The PC and Perpetually Offended Brigade

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

So, because she opened her mouth instead of keeping her opinion to herself she got a battering. In my opinion she did no wrong but that'd be treading old ground.

She decided to mock a headline the media outlet of a humanitarian group put on an article about measures for improving global menstrual health and hygiene. In terms of choosing your battles, it was a royal and moronic fuck up.

Yeah, Chomsky and Pinker both; as I said, lots of people who are not known for agreeing with each other.

[Emphyrio]

Meh, I'd much prefer people to utter their opinions, whether I happen to agree with them or not, or even on topics that bear little or no relevance to me personally. She's A1 in my book, despite indirectly making that Daniel Radcliffe midget someone I have to suffer through in otherwise decent movies/TV.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I've no problem with her having or even expressing her opinion. But the context she chose and, as a writer, especially the language and tone she chose, was an invitation to a shit-storm. So that's what she got. It's just she came out way more covered in shit this time than she was expecting. No sympathy; it was a stupid and immaturely executed move for someone of her intelligence.

[Emphyrio]

Did she do it knowingly to court controversy? Most likely. Did she know she'd be lambasted? Probably. By and large I couldn't give a fuck about the whole Trans thing, it doesn't affect me in my day to day goings-on. Sure, words she chose and the way she put them across were, perhaps, a little derogatory but the the un-PCness of it all was absolutely refreshing. I think I enjoyed that aspect of it all the most. I'm just glad that someone in her position, in this day and age, isn't afraid to speak out on things, consequences be damned.

[Ducky]

She came out with some awful shit though. She spoke her mind, but freedom of speech isn't under threat, dunno why that's being celebrated.

[Eoin McLove]

Nemtheanga hasn't signed it. I guess he must be a Nazi after all.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

freedom of speech isn't under threat

In academic circles at least, that's not entirely true.

[astfgyl]

"A Letter on Justice and Open Debate"
Co-signed by a lot of people who are not known for agreeing with each other.

https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/

Personally, I still think Rowling's recent furore-triggering tweet was a gratuitous, counter-productive, and therefore moronic move on her part. Her own subsequent letter came across mainly as saving face; always make sure to save some traumatic event in the bank to be deployed when you fuck up, folks, no matter how tangential it is to the subject at hand! Similarly, her mentioning Trump, and his mention again in this collective letter, is also a gratuitous and, I believe, ultimately counter-productive move, but hey, thought I'd share it anyway, just as a document of stuff that's happening at the moment.

A very well put together letter, excepting as you say, the mention of Trump. The point could have been made in a much better way without it, as now it could be construed as politically driven. I agree with everything else they said.

[mugz]

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[astfgyl]

Maybe she did know what the result would be, that she would be shouted down by the moral majority and in doing so, would highlight the ridiculousness of the current situation to the many who feel as she does regarding freedom of expression? Maybe.

[mugz]

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[mugz]

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[astfgyl]

I found the letter captured a lot of my own thoughts about the current situation regarding what is and isn't ok to say in public. I don't care who signed it to be honest. I'd be in as much agreement if you were to say the same thing here.

[mugz]

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[astfgyl]

It's funny how in the writing of that open letter, those people have their own "them" as well. I wonder how it feels to be "them" and also fear "them"?

That thought is following from a comment I read in the theories thread, but it has me thinking do they know they are them?