This Blog Doesn't Get a Cute Title · 6:00pm Jun 4th, 2020
Alright, at this point, I just need to vent this so it will stop swirling in my guts. Sorry in advance.
I try to stay as apolitical as possible on this site, because wouldn’t it be nice if something could in this day and age? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just take a step back from the unending ideological wars and hatred of the Other, get together, and agree on something as nice and simple as, just an example, “ponies are pretty neat”?
Wouldn’t it be great if, when presented with a series that says in increasingly less subtle ways over the years that we are stronger, happier, and richer together than apart, we could actually internalize that and recognize one another’s intrinsic humanity?
Wouldn’t it be fucking peachy if we could get through a fucking plague without people charging at families with naked steel like they had the power of fucking God and anime on their side!?
I’m sorry. This just… I don’t like upsetting people. I hate the idea of having made someone’s day worse for having met me. The idea of looking at other thinking, feeling beings and just seeing something to unequivocally hate, be it because of gender, race, religion, income, anything… It’s just so depressing to me.
And then there’s the paradox of tolerance tapping me on the shoulder and reminding me that trying to live and let live with people who refuse to isn’t going to end well for the one with open arms.
I just… I just want to read and write about cute pastel horses and horse-adjacent entities, guys. Can’t we just have that?
Edit: Really should've included this link from the get-go. Everyone complains about politics. We can at least try to do something about it too.
If only we could
Apparently we can't just have that, which seems a pretty good reason to be angry.
Sometimes, people need to be upset. Some anvils need to be dropped.
I am just so tired, man. I'm tired.
I feel ya chief. I feel ya.
I'm just going to quote Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes: "Sometimes I think that the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
I'm right there with you, dude.
~Skeeter The Lurker
This quote is important now more than ever. Even in the darkest hours, never stop trying to find that light. It will be worthwhile.
Hang in there, everyone.
I also don't talk politics, but...
I think the number of people who actually hate any group is exceedingly small. I think the number of people who believe, strongly and usually logically (though not often correctly), that some group hates them and is out to harm them or things they care about in some way, and therefore they have to stand up to them to defend themselves, covers the vast majority of people of all political stripes.
This is the real dark magic.
Welcome to why I do not participate in politicised content, why I've never considered myself a "brony", why I've never been to a con or similar. We invited the rot in and assumed that the misogyny, the racism, the militancy, the convictions of ideologues would vanish over time.
In the interests of not bringing more political nonsense to a blog about wishing it didn't exist...
...I'm just going to say I feel you. I really do. The problem is that, those of us who decide to tolerate--the way of the world becomes hostile to us.
It's hard. But it's better for everyone. Thank you for trying.
It really is lamentable that, no matter how hard we try, we can't make the world how we want it.
-GM, master of mint.
I can't say anything helpful. But know that I commiserate with what I know is a miserable feeling.
For anyone not already familiar with the situation concerning JetFire2012/C.A. Shoultz, this might seem kind of strange.
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I really don’t think that swearing off the physical interaction of a convention actually helps things, if anything it would do the opposite.
I, for one, am a much richer person for having known you.
We are cursed to live in interesting times, and there's nothing more important in such times than having the support of friends. Support isn't a passive state, it's an action. By condemning a bigoted, violent act, you are supporting your friends who see it in the same light. That is no small thing in these times.
Thank you.
Yeah, this basically sums up my feelings. Cognitive bias is the bane of my existence.
Current events have been weighing heavily on my mind too. I have a vent in progress, if I can figure out how to get my feelings into words.
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Be that as it may, I cannot attend due to physical threats made to my person. Both direct and based in ethnicity.
I get the feeling, for what that's worth.
Just remember, at bottom you want to blame the people doing fascism, not the people calling the people doing fascism to your attention, for the degradation of this supposedly apolitical community and its capture by fascists.
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Fascists like yourself?
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Ah, that’s a different story then.
I can't understand humans most of the time.
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Thank you for the link. I don't watch the news or anything, so I was rather confused.
Neigh.
The inability of Bronies to absorb the core message of the show flabbergasts me.
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That post wildly mischaracterizes what happened in the Jetfire incident. Frankly, it's one of the worst examples of what this blog is upset about...people attacking someone for purely ideological reasons, without taking the facts into account.
As to what really happened, see this video of the incident. It quite clearly shows that Jetfire was attacked first, with rioters throwing things at him. Only afterward does he try to fight back - a perfectly justified case of self-defense, in my opinion.
And just for reference, here's another angle of the incident.
We can’t. For as long as humans have been on the Earth, there has been hate and jealousy, anger at things people think are unfair.
There will always be war on the Earth, and peace is never lasting on it.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2020/6/4/2365535.png
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I know horseshoes are popular on this site, but I am a communist.
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While I appreciate the another video, I'm not sure what that proves. By the same logic, there could be an even earlier moment that re-contextualizes THIS one. There's also other evidence suggesting Shoultz isn't in a right state of mind, besides the fact he's walking around with a sword.
pbs.twimg.com/media/EZXEK4zWAAE9wIW.jpg
I too sought refuge from real world politics here but it seems I was mistaken.
I think the guiding message of the show is more important than ever in relation to what has occurred.
Something important I've learned through hard and annoying experience: Every group of people that's bigger than a tight circle of friends contains
holes. Every single one. Game guilds, churches, political parties, extended families, board game enthusiast clubs, and even communities of people who write about the magic of friendship. While some groups will likely contain more nasty people per capita than others (e.g. KKK rallies tend to contain fewer decent people than your average brony convention), the nasty people are still there.
But it's not something that bothers me. Bad people exist. I can't escape that fact, but nobody else can either. Bad apples are unfortunately very loud compared to your average, decent person, but I can still try to be a good example of the good someone from the various groups I identify with can do.
You're one of the good ones, FoME, and you're far from the only one. Don't let the pressure-cooker we've all been dumped in make you forget that.
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The thing about a bad apple is that it spoils the barrel if not discarded. To give the metaphor the opposite meaning (to say you can ignore a bad apple and allow it to fester without inviting harm) is to abuse it.
And there are reasons why some groups have more "assholes" than others: the ones that have fewer police their boundaries and purge their trash, and the ones that have more cultivate them as sources of revenue and of brute numerical strength. Bronydom has consistently refused to police itself out of a misappreciation of what inclusivity is, and is insecure enough that it needs to project numerical strength. So it ends up attracting everyone from paedos to fash. (Chanboard heritage also plays a role here.) And over time, these elements drive away everyone who is rightly repulsed by them, until they dominate. Not just naturally, but as a matter of conscious, planned strategy.
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That's certainly possible. But if we are going down that road, then we shouldn't be judging him at all, because the evidence could always show something other than what it seems to show. Wait for things to die down and the court system to sort things out...that's what it's for, after all.
As for this:
Well again, that's certainly possible, but ruining someone's reputation based on a handful of Twitter posts is fundamentally not fair. That the someone in question happens to be the author of one of the most beloved pony fics of all time just underscores that we shouldn't be rushing to judgement on this.
5276086 This -----> 5276103 <-----
These people aren't "assholes" they're evil, they aren't just hard to get along with or a bit abrasive but generally alright. If you don't like nazis you shouldn't be fine with them hanging out in the same place as you, don't stand with them, push them away.
(I ported this over from the comments section on MrNumbers' blog so more people see it.)
Rather than going out and joining the peaceful protestors, but still wanting to contribute to the movement, I decided to play to my talents and write in a letter to an area newspaper. I was going to wait and drop a copy on my own blog eventually if they never printed the thing, but screw it, they haven't responded after a full day, so here it is:
And History Repeats
Put bluntly, things look grim. Over the course of my relatively short life, I cannot recall a time when so many people, all across the USA, were this dissatisfied with the state of affairs. My mother is a nervous wreck, paranoid and fearful. And she’s not alone in wondering when this will all be over. Meanwhile, I dread that, unless something is done, these clashes between those chanting for change and those who strike out for a return to the quiet norm will only escalate.
I was born in Chicago, and I’m proud of the majority of our history as a country. In fact, I’m currently a federally contracted engineer, working to help design an explosives detection device to replace the trained dogs we currently use. To help keep America safe for everyone. But the truth is now abundantly clear: despite the sincere efforts of many, America isn’t as safe for some as it is for others. And those people are desperately imploring the administration to enact sweeping reforms, only for their pleas to fall on the ears of a president wishing to respond solely with oppressive force.
I can’t help but think back to a time over three hundred years past, when men and women in Boston protesting a distant government which refused to listen turned violent. When what began with the destruction of tea chests sparked a revolution, eventually resulting in the creation of the United States after years of valiant, painful bloodshed.
But we don’t have to wage war again, nor should we. If only those who ostensibly represent the very voices crying out in anguish and fury, would listen, this time, and act to the best of their ability. Now, I’m not an expert in this, and I have no clue what exactly that would entail. However, I can plainly see that current events seem to be retreading old ground, ground we should have long since moved past as a nation.
If anyone in office is reading this, I implore you, please, be better than the old kings. Be someone who understands that power is granted by the people, and for the people. Don’t let the work of your predecessors perish from the earth.
No one wants to be mad all the time, FOME. It's really understandable to not want to upset anyone, and you've always struck me as a person who tries really hard to get along with everyone he meets and for what its worth I really value that about you. Thanks for writing.
"hugs you oh so tightly"
This whole week and the last have been hellish, every day's news weighing heavily on my mind, and I try my hardest not to stress out, because I might post the wrong thing and spark something else that'll be added to this horror show 2020 has slowly become, and I get so absorbed with my own stress, that I don't check in on others
I'm so sorry, FOME.
You're one of the most awesome people I know. Your words bring joy, adventure, and wisdom to so many, I understand why you don't want to raise your voice. If anyone deserves the Element of Kindness/Generosity, it's you, and I'm proud to call you my friend every single day. Please hang in there, you're not alone in this insanity. Don't hesitate to talk to us if you need to vent. We'll listen.
"gives you another big hug"
I'm sorry that I can only give you Internet hugs, but I mean them 100%. We're here for you
You're an excellent soul, Fan, and I couldn't imagine you upsetting or hurting anyone, whether on purpose or by accident. I also wish we had a space without that particular edge of the fandom that seems hell-bent on ignoring anything and everything important about the show.
I rant and retweet/repost political stuff on Facebook and Twitter a LOT- damn near constantly. Believe me when I say I understand the anger. I live the anger every damn day, even though I myself have all sorts of privilege and good fortune.
But I try to keep that off FimFiction and out of my writing, because ponies are someplace we come to relax, to re-energize, to regain hope. Being angry all the time destroys a person. Safe spaces are a necessity for mental health.
And yet... on a regular basis I find myself looking up followers or commenters, cringing, and thinking, What am I doing wrong with my writing, that people of this kind approve?
I don't have comfort for you except to say that you are not alone.
Yeah, this... I just...
I don't know what I can say that would help and I don't even know if this is something that should be helped.
I mean, I'm not going to claim I'm without my own opinions and biases. There are things that happen, in this show/fandom and outside of it, that I disapprove of, sometimes vehemently. But, while I know I'm not some paragon of reason and virtue, I do try to both keep things civil and actually discuss what I think in such a way as to invite reasoned debate. Whether I succeed or not is something I can't say, but I do try. I'm a big believer in debate and discussion - not that I think it's the only thing needed for things to change and be as they could be, but that it is a necessary part of that.
But I do sometimes wonder... is this how people see me? For that matter, is this who I actually am, unbeknownst to me and despite my best efforts? Some maladjusted, despicable, demented monster one bad day away from murder? I don't think so, I certainly hope not.
And this? This kind of horrific, grotesque hated? It not only hurts me to know that its there, but it hurts me to see just how much it's hurt people like you, FoME - kind, considerate, positive people who've done so much good for others, more than I suspect I ever will do, be it direct help and kindness or simply writing things for people to enjoy, helping them forget the world's negative aspects and enhance its postives.
Again, I don't know how much or if it helps, but you're not alone on this, as many of these comments demonstrate. And I truly believe that, for every one of these loathsome pieces of slime, there are at least twenty good, friendly people who are trying their best to make the world and the fandom a better place. And all I can do is try, in what minuscule ways I can, to help that process.
I don't want to mix politics with pastel horses. But I will say this: nothing good ever came from an act of jealousy or violence. If you're (rightfully, I would say) upset, go and be a force for good. Not just say you're going to do good...*actually* do good.
Protesting? Great! More power to you. Burning businesses, cars, Civic buildings? Pump your brakes. That doesn't help anyone.
Shoot, the good you do doesn't even have to be related to police work. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Donate blood. Organize a food drive.
There's enough bad in the world without anyone adding to it. Deal with the badness, but not in anger. With Kindness. With Generosity. With Honesty. With Laughter.
And realize that at a certain point, the world is very similar to a mirror: your view on it reflects more of yourself than of actual reality.
You're one of the people who, in every moment and action I've seen you take, I've loved and respected and valued you even more. Frankly, Aragon and I have spent hours discussing how you're even possible.
But Orbiting Kettle said it best.
See, what you have to understand, is that your stance on this is not one of politics. It’s one of basic human decency. The trick of the person who has zero decency, is to pretend like decency is a matter of politics. Because then they can ignore it, and chalk it off to “politics.”
And then they wonder why people get angry enough to pass the peaceful protest threshold.
You’re on the right side of this.
The side that ascribes attributes of humanity to all humans. Especially when others won’t ascribe those attributes.
It's why we can't have nice things, it seems. It's been a...draining week, just from seeing and observing and talking about it. I can't imagine how it is to be in the thick of it.
I suppose this is what it means to "Live in interesting times." :c
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Doesn't matter how many words of ponyfiction he writes when talks about people in real life, with swords "eager to drip with blood." That sounds like how you write a kill-crazy antagonist in a fanfiction. Anyone starts talking like that in real life, the correct response is backing away.
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I didn't even know people brought politics into this fandom (outside the theoretical stuff for writing a story), until all this stuff with Jetfire. I just pay attention to Fimfic, Deviantart and Tumblr for pony content. Of course, I have observed all sorts of LGBTQ content on these places. The only explicit references to real-life political parties I knew about were old "Stalin Glimmer" memes.
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It’s always been there, it’s just been relatively insulated/self-contained for many years. The community has often had a strong sense of apoliticalness, which is one of the reasons why I joined the fandom.
Unfortunately it’s taken some big names on this site for me to realize that the rot has escaped into wider discourse.
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Fixed that for you.
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I was trying to think of what to write here, and then I saw that. It's spot on.
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No, talking about how eager is to attack people followed by him getting into a fight with a sword is a pretty solid foundation for assumtion.
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Where this gets complicated is a lot of racists feeling threatened by a minority’s very existence. Because they see the world in terms of an existential racial struggle, and they think that increasing equality and diversity means they’re losing a war for survival. Similarly the people who view gay, trans, and poly people as a threat to their way of life simply for existing. People who consider losing their privileged position as an attack and being oppressed. The unfortunate truth is that, with the right mindset, everyone who isn’t you and yours is a threat.
And those views aren’t rare, are actually encouraged. This is the classic fascist narrative: the barbarians at the gates and the corruption of society that can only be overcome with force. When that ‘corruption’ and those ‘barbarians’ are simply people who aren’t like you, immigrants and minorities. They’re encouraged to feel under attack. Separately, but relatedly, this is origin of the siege mentality that certain branches of Christianity promote. They want their followers to see themselves as the torch in the wilderness, literally the only source of light and decency in a fallen world of darkness and corruption. Which is nonsense of course, but it’s a very attractive view. It lets you be the oppressed hero simply for existing, and never mind your power money and privilege... at the low, low cost of finding ‘enemies’ to dehumanize and decry as monsters. Ideally ones you can punch down at, we’re not interested in actual risk.