Lynching

[Ectomancer]

[Ectomancer]

I'd rather hear Ectomancer's opinion on the subject beyond a youtube video

Okay. So let's start with my ancestor who was a slave in the 1840's and move along to my sister who is more than half black. My step-father and brothers-in-laws and ever increasing numbers of nieces and nephews who are some percentage or another who have all experienced racism in various forms during my lifetime that I have witnessed firsthand. So I grew up in both white and black culture. Racism is real and systemic in American culture even to this day. I rage against it whenever it affects the lives and opportunities of my family. It should be fought anywhere that it raises its ugly head.

This isn't it.

[Ectomancer]

I appreciate that your experiences give you a unique perspective, but knowing black people or even being black yourself does not make you a sole arbiter of racism
Not here to argue about defining racism, just saying that it's not up to you solely.

My opinion is as valid as yours. Are you trying to repress my ability to express my own feelings on this matter? You didn't like being called a victim. I don't appreciate your dismissive attitude simply because you don't like what I had to say. I didn't seek to undermine your own position. I posted a video that expresses very well the issue with censorship, which is what you advocate. I was asked to give my own personal opinion beyond the context of the video. If you want me to listen to your point of view then show the same courtesy to me.

Is there a reason some onsite

want

to use the word "lynch"? If site meta was that we all already used a different word, would you advocate we switch to use "lynch"?

It must be because we are racist? /sarcasm

[Ectomancer]

No, I am not trying to repress anything. It seemed like you were appealing to your experiences as a reason your opinion should be regarded more highly than most; my response is that your experiences, while fascinating and worthwhile, do not elevate or lower the weight of your opinion. I have not advocated for censorship, and if you re-read my posts you will find I do not encourage any sort of enforced censorship, I am only expressing my discomfort and letting others know how they could reduce my discomfort.

I am sorry you felt I was dismissing your opinion. I didn't intend to, and I do not want your opinion dismissed. I only want to keep all our opinions on a level playing field.

My second question is not a trick - I don't expect anyone to say "Yes, because I am racist" and I do not intend to "trap" anyone into saying something similar so I can attack them (as many on the internet would seek to do). I am only seeking in earnest to understand why some prefer the word "lynch": is it because it is what this site has used for many years, or another reason? Thus my question.

Decent answers. I think I won't vote to string you up for you today.

But it is important to understand that I saw an attempt to belittle my opinion with the straw man argument that "just because I know black people or am black...yada yada yada". It is a strawman because being black doesn't mean that you have experienced racism. That strategy won't help to elevate the strength of your own arguments. Nor does your taking offense at the word elevate your opinion above mine that it isn't a racist term on this site and is as apt a term as any other.

And by the way, telling someone who has seen and experienced racism firsthand and secondhand growing up in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi that those experiences don't elevate or lower the weight of their opinion on racism itself is akin to telling someone who spent 20 years behind bars that their experience doesn't elevate or lower the weight of their opinion on the criminal justice system. Whether you like the idea or not, real life experiences

do

elevate or lower the weight of someone's opinion. Certainly I would take the opinion of a doctor who has removed an inflamed appendix about my own possible surgery over one who writes prescriptions for head colds. Do you follow that line of reasoning?

@Shortaru - You are on a mafia website. Some simply never stop playing in-game or out of it in threads like this one. Lycanfire isn't trying to be toxic to you. He just never, ever, stops playing mafia and seeking out scum. Personally, I support his line of questioning. I think you are probably town. Just don't clam up or it looks bad on you

[Ectomancer]

I mean why is "A Mob Has Formed" not an option? it was on a previous shirt

This would be instantly recognizable to me as an insider and puzzling maybe to others who aren't familiar with the game. Though in this overly politically charged environment in which we find ourselves? Someone will be bound to assume you are making a political statement, against their chosen political party, of course

[Ectomancer]

And by the way, telling someone who has seen and experienced racism firsthand and secondhand growing up in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi that those experiences don't elevate or lower the weight of their opinion on racism itself is akin to telling someone who spent 20 years behind bars that their experience doesn't elevate or lower the weight of their opinion on the criminal justice system. Whether you like the idea or not, real life experiences do elevate or lower the weight of someone's opinion. Certainly I would take the opinion of a doctor who has removed an inflamed appendix about my own possible surgery over one who writes prescriptions for head colds. Do you follow that line of reasoning?

I don't mean to say your experiences can't make your opinion an informed and useful one. I just think that in this context, where you know nothing about me or (presumably) about most of the other posters, appealing to experience can only raise your opinion from "uninformed" to "informed". I guess that informed opinions should be taken more seriously than uninformed ones, but I suppose I've been assuming everyone who's posting here has an informed view. Maybe I'm mistaken on that point.

Anyway, I do follow your line of reasoning. I just think that in this anonymous context, it's less helpful than normal to try to identify who the "experts" are, especially since people lie on the internet (surprising, I'm sure )

Now you are slipping down the rabbit hole. If the anonymous context and the possibility of people lying are your concerns with establishing our basis for our opinions, look at where that takes you. Now we must look at the possibility that you are not actually offended by the word lynch at all. Your motivation could be that of an internet troll. That would make this entire conversation some type of game by which you are attempting to stir up a controversy. An example of your win condition might be to enact a change to a system about which you actually have no care at all. My win condition would then be to stand in opposition to that goal and prevent you from having an impact at all.

By introducing that idea you would completely remove the possibility of actually having a meaningful conversation. Unless you engage with us in good faith, then why should others do so? Instead, we would end up playing a game with no real set rules. A pointless endeavor if you ask me. We already play a game on this site by which we attempt to determine whether someone is lying to us or not.

[Ectomancer]

nvm it's not a porn site anymore

Nice attempt at a stretch. I was going to say, Midnight Runner would be more appropriate because you get "run out of town", not called. But luring someone to a porn site as a joke makes much more sense