First of all, I would like to voice once again my support of Michael Morones, who has suffered through hardships no one should have to endure, and of his loving family. There are some additional thoughts regarding the overall issue of bullying that I would like to share. This is something most of you might agree with, but some things are healthy to discuss and remind ourselves of, and I think now is a good time for that. A few days ago, a Daily Dot article was published. It is a sensationalistic piece that generalizes the behavior of the few in order to vilify the many. This post is not directed to the few but to the many.
After seeing a particular kind of discourse in several places in the fandom, I believe this is something that is worth discussing. Comparing two instances of bullying should never happen. There is a point beyond which asking which is worse should not have any relevance, because neither are tolerable and both must be fought with all our might. A certain episode of a popular cartoon has taken the task of teaching children that bullying even your enemy is never acceptable, and maybe as adults we should remember that.
Disagree with her ideas, with her methods, with her actions, think ill of her if you must. Do not downplay, minimize, belittle, excuse, or justify in any way or even only in part the organized harassment of an individual. Harassment that, in this particular case, goes as far as graphic depictions of rape and the public disclosure of her name and address. “It’s not the same as …” is not acceptable. “She isn’t innocent” is not acceptable. “The other side also …” is not acceptable. “Some people went too far, but …” is not acceptable. There are no shades of gray here. Bullying is always black, and must be condemned without restraint. It’s easy to support your allies, but bullies rarely attack the popular, and we can’t pick our fights here. Even if you disagree with the victim, even if the topic makes you uncomfortable. We can’t pick our fights.
It also saddens me that much too often, the first and sometimes only reaction to criticism against the community is to claim that “we are not all like this.” Of course not. It should go without saying for anyone with an ounce of common sense that far from all members of such a large and diverse fandom share the traits described in that article, or any traits for that matter. Rather than looking inward and making it known that we are not part of the problem, we should more often look outward and try to be part of the solution.
I don’t claim to have the solution to our problems, but I do know that it will take each of us to build it. Here, the best I can do for now is to voice my support for Michael Morones, PinkiePony, and everyone else who was bullied anywhere, anytime. When most if not all of us were either bullied ourselves or know a close relative who was, we at Bronies for Good hope that the majority can stay united against all harassment and bullying.
With much love and solidarity,
InC
Bronies for Good