Dear Leftists
an open letter to leftist thought-police, whoever, and wherever they are
This article is based on a Twitter thread I wrote in response to the Media Matters cancel-mob that canceled James Lindsay from Twitter. It turned out to be one of the most popular threads I’ve ever composed because it struck a chord with many who are sick and tired of the double standards and what James calls the “Iron Law of Woke Projection.”
I’m sick of it too, but I wrote this to call them out more as a reminder to the rest of us that we are the courageous ones. We aren’t afraid to be free, and to allow others to be free right along with us, even if they don’t always agree with us. We don’t depend upon talking points, or the approval of others before we can safely open our mouths to speak. We aren’t the “As-a” Americans, because we belong to ourselves, first and foremost, our families and friends second and third, and “group identities” NEVER.
Dear Leftist:
You can't legislate kindness, compassion, or empathy.
It's perfectly legal to "hate," and even to express "hate." I know y'all know this, you do it all the time, and want to be allowed to continue, unhindered (clearly).
It's legal to be wrong, provided your wrongness doesn't literally hurt another person ("Your feelings" don't count, sorry).
It's legal to be a dick. Yup, perfectly legal to be America's biggest jackass, as long as you don't literally (please use dictionary definition) do harm.
You don't have a "right" to my empathy, compassion, or understanding.
You don't have a "right" to my acceptance, inclusion, or love.
In fact, I explicitly have the right NOT to give them to you; it's called "freedom of association."
You don't have a "right" to tell me what I may and may not say in public, even directly TO YOU.
You don't have a "right" to tell me what thoughts I may and may not write, though some private platforms will grant you that privilege, they can take it away tomorrow. Watch out.
You don't have the "right" to harass ME, or cry-bully ME into submission because you don't like my opinions, my beliefs, or my choice of words about either; what you have is a PRIVILEGE, granted to you by a private corporation, one they could yank away on a whim.
Your PRIVILEGE to cry-bully, harass, report, shout-down, or otherwise attempt to censor people because Twitter et al happen to agree with you (today) does NOT validate the morality or ethics of what you're doing. It indicates they've made a business decision.
They don't give a flying f**k about you personally, I promise you that. They're moral cowards who are more afraid of your noise than ours because the people with police power are benefitting from that noise right now.
So go ahead and celebrate your "victory" over James Lindsay. Keep spiking the ball with glee that you have "canceled" him from Twitter. The longer and louder you do it, the more fun it's going to be when none of this matters anymore, because you've ceased to be useful.
The difference between you, and the rest of us is, we know who WE are, and what we believe. We don't need your approval, or anyone else's to feel whole. We don't much care who "hates" us, especially if they're total strangers, because they're irrelevant to our lives.
You can't seem to breathe if there's anyone, anywhere, who's happier than you, or even just content to not GAF about you, your problems, your needs, or your feelings. Other people's liberty is your prison. I feel so sorry for you.
Except nah, I don't. I would feel sorry for you if the ideas you make so much noise about weren't such an insufferable, hollowed-out, destructive, mendacious, malignant force in the world.
I'd be indifferent to you if you weren't so dangerous.
But I had to chime in today of all days, and remind you, and anyone else reading, that none of what you've done reflects your "right" to anything, or your BEING "right" about anything. Quite the opposite.
YOU have the power and privilege.
YOU are the oppressors.
YOU are the fascists.
YOU are the haters.
YOU are the bigots.
YOU are the racists.
YOU are the misogynists.
YOU are the homophobes.
YOU are the transphobes.
I could wear a t-shirt every day that read "I know you are, but what I am?"
Maybe I will...
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Perfectly said.👏🏻