I have begun writing about the present controversy a number of times, but I never get very far, because I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.
I posted an article on the feed today about that idiot in Florida who burned a Koran. The message of the article was that, yes, free speech allows a lot of things, but with the freedom of speech comes the responsibility to use that freedom well. I have to wonder how the debate community, which is heavily engaged in studying the subject of free speech, has so lost the ability to handle it responsibly. Incautious speech causes harms, and those harms can be deep. Further, racist speech, however covert, is among the most harmful, as its very utterance is painful. It points to what is the worst of the human animal, and the most animal part of our humanness. It is a sad thing.
It is also a sad thing—and often an illegal thing—to say or write bad things about people. Freedom of speech does not protect the speaker from the results of the personal harms that are caused. The debate community should know better than that. Name-calling in situations portrayed as evil-doing is socially and legally unacceptable. Why so many people seem to feel that they can do so freely, again with the education of debate behind them, is a disturbing thing.
There are real people being maligned, abused and hurt on all sides of this controversy. People are being accused of all sorts of things, and the remarks are cutting on a deep level, all of it over a debate tournament. Yes, for many its an important debate tournament, but is it as important as the feelings of any one person involved, be they a student or a coach?
My guess is that eventually some of the parties central to this controversy will speak their piece, there will be a flutter of responses both positive and negative, and then it will die down in the public arena. But for a couple of people, it will never die down. They will always have the memory of the public vituperation and excoriation that has occurred.
We can not be proud of ourselves for this. As I say, I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. I like to think better of us. I like to think we can discuss differences honestly and openly without resorting to character assassination.
I am disappointed.
2 comments:
From what I have seen, most of the VBD comments against the situation explicitly specify that they are not about anyone personally, just that they are upset with the situation in general. I see no racism on the thread.
I think Mr. Menick is referring to the rhetoric being used both sides of the "debate." I don't think anyone is justified in having a username like "whiteranger" in a discussion about a black student who was awarded an at-large, nor do I think it is prudent to claim that everyone criticizing the at-large process is part of a "lynch mob." Moreover, and more importantly, I think Mr. Menick is criticizing the community for the mental harm that may result from this unproductive discussion. Calling coaches corrupt and students "undeserving" of going to a tournament not only disrespects those individuals, but their schools, friends, and the entire community.
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