Im only going to make this complaint because I think it matters for the young, especially women, to know. When I was new to politics, I didnt know my ass from my elbow but only wanted to make the world a humane place. Often the smart-asses & overly-confident thrived because self-reflection & modesty are no part of their political natures. When I & others timidly asked questions or fumbled in some way, they often took it as an opportunity to look good by doing a one-up-man-ship. I internalized that as a sign of my inferiority & lack of talent. And I lived with that for a long time, determined to give my talents, as itsy-bitsy as they were, to changing the world. Many others who were humiliated just dropped out of politics. Ive politically outlasted most of those smart-asses & by remaining active have learned from social movements what could never be taught in a book. One of the most important things I learned is not to accept humiliating treatment from anyone, even if you do fumble. People are allowed to make mistakes without being degraded for it. Now, a few of those smart-asses have friended me on FB only to send me nasty messages about how I write about subjects I know nothing about, speculate endlessly, advance conspiracy theories, try to make other women look stupid, & self-aggrandize. I have some whopping faults, but those are not among them. I consider the political development of women to be a fundamental necessity in social transformation & have committed my life to advancing that. It is beneath contempt that I would ever try to do to anyone, particularly women, what was done to me. Once again, I post this complaint so that young activists will understand that often the sniping comes from those whose only talent is the degradation of others. Always learn from criticism but let it roll like water off a ducks ass.
Posted on: Sun, 11 May 2014 18:18:30 +0000
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