Read on Twitter
When something happens in the book community, when someone messes up, we are generally quick to acknowledge that it's a conversation we should have, but then rarely get around to having said conversation.
Things in the book community, especially on Twitter, flare up quickly and then die down just as quickly. It bothers me that part of this is because of the way that these conversations are policed.
It's a pattern. People are upset, talk about why, make connections to larger ideas, but we can rarely follow these things all the way through because the conversation is often overtaken by conversations about having conversations.
Heavens forbid an idea or a concern catch on, because you are immediately told to pipe down. It's a pile on. That's enough. We get it. Thanks for your concern BUT.
The collective voice of those who were harmed is never enough. They are consistently drowned out by the usually (at least in this community) much less frequently occurring mean comments or any bullying that happens where we can't see it.
There is also a pattern of calling a concern-raiser any number of things, particularly by insinuating that those who disagree with the concern-raiser are coming from a more rational, educated, mature, or un-self-interested place.
It shouldn't be above our notice that while we are quick to denounce bullying (as well we should!), not many talk about the sort of top-down pressure that is created when the biggest creators amongst us keep forcing the conversation in certain directions.
And most of these big creators are riding in to defend their own, to defend their friends. I get that. I do. But they are using all the same tools of tone policing, silencing, and gaslighting, and their combined reach is greater.
Notice the pattern: People feel comfortable speaking up and denouncing things at first, but then a shift happens and whoever messed up is slowly converted into a victim and some of those who initially spoke up feel pressured to retract and apologize.
The pattern: Someone who messed up will abandon Twitter for a while because this is the place where we are better at organizing dissent. These same people can return to their often large and intact platforms on YouTube with nary a word, leaving the harm they caused in their dust.
The pattern: Concern-raisers are told to hold their concerns until they have more context, when often that context is nothing more than "I didn't mean it," "I'm a nice person," "My friends think I'm a nice person," "someone was mean to me because I messed up," etc.
Things that don't make sense: People will use public platforms to advocate for using private communications to talk about the issues they are using public platforms to talk about.
Things that don't make sense: Apologies that are issued behind locked accounts, paywalls, or otherwise given to people that weren't harmed. Apologies accepted by people who weren't harmed.
Things that don't make sense: Apologies that aren't specific, that use victim-blaming language, and that have no action plan for the future.
Are there clout chasers looking to beat up on something popular for the heck of it? I'm sure. Though what kind of clout they think they are going to get, I'm not sure. Raising concerns about a community from within the community IS NOT FUN.
And I'm tired of the messaging that those who talk about the ways the book community is still failing them care less about the community than those who are happy to let these things keep happening.
