I wanted to say something important · 3:09am Aug 12th, 2014
It has been over a year since I declared that I would "never" be coming back to Fimfiction, following an incident that I can only describe as the biggest shitstorm that I have ever experienced during my time on the Interwebs.
And only now have I realized that I am completely to blame for it.
It's not like I never felt bad about what happened, that I never felt like I hadn't been at fault. Yes, that incident mostly stemmed from me, I thought. But it was more that the people who were outraged at me were misinterpreting what I was originally saying, and taking it out of context to use in a flame war that only got worse and worse. Honestly, I still think there's a grain of truth in that.
However, tonight I have finally realized that I was truly at fault for what happened, that I have no one to blame but myself. For those of you who may not remember, it all started on a blog post from Regidar regarding the then-ongoing Steubenville rape case, specifically how the person who leaked information that implicated the rapists was jailed with a harsher sentence than those of the actual rapists. I made a comment saying basically that a criminal act which exposes a criminal act is still a criminal act, a view that I am currently conflicted with. Exactly what happened next escapes me, but I do remember that I was receiving an overwhelming amount of hatred and outrage from so many people. We all butted heads, hurled insults, and basically threw shit in each other's faces until I made the declaration that I would never come back to this site.
Well, I'm back, obviously. And I'm ashamed to say that it has taken me over a year to understand why I deserved the backlash I got. The reason was that I had no idea what I was talking about. Back then, I had no concept of rape culture or rape apology. I had no idea that the Steubenville rapists had been getting away with what they did, and that they had been so callous and brutal to their victim, and that even after they were exposed they still got off with light sentences. I honestly had no idea about any of that. I was an ignorant, intemperate, idiotic asshole. And in some ways, I still am.
But as least now I know that I deserved the backlash I got. And I understand why I deserved it. So I suppose I should say I am truly sorry once again, for not understanding and for making a total ass of myself. I am ashamed it has taken me this long to realize all this, but I hope that you, my followers, and the users on this site that I offended can still forgive me for being an ignorant, intemperate, idiotic asshole.
That is all.
To be entirely fair, there is a legal way to obtain evidence. So if you obtain it illegally, well, it makes fine sense that there'd be a punishment for it.
That said
It seems as though punishments in the current legal system don't seem to match up with the severity of the crimes. Rape, for example, should be punished much more severely than illegally obtaining actual evidence (as opposed to falsifying evidence, for example). That it doesn't is absolutely ridiculous. Like, seriously. How?
If I'm remembering correctly, you weren't exactly clear on anything past "That said." You kinda blundered on ahead with the part before it.
2363301 I agree. I agree with both of your statements. That is something I did not realize back then. Also, like I said, I had no idea of the actual severity of the Steubenville case, nor did I know that the football players who raped the girl were essentially getting away with it, even after bragging, fucking BRAGGING about it on social media. That kind of scumbag, inhuman behavior deserves to be punished way more severely than a simple hack-job.
So yeah, you summed it up pretty nicely.
Well, the fact that you recognize your flaws, and own up to them, that shows a strength of character which many do not have.
Also, welcome back.
Welcome back.
2363348
That case was just an absolute disaster. Just... Ugh.
doesn't exist
people were just trying to make you understand the concept of going with the lesser of two evils
sometimes moral sacrifices have to be made to serve the greater good
relax
you were immature
you've grown
you're forgiven