Post by Heightism Report on Dec 8, 2014 23:46:11 GMT
I'd like the address a talking point we often hear(and some of you may even agree with) stating that we shouldn't silence people who make hateful statements because it is better to know how they really feel than it is for them to keep it hidden.
While I understand the logic behind these sentiments, I tend to disagree, and this is why. If we don't create a culture of shame against wanton hatred against short people, no one ever has to question their beliefs. The bigots will get 100% of the say-so, and we will be 100% cut-out of establishing our own narrative(which is the crux of heightism to begin with.) In this instance, it is also important to understand where we stand in regard to other forms of discrimination. Racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. are taken much more seriously than heightism, so when people who practice those forms of discrimination articulate their views, there are plenty of societal(and some legal) mechanisms that often ensure that they get their just punishment. With heightism, there is no social penalty to pay, and there is often a reward, so we are operating at even more of a deficit when people make these statements than we were beforehand. The knowledge we gain from knowing that person is a heightist, isn't enough of a payoff to justify the negative effects of such a statement, especially when we see such statements applauded by others. If we remain silent and not scrutinize people who make hateful remarks, we just create a scenario where they'll receive positive reinforcement for their bigotry, and the cycle not only continues, but strengthens.
We have to create a culture of shame around hateful comments because there's not much of a payoff from just knowing that someone's a heightist, especially when there's no current social remedy to implement in order to hold them accountable for their actions. Progress starts with people having to question their words, and when they start doing that, we move the pendulum even further where they have to start questioning their actions. It's their turn to feel backed into the corner for a change, in the same way that we have been backed into the corner for the course of human history. If we just let people be loose cannons without recourse, we forfeit our opportunity to put them in their place, and we create even more of a mess to have to cleanup for future generations.
Look at how many suicide threads have been posted on r/short in the past few months. Look at how many short men who are absolutely defeated have been posting "I give up" threads. If we just allow people to advocate for all-out hatred and genocide, and pass it off as "Well..it's good that we know how they feel," we abandon our chance to show impressionable young people what it's like to shut these idiots down, and we let the idiots get to these young people before we do. I definitely see where people are coming from who have opinions contrary to mine in regard to this issue, but I strongly believe that it's time for us to have the chance to speak for a change.
While I understand the logic behind these sentiments, I tend to disagree, and this is why. If we don't create a culture of shame against wanton hatred against short people, no one ever has to question their beliefs. The bigots will get 100% of the say-so, and we will be 100% cut-out of establishing our own narrative(which is the crux of heightism to begin with.) In this instance, it is also important to understand where we stand in regard to other forms of discrimination. Racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. are taken much more seriously than heightism, so when people who practice those forms of discrimination articulate their views, there are plenty of societal(and some legal) mechanisms that often ensure that they get their just punishment. With heightism, there is no social penalty to pay, and there is often a reward, so we are operating at even more of a deficit when people make these statements than we were beforehand. The knowledge we gain from knowing that person is a heightist, isn't enough of a payoff to justify the negative effects of such a statement, especially when we see such statements applauded by others. If we remain silent and not scrutinize people who make hateful remarks, we just create a scenario where they'll receive positive reinforcement for their bigotry, and the cycle not only continues, but strengthens.
We have to create a culture of shame around hateful comments because there's not much of a payoff from just knowing that someone's a heightist, especially when there's no current social remedy to implement in order to hold them accountable for their actions. Progress starts with people having to question their words, and when they start doing that, we move the pendulum even further where they have to start questioning their actions. It's their turn to feel backed into the corner for a change, in the same way that we have been backed into the corner for the course of human history. If we just let people be loose cannons without recourse, we forfeit our opportunity to put them in their place, and we create even more of a mess to have to cleanup for future generations.
Look at how many suicide threads have been posted on r/short in the past few months. Look at how many short men who are absolutely defeated have been posting "I give up" threads. If we just allow people to advocate for all-out hatred and genocide, and pass it off as "Well..it's good that we know how they feel," we abandon our chance to show impressionable young people what it's like to shut these idiots down, and we let the idiots get to these young people before we do. I definitely see where people are coming from who have opinions contrary to mine in regard to this issue, but I strongly believe that it's time for us to have the chance to speak for a change.
