n0rlf wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:37 pm
mikem wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2019 5:30 pm
serious response:
in general i don't think the greater shooting community has values that align with african americans. as we've discussed here, open racism is accepted and generally white shooters don't extend concepts of freedom, self reliance, and self defense to african americans.
i've personally been in face-to-face spaces and internet spaces where i was made to feel unwelcome -- sometimes explicitly and sometimes because of tacit acceptance of racism.
here's a quote about racism even here:
Skoll wrote: ↑Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:18 pm
Don't really know what to tell you. Unless the admins/mods (if any have even been appointed yet) step down on it, it's probably going to be a thing that continues here. I'd suggest PMing fsnadmin.
so sometimes these things are hard for us to navigate -- i used to be against the idea of self segregation but sometimes it is the only way to create a space that is safe for us.
If anyone sees anything they deem racist we would exec it to be reorted. We do not see every post. Always a hard call over what some may be offended by and others freedom of expression.
right -- i'm not complaining, just pointing out that some spaces (including this one) can be difficult for people of color to navigate. also what some people consider racist, others consider acceptable. these differences are often drawn on racial lines. sometimes it is difficult/tiring to have to explain how certain behavior can be problematic or alienating. people have called me racist here an on other sites, for example, for pointing out behavior that was problematic to me. it seems like the more polite and measured i am, the fiercer the backlash.
rarely -- if ever -- have i encountered empathy when i point out these issues. 100% of the time that i can recall, i've been labeled racist or otherwise gaslighted (gaslit?) for it.
so again, i'm not here to complain -- i there's nothing new that goes on here or anywhere else. i'm just trying to explain why people of color might self segregate. personally, i would love it larger "mainstream" (ie, predominantly white) gun spaces were more accepting of african americans and other people of color.
eta: when it comes to what some may be offended by:
as a mod, it doesn't matter what some might be offended by. this is, presumably, your space -- your community. in a way, it is up to you to decide what is offensive/abhorrent to you. AND it is important to listen to the members. there shouldn't be a notion of "free speech". it doesn't exist in private communities. it is difficult for people of color to speak up -- it can get exhausting to have to explain why certain things are offensive or alienating. dealing with the, often bad faith, semantic arguments that ensue can be daunting. if making an inclusive community is one of your goals, i think that requires some thought about what the maintainers feel is appropriate and active monitoring. that in addition to responding to reports.
if being inclusive to the broader shooting community is your goal, then alienating a few people who say problematic things is worth it. allowing people to say problematic things quietly alienates would-be-members. and again, allowing problematic speech in the guise of "free speech" is a cop out since, again, it doesn't exist here. to me, beating the "free speech" drum is just a way to provide cover while condoning activity that you agree with.
