You Are Not Alone · 3:30am Jun 12th, 2020
This message is very, very late by the standards of the Internet. But my conscience won't let me rest until I say how I feel.
A week ago, news broke that former fan-author Jetfire2012 had taken leave of his sanity and picked a fight with an entire crowd... with predictable and well-deserved results.
I wish I could have weighed in on this when everyone else was. But the timing could not have been worse. I had only enough time to read most of Cynewulf's blog post on the subject before having to pack up and leave for a week to a place with no real means to connect to the fandom.
Yesterday I got back to civilization, and resolved to find out what had gone on in my absence. If you're reading this, you probably don't need me to go over it. But to me, two things stand out.
The first is the massive outpouring of support for those who suffer from oppression in de facto police states. Impossible Numbers collected quite a long list of blogs, with even more listed in a comment farther down. And since he stopped collecting them after a little while, you can bet there are a lot more out there.
The second is this exchange under PatchworkPoltergeist's post on the subject:
TheJediMasterEd:
I suspect the last thing you need right now is another white guy saying how much he caaaaaaaarrrrrres.
PatchworkPoltergeist:
Let me tell you, it's miles better than the alternative. It's crushing to learn one of our own did something so terrible, but the litany of blogs responding to it is sincerely heartening.
These lead me to two conclusions. First: Good people still greatly outnumber bad ones in this fandom. Second: In bad times, moral support counts.
Therefore, I want to say something to all those reading this who live under state oppression:
You are not alone.
However bad things may get, remember those four words. Myself, and the large outspoken majority, and the larger silent majority, are in your corner. For proof, consider: This fandom has demonstrated incredible charity when our own—and others—have needed it, and those who can't afford to donate have still lent moral support. We don't leave our own behind.
Good energy often drives out bad, so let's keep it up and pay it forward. Take care of each other and hang tough, for your own sake and all of ours. Help the oppressed in any way you can. It may sound trite, but it's true: We're all in this together.
Your friend,
H.V.
I'll take the blog-voice straight from the horse's mouth.
Thanks for a good blog.
State Oppression? I assume you mean hes been involved in all that's going on in Hong Kong? I'm kinda out of the loop.
The herd has always been close knit and cared for our own and many others, as you said, HV. That's one of the wonderful things about us: we care, about everyone.
5283036
Nah, China kinda sucks in various ways, but their response to Hong Kong protesters has been rolling out the red carpet compared to that of American Police.
Oh also
ACAB
Fuck 12
Death to America
Etc.
We shouldn't ever forget our heart, aye.
PatchworkPoltergeist's blog tells a sobering reality that some people are still treated as second class citizens. They shouldn't ever be.
Thank you for speaking up, too. Better late than never, as the saying goes.
5283036
No, the United States, where a police officer murdered a black man on camera, setting off protests and a wave of police brutality.
5283047
A police man mind you that was still in the service because of the police union. HE HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST HIM AND HE HAD A GRUDGE WITH THE DEAD MAN! HOW DID THEY LET HIM STAY!
I am. The moon stands alone.
Good words to live by. These days are going to be difficult no doubt, but hopefully they will get better and these things are just the sorts of things we need to wake us up. I read his two stories (the first and it's sequel) and I must say, I'm a tad shocked. Still, hopefully he can get help he needs and we can be there to help.
You are right though; many of us look out for each other. In fact, a while back, one FIMfiction author was planning on commiting suicide and it led to them posting a letter on their blog. This alerted many fans to call the police and the hospital and kept them from completing the deed. They are now getting better. Not completely over the depression they are suffering, but getting there.
You're right. Good here outweighs the bad.
5283728