Sore Must be the Storm

Are we seeing some pushback against the 'cancel culture'? One can sincerely hope. I for one do not see good things coming from a world where a professor can openly threaten to permanently damage a student's livelihood and career simply because he does not like what the student has to say. It used to be that this situation happened quietly, and was decried when discovered: adults were in a position to mentor and aid the young. Now? Well, this adult may not be in direct leadership over this young philosopher, and that's probably a very good thing, but he's also not afraid to make threats in public and try to drum up a mob while he's at it. 

This article on the whole controversy over a paper that drew some conclusions disliked by the above professor, among others, is worth a read. 

The core of it goes both ways, though. Students vs Professors, professors vs students... the 'woke' attempting to cancel any sort of speech they dislike hearing. The age of debate and reason has waned. In it's place is a toxic stew of constantly bubbling turmoil and fervor over thoughts and ideas that is impossible to predict or anticipate. The goalposts change. I was listening to a podcast the other day and was startled to hear the hosts rabbit trail onto a conversation about Seinfeld (which, eh, not a favorite, but they would get back on topic eventually) and then one of them said 'oh, it is problematic these days.' the other one asked, 'do we need to cancel it? I haven't watched it in quite a while.' To which the first one replied 'not yet.' 

Not yet. Which implies that in due time, they will. Because history, donchaknow, must be erased lest it infect the future with cooties. Or something. I can't wrap my head around just what it is they are worried history will do, other than exist and give a foundation to the future. Or maybe that is it. Perhaps they worry that people will look backward into the past of shorter lifespans, vile diseases we have conquered with vaccines, slavery institutions that have been abolished (yes, I am very aware slavery still exists. They have blinders on when it comes to that, though), a past that is inarguably darker and poorer than our present is. If people are allowed to compare to what-has-been, they will be able to see that we are living in a bright future, with the hope of a brighter one coming. Anxiety and depression are at all time highs. Is there a correlation with this cancellation of our history? So that the young of now are not allowed hope? 

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

-- Emily Dickinson 

This is the most potent of evils, this suppression of hope. And it is being done by denial of the most basic of rights: free speech. Something that the cancel culture seems to fear more than anything else. Is it because they lack the rhetorical skills, the data, the real facts, to argue against what they do not want to hear? I'll leave that up to you to decide.