There Are No Sidelines · 10:15pm Jul 20th, 2020

I've been keeping my head down in the midst of all this drama, and there are plenty of people who have put it in words better than I ever could, in particular this blog by Grand Moff Pony that I strongly encourage you to read.

This is why I'm making this blog, just to say this: we're all involved in this. If we are to create a positive environment like this was intended to be, every one of us needs to take a stand. Every one of us needs to stand up and tell the people that are parading around philosophies centered around hatred and destruction or who delight in sexually deviant acts involving minors "No. This is wrong." We can no longer allow ourselves to be blind to inappropriate and hurtful behaviors in the name of "love and tolerance:" that kind of stance only allows immorality to fester in communities until we find ourselves in the situation that we're in. Evil prospers when good people do nothing.

Which is why it frustrates me so that Knighty and the mods are not doing enough to resolve this. So I'm directing this message directly to them.

Knighty, I love this site. I've met some really fantastic friends here. I've learned a lot about writing, about a hobby I love. My favorite experience in this fandom has been posting my stories for feedback and criticism. And I've seen so many wonderful stories on here, met some great friends. I don't want to see this ruined because you stuck your head in the sand. Yes, people do have the right to believe what they want. Yes, I understand you wanting to take a middle ground here to try to keep everyone happy.

But this is not a political debate: this is a matter of right and wrong. If someone started hanging out with your friends in real life and making inappropriate remarks and espousing hateful beliefs, you'd be completely justified in removing him from your group if you wanted to keep your group being a friendly and safe atmosphere. It is the same here: we should never have allowed Nazis, foalcon users, and other people who espouse inappropriate beliefs into this site if we wanted to make this the friendly environment that it was meant to be.

There are no sidelines. You need to take a side here. Either you continue to allow this evil to foster, to enable those who take advantage of your tolerance, or you PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN AND DO SOMETHING!

This could tear Fimfiction apart. And I don't want to lose one of the things that has consistently made me happy these past seven years.

Sincerely,

Josiah