Maybe I'm totally off base. Maybe everyone's cool with it. I don't want to speak for BIPOC people, but I also don't want to be quiet on something doesn't sit right with me.
I'm not trying to pretend like I have all the answers, nor do I want to speak for anyone. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But I thought I'd open it up for discussion. I'd love to hear from many of the BIPOC people in that thread and listen better to how you feel we do as a forum community listening to your voices. What can we/I do better?
I say all of this with the expectation that some of the people that feel silenced might not be comfortable posting. I don't mean to put you on the spot and totally respect if you don't want to engage.
I'm not the most popular poster here and I'm definitely not the most eloquent. This post is far from the last word, but I think it's an important to say it and I don't know how else to talk about it other than just ... you know ... talking about it.
I think we need to have a real discussion in this forum about how we, as a community, engage with each other. It's one thing if it's an anime thread, or one on stupid shit we are buying, but when it's a serious topic, we have a lot of work to do. Between the jokes, the total mocking of opinions that people don't perceive as in lock-step with center-left Liberalism, and the dismissal and paternalism towards BIPOC people, it's become really unappealing to engage in posting here.
Full transparency, this was borne out of the discussion in the (now locked) "Don't buy a gun" thread. I watched (and participated) in a discussion that very quickly turned into a large number of BIPOC people being dismissed or treated with paternalism. A lot of people seemed uncomfortable with the pushback, maybe even insulted. A large number of BIPOC people continued to (rightfully) pushback and not let dismissing their ideas slide. Instead of allowing that to continue, the thread was locked.
I can see some reasons why it got locked, but ultimately, it looks to me like when discussions truly get uncomfortable and people's feet are held to the fire, moderation decided it was better to just sweep it under the rug and stop talking. I'm a white guy, so I don't wan't to speak for BIPOC people, but, if it were me, I would feel silenced or like my pushback was too inconvenient to allow. Maybe I'm totally off base. Maybe everyone's cool with it. I don't want to speak for BIPOC people, but I also don't want to be quiet on something doesn't sit right with me.
I'm not trying to pretend like I have all the answers, nor do I want to speak for anyone. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But I thought I'd open it up for discussion. I'd love to hear from many of the BIPOC people in that thread and listen better to how you feel we do as a forum community listening to your voices. What can we/I do better?
I say all of this with the expectation that some of the people that feel silenced might not be comfortable posting. I don't mean to put you on the spot and totally respect if you don't want to engage.
