Speaking Out

 

One of the things about speaking out, especially on line, is that you are essentially talking into a microphone in a crowded space and you never know who will be in the audience.  You never know who will find your opinions offensive.  And sometimes, they will let you know!

With the internet, there is an opportunity to express your opinions and have individuals you would never meet in real life give you their heartfelt (and sometimes very LOUD) feedback.

I have never been one who wanted to offend and for most of my life I held back on my opinions about various things.  I relied on having people who didn't know me, personally, to hire me to teach.  My knowledge about weaving is separate from my political or religious views.  So I kept those latter opinions largely to myself.

Now that I'm 'retired' (for certain values of) and we are living through a pandemic and growth of the right wing, I have been a lot more vocal about my opinion on how one ought to behave in the midst of a preventable pandemic and my left leaning political positions.

I have watched the right grow ever louder and ruder, and yes, more violent over the past few years.  

While I kept my thoughts (mostly) to myself, I learned from others how to engage with the people who loudly disagreed with me.  And so when I post something to Twitter or Facebook, I do not engage with those people who loudly tell me to 'fuck off' (yes, it's happened, more than once), call me 'deluded' or 'ignorant' or whatever other insult they can call up.  

I learned how to recognize a 'sea lion' and how to handle them.  (Carefully, out the airlock.)

Thankfully Twitter makes it easy to block such people.  With Facebook, I will unfriend people who insult me for my opinions.  

I find it interesting that so many on the 'right' demand that they be respected for their opinions, and to have their 'rights' be respected, while simultaneously insulting and demeaning anyone who disagrees with them or has a different view of what society should be.  But it's me who is uncivil.

For me, a healthy society is an inclusive one.  One that supports people, especially if disaster arrives.  For me bad luck is not a character failing.  Because someone who is, in what our society would call, 'successful, doesn't make them 'better' than anyone else.

First of all, define 'success'.  I never intended (or expected) to be 'successful' the way NA society defines it.  What I wanted was 'enough'.  Enough food.  A roof over my head.  A way to give back when I could.  To be as happy as I could be given life isn't fair or even easy.

Over the years I have worked at dismantling my reality bubble, made an effort to understand my privilege as a white woman.  Even though my life wasn't 'easy', it was never made worse because of the colour of my skin.  

There are many things about people that flat out confuses me.  But I don't react well to being bullied.  Anyone who disagrees with me is welcome to leave.  No need to flounce on your way out the door.  But I'm also willing to use the block button.  Obviously I'm disturbing their peace of mind, so I'll do them the favour of never having to see my posts and ruin their morning, again.