[Writer Post] [Rant] People Matter – All People All the Time
I am beyond words today. I should be working on my novel edits – which I have been, but now I have to get this off my chest.
I’m not a gamer. I don’t play one on TV. Today I stand with gamers – and game developers – in my support of Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, and Brianna Wu. I don’t know these women -though I’ve been acquainted with Frank Wu for years now. What these women are dealing with is…so unbelievable that “insane” is just too mild a word.
I can’t begin to imagine having very public rape and death threats coming at me over months. I can’t being to imagine what it’s like to have a Law & Order episode written about what’s happened to me, my colleagues, and my family. I don’t ever want to know – that wasn’t an invitation. I’m a woman in SF…we have these issues – and others.
Last month the US celebrated MLK Day. Dr. King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Well, maybe it’s time we revisit that, because as much as I want to hide under the bed and hope things like this aren’t happening – they are. And it’s making me angry.
I pray for the day Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future comes to pass. Where humanity (and alien life) has moved beyond the petty crap we’re all still dealing with. Unfortunately, that day is not today.
Occasionally I say stupid things. We all do. I don’t care about skin color or gender or who wants to be in a relationship with whom. I may not understand or agree with you, or be PC, or a whole number of things. But what I cannot stand, cannot tolerate are the Extremist Nut Jobs or Jerks.
I look forward to the day people are judged based on ability, on their character, and for no other reason. I look forward when children are told they can “Be anything they want to be” and have it actually mean something without worrying about whether or not they’re “plain of feature” or “good at X for a Y.” People are important. People matter.