as small as a world and as large as alone

9:19pm March 4, 2015

rj-abacura:

Sometimes I have a lot of mixed feelings about the social justice community on this website.

Because on the one hand, they’re having very advanced, sometimes profound conversations that one would normally only hear in, say, an advanced anthropology classroom. It brings awareness of issues like feminism and racism to people who would otherwise never be exposed to those ideas. And that’s incredible. It also allows people who are struggling to connect wjth people in similar situations and form support networks.

On the other hand, it seems to thrive on extremism and us-vs-them mentalities, and is perpetuated not through friendly mentoring, but through a rather vicious system of bullying wherein people new to the social justice scene, who invariably fuck up occasionally, are mercilessly torn to shreds as an example to others. Those that survive this trial by fire are primed to be angry, to make polarizing statements, to have generally anti-ally viewpoints, and to turn against other members of the social justice community at their slightest misstep.

I get that people are angry and have every right to be, but too much of that anger seems unfocussed and likely to be haphaxardly aimed at the nearest semi-suitable target.

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