Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Safety Pins

People are wearing safety pins to show solidarity with the vulnerable.  

Some criticisms include accusations of white guilt. This assumes that everyone wearing a safety pin is A) white and B) not a member of any oppressed group.  Since women are wearing them, and women are a disadvantaged group -- especially with the pussy grabber in chief -- that disproves the argument.  Not to mention all the queers, people with invisible disabilities, foreign-born citizens, and everyone else the bigots would like to abuse.  Offering yourself as safe space isn't slacktivism.  It's advertising yourself as an upstander.  Because we need to remember this shit and that challenging bigots is risky.

I try to maintain my little corner of the web as safe space.  It's not perfect, because I've got a temper and some days I am out of spoons to fake being civil.  But I try.  I generally discourage people from picking on each other.  I welcome a wide range of people and traits.  By and large, I don't make a fuss over many things that other folks are fussy about.  So be yourself, and don't be a dick.  SOMEbody has to be the grownup.
Tags: activism, news, politics
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  • 2 comments
ideealisme

ideealisme

November 16 2016, 14:02:55 UTC 4 years ago

Nice idea but I disagree on this point here.

“I wouldn’t say it’s resistance towards Trump. It’s a form of resistance to hate and to negativity.”

But why not resist the concrete problem of Donald Trump? What's wrong with fighting against an oppressive world order? Because that's what it's all about. I understand some of the frustration people express around this movement if it's going to be all wishy-washy. Fascism, and its proponents, don't respond to such campaigns and they're not threatened by them.

Fascists like Trump need to be hit where it hurts. They need to be blocked and frustrated and personally opposed at every turn so that their daily lives and plans are unworkable. Having a nice nebulous movement that does not name the person and the problem is a waste of time. IMO.

(This is actually a diluted version of what I really think is the most effective resistance towards Trump but for this you would need to call in disaffected members of the CIA.)
cat_sanctuary

cat_sanctuary

November 17 2016, 14:56:28 UTC 4 years ago

Good to know! I often wear safety pins...guess I've always thought of it as a statement of solidarity with, e.g., people who have lost weight and not bothered to shorten their trousers (is that Ultimate Slacktivism?). But, seriously, it's cool that people are doing this.