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I’m Not a Coward I Just Haven’t Been Tested
By Jeff Fecke | April 12, 2007
Markos’ obnoxious post aside, one of the things I truly, truly hate is comments that go something like this:
Hey, blogging is a rough-and-tumble world, and if you don’t like it, put the keyboard away and go home to your mommy. Yeah, people are going to occasionally photoshop your face in a noose, or leave a pumpkin on your doorstep with a knife driven into it and a sign on it that says, “You.” Toughen up. That’s life in the wild west of the blogosphere.
I truly despise this line of thinking, because it’s completely, 100% bunk. The person asserting it almost certainly hasn’t received death threats, because nobody who had would be so blithe or so condescending.
I don’t know what I’d do if I received a credible death threat, not to mention one as detailed and shocking as the ones Kathy Sierra received. I’d like to think I’d redouble my efforts and say to hell with the jerks, and write on. But I have a daughter, and while I might be insouciant about my own fate, I am not so about hers; I want her to live a long, healthy life, and I damn sure don’t want her hurt by some idiot who hates me.
And, to be honest, I don’t know how insouciant I’d be about my own life if this wasn’t a hypothetical. It takes real courage, above and beyond that of a normal person, to keep working in a situation where the threat of death is real and present. And because of that, there’s no sin in quitting when the stakes get that high; Kathy Sierra made a decision to keep herself safe, putting her life above her career. It’s hard to say that’s a bad trade when her career would also suffer if she was dead.
So if you’re tempted to write the above paragraph, don’t. If you’re a man, that goes double, because women have been placed in a uniquely vulnerable position by society, and are often subject to attacks that would leave you sputtering and broken. Free speech should be free, but threats aren’t speech. They’re violence.
Topics: Blog Navel-Gazing, Feminism | 1 Comment »
April 17th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
[...] People who have spoken out brownfemipower at Woman of Color Blog Zuzu at Feministe Jessica at Feministing Belledame at Fetch Me My Axe Echnide of the Snakes Mark at Norwegienty Jill at Brilliant at Breakfast Bitch PhD Chris at Creek Running North and Pandagon Kip at Long Story, Short Pier Bruce at Crablaw Melissa at Shakesville Jeff at Blog of the Moderate Left Interrobang Stephen at The Thinkery Amp at Alas, A Blog Amanda at Pandagon Lindsey at Majikthise Dan at Fitness for the Occasion Nezua at The Unapologetic Mexican Natasha, at Pacific Views Kevin at Slant Truth Aaron at Faithfully Liberal Ntodd at Dohiyi Mir Trifecta at New PairODimes Steven D at Booman Tribune Sheelzebub at Pinko Feminist Hellcat Myra at Reno and Its Discontents twoluvcats at a wealth of semi-useless information! Scott at Lawyers, Guns and Money PZ at Pharyngula skippy the bush kangaroo Mickle at The True Confessions of an Hourly Bookseller WebWeaver’s World Renee at the Independent Bloggers’ Alliance Terrance at The Republic of T Vox Aemeliae [...]