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thinking some more about this reactionary backlash to student activism, or rather activism of any...

thinking some more about this reactionary backlash to student activism, or rather activism of any kind since i see this attitude reflected in the crusty white trans women who call themselves our ‘leaders”…

one of the constant refrains from these ppl is

‘why won”t they/we engage in civil debate?”

which of course is an sleight of hand intended to erase, diminish, and disappear the many many many past attempts to do exactly this. and even the current attempts. they ignore the scholars, activists, artists, writers, whatever of the past hundreds of years who”ve attempted to engage in civil debate.

beyond this, though, they also are performing a special kind of hegemonic policing of teh discourse. one of the things i have rarely seen in any of these reactionary articles is a serious, reasoned explanation for why anyone should value the things they value. they take it for granted that the activists who won”t listen to them ought to value rational debate and civil discourse. that these activists must value whatever notion of free speech they subscribe to.

but why.

why should any of us value civil debate when our arguments, pleas, and cries have been ignored and ineffective?

why should any of us value free speech when this is only brought up to defend people who hate us?

why should we care about open debate when ppl mock our need to be safe?

why.