SMITE wrote on Feb 11, 2023, 05:32:
Quinn wrote on Feb 11, 2023, 01:45:
Thanks for taking on this fight, man. I just can't deal with the way some people think, anymore. You don't know it, but you've been the proxy of my calmer thoughts this entire thread. I'm just fucking done with the idiocy to be civilized about it.
At the risk of sounding sentimental, I really appreciate hearing you say that, Quinn. It's easy to feel like we're alone in this when the other side has such a monopoly on the discourse, when they have on their side the entirety of the mainstream media (obviously including the gaming press), academia, institutions both public and private, the medical establishment, the federal government, etc. But we're not alone. It just feels like that because we don't have their megaphones, and because there are a lot of people IRL who see what's wrong but just want to keep their heads down. To keep the digital mob from their door. To keep from losing their jobs. But silent or not there are still more of us than there are of them and it's important to remember that, so we don't feel isolated or cut off. And I do think we should try to keep our cool. We're never going to win over the fanatics, but there are a lot of other people who never get to see our side of the debate presented in a reasoned and considerate way. Not that I always live up to that ideal. Far from it. Having said all that ... I told Blue I would take a break from posting (see the "etc" thread) and stop engaging directly in the gender debate here altogether. It is obviously making it a lot harder for him to moderate these threads and I do feel bad about that. Yes, I know the opposition likely won't adopt the same attitude, but ... let them. The truth will come out eventually and then it won't matter what they say. At least I hope so. Anyway, I'm signing off for a bit. (You should check out this thread about the media and the Hogwarts "controversy" on Neogaf. A few more kindred spirits there. https://www.neogaf.com/threads/ign-afraid-of-reviewing-hogwarts-legacy.1651631/ )
Mainstream media, academia, institutions, and the medical establishment are reliable sources that distinguish fact from fiction. When you claim they are against you, it suggests that your beliefs may not be accurate.
Your statement of feeling both isolated and outnumbered, yet suggesting that more people are on your side, creates a contradiction that is obvious to everyone but you. Instead, it is better to focus on evaluating the truth of the claims made rather than try to paint yourself as both the the unpopular victim as well as the popular hero.
Mentioning "keeping their heads down" is a way of acknowledging that promoting hateful rhetoric comes with consequences. It is important to move beyond hate towards marginalized groups and strive for a more inclusive and respectful society.