Why I'm not upset
I know a lot of people have been upset by the discussions/arguments that have been going on around here lately. Personally, though, I've found them really interesting. This board is more active now than it has been since I joined, and that's because people are engaged. I love this band and everyone in it, and I want to discuss it and its members honestly. I don't love everything Mac have done as a group, nor have I loved everything Stevie and Lindsey have done on their own. I know others feel the same way, and there's no reason I can see why anyone should have to keep that a secret.
Now, I think there are some people who have made remarks simply to get a rise out of others (specifically, hard-core Stevie fans). That's pretty obnoxious. But the best way to fight speech you don't like is by speaking yourself _ not by attempting to silence those who disagree. If someone attacks Lindsey, Stevie or Mac in a way I consider unfair, I'm quite willing to rise to their defense.
When you fight speech with speech, there's always the chance that you'll win others over to your point of view. There's no way that can happen when you simply try to shut people up.
|