Anonymous wrote:I just wish everyone would calm down. As a Black person I see all of this hand wringing about cancel culture as an excuse to not engage in solving the problem of racial inequities.

If you can look back and identify things you've done and said that were biased, discriminatory or promoted stereotypes and understand why it was wrong then that is a good thing. I'd even ask people to go deeper and research things like blackface and other racist ideology/stereotypes and how and why it keeps getting perpetuated.

And for goodness sakes you don't need to shout from the rooftops of how woke you are now - just learn and unlearn, listen to POC, listen to understand, and pass on what you learn to your kids.

That's literally all you have to do.

Signed - 53 yo Black woman

I am one of the people of color who posted above and agree; it’s not that complicated.

Most of the handwringing on this thread is advanced by conservatives who are aiming to make “wokeness” into a bad word and “cancel culture” into the bogeyman responsible for all society’s ills.

For that they will claim that children are being penalized for their actions as middle schoolers, BIPOC are equally responsible for their own oppression, and since no one is perfect, nothing can ever be improved unless we all just quit whining about rights and oppression.

It’s like MAGA bingo in here. Next up someone will bring up rap music, black on black crime, and how all minorities hate each other. The same damn tires arguments again and again.

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Anonymous wrote:But also many of us didn't behave like that in the early 2000s.

DP. I don't believe it. Being truly anti-racist requires honesty. You did not exist outside of culture.

Yeah, everyone who didn't act like you is a liar.

Nah - just not self aware.

I guess you feel better about bigotry if you convince yourself it was the norm. The only delusional person here is the one who thinks "everyone" acted like that.

DP. You are the most dangerous because you maintain your ignorance. I do not believe there is a single adult today who grew up in the US who did not say, participate in, watch, read, or otherwise contribute to a culture of white supremacy, systemic misogyny, racism, ableism, or homophobia. It permeated (and still permeates) the culture. You are excusing yourself because you didn't say exactly what OP did. But at least OP is being honest with himself while you aren't.

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Bold of you to say that POC contribute to white supremacy. Really, you guys are reaching far to make yourselves feel better.

OR. I said OR. God, you can't even read. No wonder you think you are perfect.

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Anonymous wrote:Interesting. Black folks have been "cancelled" for largely just existing for over a century. Now we are suppose to care if folks with a racist past have to take heat for their views? Now you are mildly inconvenienced and *now* "cancel culture" is a problem?

So, using a term as a teenager that you now view as racist or discriminatory makes you a racist? That's a slippery slope.

And for the record, if you are found to have said racist things as a teenager or a long time ago, yes you should be held to account for that.

I nor anyone else can dictate how people should react to this information. Some...probably most... will dismiss it as part of that teen's personal development. Others will want that individual to explain why they held those views and/or apologize. Others will want more severe consequences.

Whats the right answer? In my world, it would be to allow for personal growth. If an employer decides to fire someone b/c of it due to reputational risk, they certainly have that right. And you have the right to disagree and no longer do business with said company (also cancel culture right?). But to label this as some new phenomenon is ludicrous. Its been happening forever and still does.

Today, contrary to popular belief by folks like Joe Rogan and Bill Mahr, cancel culture largely harms Black people and other marginalized groups the most. I would be on board with this movement if it were consistent. I do no hear these folks addressing that issue. Instead I'm told to believe that a conservative professor being fired by a university for preaching debunked race IQ science or a comedian losing their platform that makes underhanded homophobic jokes...thats the real travesty in America today.....

This entire critique on culture is just an effort to allow conservatives and the majority to say abhorrent things about minority groups without consequences. Kind of like the way things used to be. MAGA I guess?

Anonymous wrote:I just wish everyone would calm down. As a Black person I see all of this hand wringing about cancel culture as an excuse to not engage in solving the problem of racial inequities.

If you can look back and identify things you've done and said that were biased, discriminatory or promoted stereotypes and understand why it was wrong then that is a good thing. I'd even ask people to go deeper and research things like blackface and other racist ideology/stereotypes and how and why it keeps getting perpetuated.

And for goodness sakes you don't need to shout from the rooftops of how woke you are now - just learn and unlearn, listen to POC, listen to understand, and pass on what you learn to your kids.

That's literally all you have to do.

Signed - 53 yo Black woman

Your are absolutely right! Cancel culture is used as an excuse. Therefore, it is time to stop the blame game and "cancellation" and get to the talking and learning. Enough finger pointing. That obviously is not helpful and, in fact, detracts from the message. Stop with the pervasive labeling of people as racists and instead let's make sure that people get educated so that they stop their racist actions and stop thinking like a bunch of racists. People, although they are likely racists, don't react well to being called out-- however right that is to do. If we really want to solve this problem, the blaming has to cease and the conversations need to start. People who are called out get angry, are in denial, lose face-- it is not productive. However wrong those people are, if the goal is to get rid of racism, we need to start going about it in a different way. For example, when a Rutger's professor gets on NPR and talks about how she is no longer going to pander to white people, that can anger people and shut them down to a productive discussion. Don't say stuff like that if you really want white people to stop being racist-- that is the practical reality.

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Anonymous wrote:This thread is everything that is wrong with liberals. There is zero space for education and/or growth. It doesn't matter in what decade OP said or did anything that may be misconstrued in today's era. The point is that she has reevaluated and learned. I always thought that was the ultimate goal. But no, for most liberals, its to burn everyone at the stake and come out on top in the self-congratulatory, woke Olympics.

OP, you're fine. Education, reformation and reevaluating our former selves should be the goal. The cancel loons are what is wrong with society.

Please do show us one person cancelled for things they said as a middle schooler. Just one example.

Close-- a girl in VA had her acceptance revoked at University of Tennesee, I believe that was the school, when a former classmate sent to the university a screenshot of something offensive she posted in 9th grade. Four years later she had matured into someone who cared about eradicating racism and recognizing her privilege. But still, because 4 years before she posted something offensive, she lost her admission.

I just wish everyone would calm down. As a Black person I see all of this hand wringing about cancel culture as an excuse to not engage in solving the problem of racial inequities.

If you can look back and identify things you've done and said that were biased, discriminatory or promoted stereotypes and understand why it was wrong then that is a good thing. I'd even ask people to go deeper and research things like blackface and other racist ideology/stereotypes and how and why it keeps getting perpetuated.

And for goodness sakes you don't need to shout from the rooftops of how woke you are now - just learn and unlearn, listen to POC, listen to understand, and pass on what you learn to your kids.

That's literally all you have to do.

Signed - 53 yo Black woman

Anonymous wrote:Middle class white female here.

I feel like, looking back at growing up in the 90s, I said a lot of cringeworthy, racist and homophobic things in middle school and probably high school (early 2000s). Thank god we didn't have social media before MySpace.
I'm politically liberal/progressive now (though not insanely woke as it is) and my parents were Democrats, but man.... the things that used to be acceptable back then would get us canceled these days.

I recall there was some presentation a group of us gave in history class where I was in the role of a Chinese person and made fake Asian eyes. I also remember a ton of offhand homophobic and trans-phobic comments people made. The word "gay" was an insult. And I remember there was some rumor that a celebrity was trans and people were aghast, and talked about them like they were some kind of zoo animal.

I grew up in a small town, a very Republican town in a blue state. Majority white, a lot of born-again Christians. We had maybe three Black kids in school and one LGBTQ person. Also, the movies we used to watch from the 90s and 80s would never be acceptable now. Not that this is a bad thing - I'm glad we've come a long way with being more inclusive and less bigoted, and we have a LONG way to go.

This all being said, I wonder what the statute of limitations is on canceling someone. I imagine there will be more and more Millennial politicians who will be excoriated for something posted on a defunct MySpace page.

If you were a true progressive, you would out yourself and cancel yourself.

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Anonymous wrote:Interesting. Black folks have been "cancelled" for largely just existing for over a century. Now we are suppose to care if folks with a racist past have to take heat for their views? Now you are mildly inconvenienced and *now* "cancel culture" is a problem?

So, using a term as a teenager that you now view as racist or discriminatory makes you a racist? That's a slippery slope.

No I think cancel culture is always a problem and I’m not a hypocrite about it. I think it goes both ways including giving Trump the bird.

You think everybody should be let out of jail?

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Anonymous wrote:But also many of us didn't behave like that in the early 2000s.

DP. I don't believe it. Being truly anti-racist requires honesty. You did not exist outside of culture.

Yeah, everyone who didn't act like you is a liar.

Nah - just not self aware.

I guess you feel better about bigotry if you convince yourself it was the norm. The only delusional person here is the one who thinks "everyone" acted like that.

DP. You are the most dangerous because you maintain your ignorance. I do not believe there is a single adult today who grew up in the US who did not say, participate in, watch, read, or otherwise contribute to a culture of white supremacy, systemic misogyny, racism, ableism, or homophobia. It permeated (and still permeates) the culture. You are excusing yourself because you didn't say exactly what OP did. But at least OP is being honest with himself while you aren't.

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Bold of you to say that POC contribute to white supremacy. Really, you guys are reaching far to make yourselves feel better.

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Anonymous wrote:Still waiting for an example of someone getting "cancelled" for something they said in middle school or high school.

If you’re expanding to HS - there are plenty. Here’s one.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/12/26/us/mimi-groves-jimmy-galligan-racial-slurs.amp.html

This has nothing to do with OP's post. It's not from the 90s. It's from a few years ago, when people should already know better.

PP said give me an example from HS. Not from HS in the 90s. I’m just responding to that ask. You can make a different ask if you want.

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Anonymous wrote:But also many of us didn't behave like that in the early 2000s.

DP. I don't believe it. Being truly anti-racist requires honesty. You did not exist outside of culture.

Yeah, everyone who didn't act like you is a liar.

Nah - just not self aware.

I guess you feel better about bigotry if you convince yourself it was the norm. The only delusional person here is the one who thinks "everyone" acted like that.

DP. You are the most dangerous because you maintain your ignorance. I do not believe there is a single adult today who grew up in the US who did not say, participate in, watch, read, or otherwise contribute to a culture of white supremacy, systemic misogyny, racism, ableism, or homophobia. It permeated (and still permeates) the culture. You are excusing yourself because you didn't say exactly what OP did. But at least OP is being honest with himself while you aren't.

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Anonymous wrote:Interesting. Black folks have been "cancelled" for largely just existing for over a century. Now we are suppose to care if folks with a racist past have to take heat for their views? Now you are mildly inconvenienced and *now* "cancel culture" is a problem?

So, using a term as a teenager that you now view as racist or discriminatory makes you a racist? That's a slippery slope.

No I think cancel culture is always a problem and I’m not a hypocrite about it. I think it goes both ways including giving Trump the bird.

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Anonymous wrote:Interesting. Black folks have been "cancelled" for largely just existing for over a century. Now we are suppose to care if folks with a racist past have to take heat for their views? Now you are mildly inconvenienced and *now* "cancel culture" is a problem?

So, using a term as a teenager that you now view as racist or discriminatory makes you a racist? That's a slippery slope.

It makes you racist at the pint in time that you did it.

Anonymous wrote:You should be cancelled. Your family should lose everything. Ideally you’ll live starving under a bridge while repenting for your sins. Your children should suffer, too.

NOT.

Cancel culture is turning me into a Republican. It’s enough.

Not liking Trump doesn't make you a liberal or even a centrist.

Anonymous wrote:We keep fighting about cancel culture, but we do not have a collective definition of what it is. Currently, it appears cancel culture only applies when white people or conservatives are being held to account for their racist/xeno/transphobic/crappy actions and views. Meanwhile, both groups historically (and currently) hold the power to actually cancel people in a meaningful way.

All this faux "free speech"/cancel culture outrage only apply to the same situations. The root of the issue: "When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression".

Um, no. It’s deplatforming people who say things you don’t want to hear, or gaining a sense of superiority by punishing people for saying something you deem unacceptable, regardless of when it was said, the intent when it was said, or whatever remorse the person may currently feel about having said it.