Today is my birthday. My wish is that people rise up and eliminate the stupidity that is cancel culture. it’s not only stupid, but it only serves to keep hate alive. The idea that someone can get “canceled” for something he or she did or said ten (10) years ago is so beyond the limits of my comprehension that I convulse just thinking about it. I don’t like hateful speech and I think it’s wrong to be disrespectful of people for any reason. However, encountering people with views that are different than mine is an opportunity to educate and/or sharpen my own beliefs. But canceling those people doesn’t do anything good for anyone. Just shows that hate is hate.
As a writer, there’s a really good chance that I either have or will offend someone. I don’t compromise and write my truth. As a matter of fact, I really have a hard time writing something if I don’t completely believe it. A blank page and a topic is my own built-in lie detector test. Because of my truth, I KNOW I’ve offended folks and I’m certain i’ll do it again. Writing my truth means that not everyone will always agree with me, but that’s what makes my writing meaningful.
Of course, I want people to agree with me. If I’m lobbying for a law or for a philosophical position that has behavioral impact, then the more who agree with me, the better. But if I’m being ironic or poking fun at someone or something that’s bugging me, then I hope people see the humor. If in either case I offend someone, then my hopes are that he or she talks with me about why I’ve offended him or her. That way, I can improve the joke…just kidding. Really, I have a lot to learn and when people disagree with me, then maybe their position is something I simply missed or didn’t understand.
However, in this day and age of stupid cancel culture, if I offend someone who’s among board of directors of the cancel culture enforcers, he or she just may cancel me. That would suck because we’d both be missing out on an opportunity to learn. Now, hate speech and anything that incites violence, even if perpetrated by those moral police who stand in judgment of all expression, then we should all band together to limit its impact. But poking fun or being ignorant aren’t reasons for cancellation: They’re situations where education and learning can occur.
So, I think we should all cancel those who stand in moral superiority and cancel everyone that offends them. If stupidity is tolerated in any form, it’s tolerated in all forms and cancel culture is as stupid as it gets. People offend me all the time and I don’t get all morally superior about it. I just find something about the situation and make fun of it such that maybe I offend them back. So, cancel me if I offend you, I’ll just find ways to get renewed.
