| A couple of things that I've learned about the country as I've watched the Cancel culture war: 1)Many believe having freedom of speech means having freedom from consequences of your speech. And not just governmental consequence but all consequence. That's wrong and always has been wrong, if rarely enforced. Speech has always had consequences but those consequences weren't cancellation. Not for white folks anyway. 2)White people can't live in the same world with the same rules that they've created for other people. Cancel culture is very much a thing and has been a thing used against Black folks and other minorities in America for decades. The list of things we get canceled for far exceeds exercising our freedom of speech. Here's a short list: A)Our names. Got an ethnic name? Expect to get less interview callbacks. B)Hair. We've had to lobby for laws to protect our right to wear our hair in 'natural' or 'ethnic' styles. C)Actual Freedom of Speech. Try and bring up racism or discrimination practically anywhere and see what happens to you. See Colin Kaepernick. D)Skin Complexion. Light-skinned privilege is a thing. Google 'colorism'. E)Accent and use of language. Google 'code switching'. You get the point. If the only thing you have to worry about is if you actually said something dumb in your past and if it's going to come up, then you have it good. Other folks are getting canceled just how they exist, from traits they can't change, and they have been for decades. And even with all that, I still think Cancel culture is pretty shit because the mob is a broadsword, not a scalpel - h/t "The Siege". It doesn't stop at Trump, it keeps going to folks like AGM. But I'd love it if those fighting against cancel culture also fight for those who aren't white men complaining about it on Twitter and Hacker News. Fight also for those who have been victimized by cancel culture before it had a catchy name and impacted the white and powerful. Probably won't win until you do anyway. |