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(03-18-2015, 10:09 PM)Telluride Wrote: Maybe there are those of us in the RP community who might prefer to see some genuine willingness to debate, rather than the usual rabid finger wagging that tumblr represents, before we're willing to engage you? Maybe some of us are a LOT more experienced in this stuff than you think, and are holding back, because we already see little hints of arrogance instead of actual, valid requests for debate?
If you're referring to the instant and repeated dismissal of feminist critique of culture as either worthless on account of emotional basis or worthless on account of wrong and petty priorities, that was bothering me, too.
It's important for us to recognise several simple facts.
Firstly, someone criticizing or critiquing something doesn't mean that they're upset by it.
Secondly, it is completely possible to be both upset about something, and still have a valid argument regarding it. So whether or not people we disagree with are 'upset', the fact doesn't have any value or basis in intelligent debate.
Thirdly, people can have a plurality of concerns and focus their efforts on several issues at once. We're not beholden to focus on one concern exclusively until the job is done before we can move on to the next concern. We as feminists can be (and very often are) concerned about 'big' issues such as sex trafficking and the gender pay gap, and consider the gender issues behind language used in popular culture all at the same time.
Also, if like many feminists you believe sexism to be present not only in our institutions but also in the ways we speak to each other and conduct our relationships, and to have a presence in our behaviour, our social structure as well as our language, then it becomes evident that it isn't enough to just focus on the 'big' issues; it is apparent that language matters, and should be a feminist concern. Giving time and thought to the 'trivial' things doesn't harm the feminist cause; in fact, it's vital that we do so.
When we take these things into account, we can see that arguments that boil down to variations of, "you're way too sensitive" and "don't you have bigger things to worry about?" serve no purpose but to shut debate down before it begins.
As a final point I'll say that you know there's something deeply wrong with our culture when the notion that it is possible to "think too much" is taken seriously. I'd say that a large part of the world's problems are down to people not thinking enough. Whether it be the meaning of life or how to build a more formally inclusive society; for the Twelves' and all of our sakes, don't be afraid to think!
[edit] i do wurds gud