Who is worth protecting?
Dec. 21st, 2008 10:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdThis question has been on my mind lately, especially since I've had two incidences of commentors attacking other commenters as people, not on their words, and deleted one flat-out advocacy of raping a woman whose opinions differed from the commenter's own.
In my journal, you can take people to task over their beliefs and ideas as hard as you like.
You may not insult the person. You may especially not insult them with misogynistic or homophobic words.
You can say, "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. How can a smart person like you believe such tripe?"
You cannot say, "You evil bitch-whore of the patriarchy, you deserve to be raped by baboons and torn to pieces."
The problem with saying any woman, even a whore of the patriarchy, deserves rape, is that pretty soon every woman ends up in that category, making every woman an acceptable target.
Someone who makes a rude and tasteless joke deserves to be told "Tacky tacky tacky," and no more. Someone who reprimands the joker for the words is fine. Someone who attacks the joker as a person will get the thread frozen. Thank you for your support, I can stand up for myself in my own journal.
If you say something dumb, and we all do, expect to be challenged over your words. But, as long as I can freeze threads, you will not be attacked as a person.
Because everyone is worth protecting, at least in this space.
P.S. Don't abuse it. I know enough not to mistake passive-aggression for zen.
In my journal, you can take people to task over their beliefs and ideas as hard as you like.
You may not insult the person. You may especially not insult them with misogynistic or homophobic words.
You can say, "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. How can a smart person like you believe such tripe?"
You cannot say, "You evil bitch-whore of the patriarchy, you deserve to be raped by baboons and torn to pieces."
The problem with saying any woman, even a whore of the patriarchy, deserves rape, is that pretty soon every woman ends up in that category, making every woman an acceptable target.
Someone who makes a rude and tasteless joke deserves to be told "Tacky tacky tacky," and no more. Someone who reprimands the joker for the words is fine. Someone who attacks the joker as a person will get the thread frozen. Thank you for your support, I can stand up for myself in my own journal.
If you say something dumb, and we all do, expect to be challenged over your words. But, as long as I can freeze threads, you will not be attacked as a person.
Because everyone is worth protecting, at least in this space.
P.S. Don't abuse it. I know enough not to mistake passive-aggression for zen.
