I had a diary all ready to go for today, but I decided to post it tomorrow in favor of this one.
So, let's just get this out of the way. Some have asked: what the heck DID happen?
In a quick nutshell: For several months, there have been a lot a meta wars going on within the DK that has basically been between 2 factions. Many folk lost some sort of control of themselves in the heat of arguing. The owner stepped in after many started to complain. He banned people and he restricted some rating privileges of others. Then someone wrote a diary noting that a particular group of people seemed to have been more on the receiving end of those actions and that caused more heartburn. In the end, some decided that they needed a break from this place for while. That's the roundup. You can seek out all of the diaries if you want more details. Now you know -- that's the general synopsis -- the Cliff Notes version. Follow me ov'r:
I decided to stick around in order to speak out during this break time that others have decided to take because it is my belief that we need to talk more about our perceptions or mis-perceptions. The problem with boycotting a place that is about discussion is that by withholding your voice -- you sometimes lose it. You lose your ability to be a part of what this place can be about instead of what it's been about in the past.
On one of my former jobs, our office had this 'cross-cultural' communications workshop. It started out okay, but then it got deep into the root of some 'behaviors' that were seen by some as being rather insensitive at best. There were some tears shed, some painful invocation of past wrongs -- some placement of historical context -- you get the idea.
After that workshop, the office when dead silent for about a week. No one made eye contact with one another. No one knew what to say to one another. This happened, in my opinion, because there was no acknowledgment of that pain, no reconcilation of the past, and no plan to move forward.
What I've observe from Day 1 of this period is that there is a lot of anger out there -- still. One would not have thought as much -- after all, no one's here to heat up the meta (although it takes two sides to tango). But I can tell you where this is headed -- in the 'keep saying the same things expecting a different result' department.
What prompted this diary today was a comment made in the diary I posted yesterday that suggested that I look that this other diary:
That is your opinion.
Here are the opinions of many others today who disagree with you:
Not Down With the Boycott
They know what has been going on and they are now free to speak their minds, without willful harassment.
I guess there are WHOLE LOT of "wilfully ignorant" Kossacks who don't know the difference between racism and deliberate, wilfull divisiveness.
So you might want to reconsider your claim of "willful ignorant" Kossacks.
It seems quite a few are sick of it and not going to take it anymore.
This "boycott" has and is going for a much bigger movement to occur.
~~~First of all, let me say off the bat that I hope that this poster doesn't mind me quoting their comment. It is just being used for discussion purposes only and not meant to serve as an indictment of this poster or their opinion.~~~
I bolded that so that we are clear.
Okay, let me just be straight, no chaser about this.
Point one: This comment was in response to one I made about why I thought this whole thing had come about:
Yes in part, it's about that... but this is exactly why we need to have this discussion -- without all of the anger right now on this board because when people make sweeping statements that they are being targeted as a racist just because they have criticized the President, then they are being disingenuous and willfully ignorant of the clear undertones that persist.
I said that because the poster felt that this dust up was also over the push back (my words) from White Kossers who felt that they were under attack by Black Kossers who 'were using the race card' to suppress their criticism of President Barack Obama.
Okay. There. I've said it. It's out on the table front and center.
Now I clearly didn't get a memo here. I'm not sure what was meant by this boycott going for some bigger mission.
As I said yesterday, this is Markos' board. At the end of the day, it's really HIS MISSION. Not anyone else's. We can choose to agree with it -- or not.
People will either come back after a week and hopefully cooler heads will prevail or -- they won't come back at all. Which leads me to:
Point Two: There is clearly a lot of anger. ON BOTH SIDES. Now I'm not making this into any sort of false equilvancy here, but it would be kinda dumb of me to just ignore the anger coming from others who I may not necessarily agree with all of the time. If I'm going to be true to myself (and I speak ONLY for myself) -- if I expect for others to understand and respect my pain and anguish, then I damn sho' better start respecting the pain and anguish of others.
Even if I don't quite understand it.
Point Three: At some point, we need to sift through this 'criticisms of President Obama is tantamount to being a White Progressive Racist' thing. There is a BIG difference between being a racist and being racially insensitive. Most racists know that they are racists. Whether they will admit that to the world is another matter, but they already know what they are.
However, sometimes people don't realize when they are being insensitive -- whether it has to do with race, sex, sexual orientation, religion -- you name it.
Now how criticizing this President has dissolved in being equated as being called a racist, I don't know. If White Progressives on here have been directly called that by others, I will take your word for it.
Understand that is not how I view things and I'm sure that many other African Americans will agree with me on this score. I leave that for them to say.
But also understand that if I disagree with your political position regarding this President -- or any one else, or any other political policy -- I will challenge you on it.
Yes sirree Bob, I will. If your POV is worth having and standing by, then you should have no problems defending it and you should feel confident in defending it.
If your default answer is to be offended that someone will challenge your criticism of the President and you allow that offensiveness to overshadow your policy points, then, oh well. I guess we won't be seeing eye to eye.
But that doesn't make you a racist. I'm not saying that and if someone is, then they should be banned under the rules of this forum. Period.
Point Four: If I can acknowledge White Progressive's pain and anquish over being accused of racism because of legitimate criticisms that are levelled against the President, I hope that White Progressives can also acknowledge the pain of those who have felt disrespected as Black Progressives. Can you feel me here? I'm talking as plainly and as straight forward as I can. I'm being as honest as I can be, because in order to forge ahead, there needs to be that acknowledgment and that reconcilation.
Last Point: Some may think that this period of time is a breather to 'speak unconstrained'. That's exactly why I'm still here -- still. I want to talk with you all directly -- to your cyberface, if you will and not behind your cyberback. I'm stepping out here because I'm committed to trying.
Because I don't think a sanitized version of DK should be the plan going forth.
The floor is now yours.
Talk it out.
Work it out.