Came across this today on twitter via xkcd while reading about everyone freaking out about a poem that Amanda Palmer wrote that might maybe sort of involve seeing people as complex and not just “bad guys” vs “good guys” (though mostly everyone screamed that she was anti-american and should go shave her pits) and I thought it was pure awesome so I’m sharing it here:
As for what Amanda wrote – while I don’t think it’s a great poem – I think that attacking someone (and mostly attacking the fact that she is a woman) for saying something thought provoking or heaven forbid out of the norm has unfortunately become de rigueur in this country and that is a dangerous, dangerous thing. We used to believe in civil discourse. Now we just slam down anyone who expresses anything different from what we want to hear, accuse them of being part of the problem and then suggest that they go blow themselves up.
I wrote a poem about it too but no one attacked me cause I’m not a celebrity.
I believe that Susan Jacoby’s book, The Age of American Unreason should at this point be required reading.
Also I killed a plant and feel horrible about it and said so on facebook. I got the following comment from a friend:
“Empathy, even for plants, is a strength not a weakness. The world could use more of it. Be proud.”
And while that was about a plant specifically – I’m pretty sure it’s going to become my new mantra. So thanks, Greg.
In other news today is Shakespeare’s birthday. Yay!
I wanted to celebrate it by offering Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb for free as an ebook and discounted as a paperback on amazon but life seems to have gotten in the way so I’ll be doing that in May instead. A wee bit belated, but still happening. As for the reason that life got in the way, I leave very soon for Austria where I imagine I will eat more sacher torte than is probably recommended by most physicians.
In the meantime, maybe we can all just take a deep breath and try to be a little more reasonable.
That’s all I’m asking. Thanks, guys.
Ally Malinenko 