A bit ironic how the people who claim others' dissenting opinions make feel unsafe also have the nerve to accuse said dissenters of being phobic against them. If you feel unsafe about someone else expressing their ideas, then staying and hearing them out offers you a potentially priceless opportunity to face your fears and grow in character.
"We hope that there is some understanding - if not agreement - about the difficult position we were put in at the eleventh hour of planning."
Does not give me any faith that their apology is anything other than, as you note, a panic reaction, nor make me think they've learned jack from the experience.
Unsafe, like "actual harm" is now one of those terms where its use has become a bit of a red flag to me. (I was thinking about it this morning in relation to something small scale, but similar, in my own circles, where, looking back on the incident nine or so years later, I still find myself wondering how much of the incident was because of what the uninvited person actually wrote vs. how personally annoying the other people found her. Sure, the claims were that her words caused actual harm to POC community members, but I have seen the very people calling for her head back then say very similar things, so I suspect it was just that people disliked her and saw an opening to push her out of the community for great justice.)
Death to safetyism, please.
A bit ironic how the people who claim others' dissenting opinions make feel unsafe also have the nerve to accuse said dissenters of being phobic against them. If you feel unsafe about someone else expressing their ideas, then staying and hearing them out offers you a potentially priceless opportunity to face your fears and grow in character.
Yeah the apology seems insincere. Like a panic reaction (as the original decision to cancel the speaker was too).
"We will include her next time"? There never is a "next time" though.
And as you hint, this organization will still be led round by the hair by anyone who claims to be offended by something.
"We hope that there is some understanding - if not agreement - about the difficult position we were put in at the eleventh hour of planning."
Does not give me any faith that their apology is anything other than, as you note, a panic reaction, nor make me think they've learned jack from the experience.
You could be right. The apology, however, seemed unusual. They don't usually do that.
The fact they denounced her by name in the original statement makes me wonder if they're scrambling to avoid a libel claim.
Unsafe, like "actual harm" is now one of those terms where its use has become a bit of a red flag to me. (I was thinking about it this morning in relation to something small scale, but similar, in my own circles, where, looking back on the incident nine or so years later, I still find myself wondering how much of the incident was because of what the uninvited person actually wrote vs. how personally annoying the other people found her. Sure, the claims were that her words caused actual harm to POC community members, but I have seen the very people calling for her head back then say very similar things, so I suspect it was just that people disliked her and saw an opening to push her out of the community for great justice.)