This essay captures exactly what I've been thinking about noticing on this issue. While both conservatives and defensive liberals have been calling out "cancel culture" they don't think about what Conservative cancel culture looks like, which is preemptive. Consider how there are many conservatives on liberal campuses, but how many professors are expressing openly liberal positions at schools like Liberty University (a most Orwellian name), population 110,000, or BYU, population 33,000. They aren't called out for canceling outspoken staffers because any potential candidates have been pre-cancelled. Of course, this is not to excuse such behavior when zealous liberals go after someone for not being fully PC, but we also need perspective. And this essay provides that perspective.
Really great points. What frustrates me is that I largely *expect* this kind of awful censoriousness from the right and their racist fear of teaching about America's racial reality. Yes, it does deserve more media coverage. But to me, it's a dog bites man story. What I really hate is for my "side" that believes in more racial and gender and socioeconomic equality adopting an censoriousness that is profoundly illiberal. It's one thing for some "racism is over" person to be illiberal, but I do find it particularly galling for those in favor of racial equality to adopt an "I know best and you must agree with me" orthodoxy on racial issues.
I hear you, Steve. I know that part of what I am experiencing when I read the stories about censoriousness from "our" side is my own defensiveness. And I think all of us just react with different degrees of emotional intensity to these things. Some of what bothers you more, bothers me less. And vice versa. And it's certainly true that the space for productive conversations about this stuff continues to shrink. One thing I do not generally endorse is firing people for things they've said, particularly if they've apologized and in the absence of a pattern. In other words, and I know I'm far from alone, part of my ideal society (hah!) is that grace and forgiveness would be in much greater supply than they are.
Yes! What I do especially hate is the complete abscence of grace, forgiveness, and the principle of charity. It's like "if just maybe this can be interpreted as racism/sexism/etc." definitely interpret it that way. And, if you can, try and ruin the person's livelihood. That's just an awful way to be in the world. Not to mention entirely hypocritical of a movement that extends grace and forgiveness to people who commit literal crimes. As I tell my students, Ted Cruz we have a *clear pattern* and it makes sense to respond accordingly, but for a one-off, potentially ambiguous action/comment, *extend charity!*
This essay captures exactly what I've been thinking about noticing on this issue. While both conservatives and defensive liberals have been calling out "cancel culture" they don't think about what Conservative cancel culture looks like, which is preemptive. Consider how there are many conservatives on liberal campuses, but how many professors are expressing openly liberal positions at schools like Liberty University (a most Orwellian name), population 110,000, or BYU, population 33,000. They aren't called out for canceling outspoken staffers because any potential candidates have been pre-cancelled. Of course, this is not to excuse such behavior when zealous liberals go after someone for not being fully PC, but we also need perspective. And this essay provides that perspective.
Thanks for this, Steve. Preemptive and pre-cancelled are good terms - they capture well the dynamics here. Hope all is well.
Really great points. What frustrates me is that I largely *expect* this kind of awful censoriousness from the right and their racist fear of teaching about America's racial reality. Yes, it does deserve more media coverage. But to me, it's a dog bites man story. What I really hate is for my "side" that believes in more racial and gender and socioeconomic equality adopting an censoriousness that is profoundly illiberal. It's one thing for some "racism is over" person to be illiberal, but I do find it particularly galling for those in favor of racial equality to adopt an "I know best and you must agree with me" orthodoxy on racial issues.
I hear you, Steve. I know that part of what I am experiencing when I read the stories about censoriousness from "our" side is my own defensiveness. And I think all of us just react with different degrees of emotional intensity to these things. Some of what bothers you more, bothers me less. And vice versa. And it's certainly true that the space for productive conversations about this stuff continues to shrink. One thing I do not generally endorse is firing people for things they've said, particularly if they've apologized and in the absence of a pattern. In other words, and I know I'm far from alone, part of my ideal society (hah!) is that grace and forgiveness would be in much greater supply than they are.
Yes! What I do especially hate is the complete abscence of grace, forgiveness, and the principle of charity. It's like "if just maybe this can be interpreted as racism/sexism/etc." definitely interpret it that way. And, if you can, try and ruin the person's livelihood. That's just an awful way to be in the world. Not to mention entirely hypocritical of a movement that extends grace and forgiveness to people who commit literal crimes. As I tell my students, Ted Cruz we have a *clear pattern* and it makes sense to respond accordingly, but for a one-off, potentially ambiguous action/comment, *extend charity!*