Humans. We have a nice way with words. We construct velvet cushioned, sugar-coated masterpieces of deception. People don’t die: they went to a better place, they are meeting one’s maker. Stuff does not get terminated: It’s discontinued. People do not get fired: they went on to pursue other challenges. Babies are never ugly: they are interesting. Kids are never stupid, they just did not develop to their full potential yet. We never reply to yet another stupid Facebook comment with “you f*ckwit brainless moron. I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal-food-trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.” We just sigh, and agree to disagree.
Being wrong has nothing to do with opinion
Let’s agree to stop that. You can have an opinion. We can even agree you can believe (in) things. But having an opinion does not protect you (or me, or anyone) from being demonstrably, scientifically, obviously plain wrong. 2+2=4 . I do not care that you might believe it’s five, and yes, my truth is stronger than your belief.
Let’s not glide towards a snowflake world where everyone has to be right, and respected in his/her believes. Screw that. Right is right, wrong is wrong. The rest are speculations, beliefs, opinions. That’s fine, as long as we know that all of those zip into oblivion with facts backed truth, or hard wrought science.
Can we now talk about Justin Hill for a second?
Poor Rep. Justin Hill tweeted : “I got news that cancel culture has struck our family. A health insurance client of mine, who I provided great service to for five years, has terminated me for being in DC supporting the president. I know I’ve lost clients in the past for my political views, but this one hurts. Cancel culture is real and no one is immune. “
Rep. Elise Stefanik deplores being “cancelled” by Harvard “As a conservative Republican, it is a rite of passage and a badge of honour to join the long line of leaders who have been boycotted, protested and cancelled by colleges and universities across America,” she stated.
Their fellow Trump Loyalist Sen. Josh Hawley was taken aback by the cancellation of his book deal following the Capitol riot, and suggested the publisher did not like his “exercise of free speech.” He threatened to sue: “I will fight this cancel culture with everything I have.”
Even Trump muttered cancel culture when not enough people rallied to his final flight out of the White House.
Cancel culture and Ostracism
Many refer to “Ostracism” and “cancel culture” and deplore it takes away their freedom of expression. Ostracism was a procedure in ancient Athens where a citizen would be expelled from the city-state of Athens for ten years. It was used as a way of neutralizing someone thought to be a threat to the state and outweighs cancelled book-deals and revoked contracts by a mile.
Acts have consequences
But let’s stay real for a second, right? Acts have consequences. Peeing on the leg of a policeman, and asking if it’s comfortably warm will get you in trouble. Speeding in front of the trap camera will get you fined. Showing up naked at your flight will get you de-boarded.
So, Justin Hill, how about this: you loosing a client because you did a terrible thing, has nothing to do with cancel culture. It is the direct consequence of something you did. Stop whimpering, take it like a man. As Confucius tweeted a while ago: be prepared to reap what you sow.
