Back in the day I enjoyed a short stint as a girl scout. My time was cut short because I asked why the girl scouts were responsible for cleaning up after the boy scouts. Why can’t the boys clean up after themselves so we can do something fun? Rather than a healthy debate, I got a swift kick out the door. No questions allowed. You’re out.
So many years later and not much has changed. Those attempting to control the narrative stifle critical thought via any means possible. Unbelievably one of the more effective methods is still name calling. Nothing shuts the debate down faster than calling someone an “ist”. The tried and true “ist” weapon has been so overused that it has now lost its power and, sadly, its meaning. New “ist” tags have been rolled out with much fanfare but they too will fizzle from relentless misuse.
Agree or not, the article below is thought provoking. It conjures images of snowflakes scrambling for safe spaces, progressives dropping atomic “ist” bombs and conservatives diving for cover. In other words, exactly my kind of article. How about “we the people” start talking.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-penn-law-professor-wants-to-make-america-white-again
Good read. I don’t think you will get many comments. I liked the article because it was a discussion of tough topics. People nowadays feel shut down and fearful to talk. Can you ask the question, where would you rather live, the U.S. or Haiti? It should be allowed to be talked about and why, but discourse is shut down in America because yes you will be called names. That is very bad in so many ways and such a shame. What are the effects of mass immigration? Are we allowed to ask? Kudos Sue for trying to get a conversation going.
While recognizing we are primarily a nation of immigrants, we must discuss the pros and cons of mass immigration. There is zero downside in doing so. In addition to the pros and cons, an honest assessment of the motivations of those groups pushing the extremes of open boarders and closed boarders should be openly evaluated. It is the twighlight zone that in just a few short years we can have Obama verbally supporting a secure boarder and now anyone who says that is a labeled a xenophobe. Bizarre.
Sue you are correct in calling the two sides for open and closed borders “extreme.” We need secure, legal immigration. And again, the problem that shuts down discussion is the labels/name calling.
But we have such an impasse in our government, as we discussed on the boats that day, as to the bill that was offered (including DACA, pathway to citizenship etc.) and why it was turned down (because it had wall funding).
A solution now feels hopeless.
I was in the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts NEVER cleaned up after us. I find it odd that you admire a writer who states that women are intellectually inferior to men ‘even if it might be true).
Lol Steve. I guess they let the feminists have a say in your scout groups!
I admire a writer who puts the questions out there whether I agree or not with the statements. The debate is critical to the success of our society.
The US will never be white again. And it’s one our strengths. It s why we are so great as a country. Take a look at Girl Scouts.org, it’s all about inclusivity.
Totally agree on the diversity of our country.
A million years ago the girl scouts kicked me out because I asked questions. I might add I was also kicked out of religion class in high school for asking questions. I recalled that silliness while watching the far more dangerous silliness going on today. Discourse is being shut down when the status quo is questioned. These are important questions that should be debated openly and with careful thought. As grown ups, we can’t literally kick someone out to silence the debate, but we can shame them into shutting them up with the “ist” tag. Very dangerous for our society since much of the status quo being relentless pushed these days seems increasingly bizarre.
Btw the name calling was unleashed from the top, from Trump.
One of my great disappointment with Trump is getting down into the sandbox instead of leading. Yes he surely does name call but he didn’t start it by a long shot. Calling conservatives “ists” as an attack strategy has been going on for a long time and it has worked very well. Why should they fix something that isn’t broken? But now it has spiraled completely out of control on both sides and we the people are the losers.