I don’t even want to address it. I was supposed to be gone but this is just so disturbing in so many ways…
People don’t like to hear that they’re wrong. As such, sometimes they ignore the arguments of the other side, which is called “hearing what they want to hear”. Both sides have done this.
Here’s an argument for you: I was called out multiple times for enabling transphobia (one time literally at least). If every single argument I make is enabling transphobia, since I do not like listening to those who argue in such way, I skip the comment entirely after identifying it in the first two lines or so. Is that because I’m far-right? I literally can’t afford to be far-right in my country’s current state. No, I just don’t agree with you.
Some people have argued for your side and have been perfectly respectful. Some people have argued for that which is perceived “my side” (which is not, I’m just not left enough for you, and some on your side don’t like when i tell my real opinion. And yet, there is no reason to argue with someone who agrees with you, yet there we go. That is also derailing a thread and nobody has called it out, which I find unfair) and have been pretty damn disrespectful.
Sorry, if I was moderating this forum, I would lock the thread and ban anyone who started another similar one again. We have been extremely lucky that anyone is allowed to even debate whether or not her name should be removed from the database.
Neither side has been respectful. Neither side has been unbiased. Neither side has asked Patricia herself what she wants to do, and neither side actually completely cares, they just want to be right and they’re afraid that such a request would cause the discussion to end and set a standard for the future. (Nobody has actually said that but I can’t find another reason in my head).
The discussion was supposed to be about how to handle Patricia’s old name. It turns out it is not even her legal name. Not many people cared about that! The left side completely disregarded that argument and IIRC some decided to just, explain what dead-naming is again, as if that solved anything. Is that far-right behavior?
I don’t feel comfortable having participated in that discussion, but I wanted to contribute to not letting it get too biased. Eventually it got too heated, and I had to leave.
But calling normal [and chaotic, but that’s normal] human discussion “a well-known far-right tactic” is too far for me. Calling erratic but common human behavior “a well known far-right tactic” is a common far-left tactic, I’ve seen. How’s about that? It’s actually extremely toxic behavior to take something so human and say it’s exclusively political, then disregard that comment as inflammatory, then act like all dissenting comments should be censored. But what do I know. I’m not on the left, right? I shouldn’t be allowed to argue!
For what worth is left, leave the thing unmoderated. Those who really care will stay and will be calm mid-chaos. Those that want to be right will call each other names and will avoid answering the other side’s questions. I don’t think anybody deserves any better.
I hate this so much. I really, really, seriously hate this, and everyone who can’t stay calm. Ironically. And I wouldn’t be proud to say I am neither left nor right leaning knowing this is the way people think and act.
I’m really sorry, but not really, to say this: The left has been extremely unkind in that thread. If the mods step in, as you want, they will go on both sides equally. Which doesn’t mean they will be equally affected; since most inflammatory comments are from the left, those will be more affected. At least from what I can see. You don’t see that, do you…
From what I understand, the reason the flames have been left alone is for those in authority to stay unbiased. If they did what you want, and moderated mostly the right leaning replies, they would be left biased.
And that’s wrong.
Stop calling everything you don’t agree with far-right/far-left, as an insult. That’s cult-like behavior. And it’s more toxic and obnoxious than calling out every logical fallacy by name.
I’m not good at typing out my thoughts… Excuse me for the mess.
EDIT: Edit.