Comment 122520

By Borrelli (registered) | Posted March 06, 2018 at 14:47:47

Nope, it didn't help at all, Nicholas, not least of all because I have a McMaster professor, who should be an ally, giving me snark because his safe space was invaded by a group of thugs bent on sowing discord. I'm sorry that happened to you, but I really hope their actions don't mean we can't talk about social issues.

I care about those tough questions because I spend a lot of my limited free time as a volunteer on affordable housing issues, and on a good day can barely get people to put down their coffees to listen & care about the ongoing displacement of their less-fortunate neighbours. What I've learned this week is dispiriting--that thugs can make those tough conversations nearly impossible because they can so easily push reasonable people to the point where they fear for their safety and retreat--we'll show them thugs by refusing to talk about structural violence, or buying something, right? Or maybe that was their goal all along?

If the response to thugs isn't solidarity, but a refusal to talk about tough issues, then shame on me for hoping we could see through the broken glass to think a bit about the downtrodden, exploited, frustrated & voiceless who don't use violence.

I'm sorry I brought it up--I guess people still need to heal, but dare I say that getting angry isn't going to make things better. Smashing their windows back won't make things better, just like beating them up, or running them out of town won't end poverty and displacement. And since we can't let them "win" by talking about tough issues now, then please do let me know when we're allowed to, again.

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