I wrote this to try and muddy the waters, and to explain a personal journey that has led to a revisiting of prior beliefs. As I read the comments, though, there is so much political vitriol.
I really hope this space can be open to comments and that we can support each other. Our individual beliefs and priorities will be different from on…
I wrote this to try and muddy the waters, and to explain a personal journey that has led to a revisiting of prior beliefs. As I read the comments, though, there is so much political vitriol.
I really hope this space can be open to comments and that we can support each other. Our individual beliefs and priorities will be different from one another, but here we are trying to find some common ground. It will likely be more effective than alienating people. You catch more flies with honey …
I don't see the vitriol. (Granted I haven't gotten all the way through) I just see people also sharing their point of views on the subjects you brought up.
I don't see the vitriol. I used to think "well, maybe the trannie pimps are well-meaning".
They are trying to push what is equivalent to the Tide-pod challenge on our children. If you buy their insanity, you cut your boobs off or penis off. That's not acceptable.
Thank you for sharing your pesonal journey, something so many of us can relate to. I just read through all the comments, and unless some were removed, I haven't perceived any as "political vitriol." Everyone has been passionate, but respectful. One very important lesson I learned is that disagreement (e.i. free speech) is not violence. I'm surprised that this had to be a realization, but it was. Reading The Coddling of the American Mind helped to clear my thinking. Different opinions are not vitriol, even if we don't agree with them. My child called me transphobic when I questioned his assumptions for the first time, but never since, because I explained to him that asking challenging questions and expressing different point of views is NOT transphobic, it is essential in a free, democractic society. Just like we support our children without affirming, we can support each other without agreeing with each other's political beliefs, but free speech is an absolute must.
"The covid denier comments are not worth reading". This comment is dangerously close to the comments you'd see from TRA on any article written by Erica Anderson, questioning puberty blockers and medicalization of minors. I even copied some in a note book, to regularly read to my kids, reminding them that this is what Woke Mindset is and does. One example, almost verbatim, is quite typical "Why have you opened comments on this article? People will be negative and disagree. There should be no discussion." In addition, Covid Denier is another demeaning blanket term to throw around, just like Transphob, that is basically a thought terminating cliche, drenched in derision. However, if you start looking critically, transphobs are not transphobs (surprise surprise!) and "covid deniers" question the policies, not the existence of the virus. But it is very convenient to just label and suppress. What does this rhetoric teach our ROGD children??
I thought about this more and you are so right. It is the same as "you're not a transphobe are you?" Or "you're not racist are you?" And all other similar things that are designed to shut down any ppl who are simply asking questions or who have different ideas that don't follow the current narrative. It is ironic being done here where ppl already know that the current narrative is not always correct. It really shows the cognitive dissonance. It also shows the aversion that ppl have to diversity of thought. If you think differently, you must be a phobe, ist, etc. Not just a person who has different knowledge or questions thinks that make no sense. Always the negative and they must silence any dissent by labeling ppl as the lowest of the low.
It is aversion to diversity, but even more so, it is fear and thus a physiological inability to think--left and right hemispheres disconnected. We are all succeptible in times of extreme stress. Fear for our children, fear we experiece when the structures around us collapse, and we need to cling to SOMETHING. Even labour camps prisoners and cult survivors would often still justify their beliefs, because if they wouldn't they'd succumb to utter darkness and mental illness.
I wrote this to try and muddy the waters, and to explain a personal journey that has led to a revisiting of prior beliefs. As I read the comments, though, there is so much political vitriol.
I really hope this space can be open to comments and that we can support each other. Our individual beliefs and priorities will be different from one another, but here we are trying to find some common ground. It will likely be more effective than alienating people. You catch more flies with honey …
I don't see the vitriol. (Granted I haven't gotten all the way through) I just see people also sharing their point of views on the subjects you brought up.
I don't see the vitriol. I used to think "well, maybe the trannie pimps are well-meaning".
They are trying to push what is equivalent to the Tide-pod challenge on our children. If you buy their insanity, you cut your boobs off or penis off. That's not acceptable.
Thank you for sharing your pesonal journey, something so many of us can relate to. I just read through all the comments, and unless some were removed, I haven't perceived any as "political vitriol." Everyone has been passionate, but respectful. One very important lesson I learned is that disagreement (e.i. free speech) is not violence. I'm surprised that this had to be a realization, but it was. Reading The Coddling of the American Mind helped to clear my thinking. Different opinions are not vitriol, even if we don't agree with them. My child called me transphobic when I questioned his assumptions for the first time, but never since, because I explained to him that asking challenging questions and expressing different point of views is NOT transphobic, it is essential in a free, democractic society. Just like we support our children without affirming, we can support each other without agreeing with each other's political beliefs, but free speech is an absolute must.
Very well said. The greatest form of diversity is diversity of thought. People's shared their own thoughts on these topics. That's all.
Thank you both for sharing your perspectives! Things started to devolve into discussing Trump.And maybe I have PTSD from those four years
"The covid denier comments are not worth reading". This comment is dangerously close to the comments you'd see from TRA on any article written by Erica Anderson, questioning puberty blockers and medicalization of minors. I even copied some in a note book, to regularly read to my kids, reminding them that this is what Woke Mindset is and does. One example, almost verbatim, is quite typical "Why have you opened comments on this article? People will be negative and disagree. There should be no discussion." In addition, Covid Denier is another demeaning blanket term to throw around, just like Transphob, that is basically a thought terminating cliche, drenched in derision. However, if you start looking critically, transphobs are not transphobs (surprise surprise!) and "covid deniers" question the policies, not the existence of the virus. But it is very convenient to just label and suppress. What does this rhetoric teach our ROGD children??
I thought about this more and you are so right. It is the same as "you're not a transphobe are you?" Or "you're not racist are you?" And all other similar things that are designed to shut down any ppl who are simply asking questions or who have different ideas that don't follow the current narrative. It is ironic being done here where ppl already know that the current narrative is not always correct. It really shows the cognitive dissonance. It also shows the aversion that ppl have to diversity of thought. If you think differently, you must be a phobe, ist, etc. Not just a person who has different knowledge or questions thinks that make no sense. Always the negative and they must silence any dissent by labeling ppl as the lowest of the low.
It is aversion to diversity, but even more so, it is fear and thus a physiological inability to think--left and right hemispheres disconnected. We are all succeptible in times of extreme stress. Fear for our children, fear we experiece when the structures around us collapse, and we need to cling to SOMETHING. Even labour camps prisoners and cult survivors would often still justify their beliefs, because if they wouldn't they'd succumb to utter darkness and mental illness.
Yea, that is a very good point. Fear is used to push ideology and ideas a lot. It is effective.
Very well said!
Who denied covid though?