This is not the sort of diary I am comfortable writing. I'd much rather discuss food and world hunger, the sort of thing nobody will disagree with or judge me about. I am by nature a non-confrontational person with an aversion to the sort of sniping a high-ID user can attract here.
But I've imposed on myself small self-imposed exiles before on this site. In the face of multiple and passionate negative commentary I've found myself timidly walking back my own heartfelt positions. I've learned to express my apparently offensive religious sentiments within the acceptable confines of Brothers and Sisters- not out 'in public'. I've learned to grudgingly accept the concept of 'electability' over 'ideology' as though politics were more sport than civics. And I've learned to keep my opinions about our POTUS limited to merely uprating those outspoken Kossacks I agree with as I am too thin-skinned and meek to withstand the personal battles that they are so skilled and willing to engage in. I've left it to those who I felt were strong enough to withstand the baiting and mind-games to speak for me. And now some of those voices are gone.
So why am I breaking with my cowardly, lurking instinct? Why am I openly joining Robinswing's boycott? It's because I know in my heart and soul, that's right, my soul, that racism is the very antithesis of progressivism.
You can be a progressive and be a constitutional originalist, a free-market capitalist, a deficit hawk, even a war hawk, but you cannot be a racist progressive. It goes to the core of what we all share in coming to this site. In some way, it is an essential to all of us to reject those who get strong with the weak and racism is the most egregious example of this injustice, this denial of compassion and humanity.
I'm aware of all the good intentions that led up to this. I'm aware that the rancor and divisiveness of recent threads meant that someone had to do something. Make no mistake, I do not think Kos or site admin is in any way racist. But when the outcome of any policy is the silencing of so many minority voices on such a majority dominated site, I will join this boycott in protest. And in doing this I turn away from such insightful and inspirational company as I have found anywhere on the internet.
In no way do I feel that it is racist to not boycott. After all, this is merely on person's personal response. Whether motivated by my own shameful white guilt or PC self-righteousness, that's quite beside the point. As I've stated, outcome trumps intention. I don't wield a gun, or a pen for that matter, just a spatula, but I do carry a union card and I know solidarity when I see it, I'm not crossing this picket.
So for this week, I'll be elsewhere seeking news, community and action.
Peace.
MJ