The concept of "cancel culture" is a relatively recent phenomenon, appearing in popular usage around 2017. The idea is that groups of people, sometimes pejoratively referred to as the "woke mob," demand punishment of individuals that offend their sensibilities.
Excellent insight as usual. We need ongoing coverage on the dismantling of the postal service. I recently read that they are eliminating sorting machines in certain areas in the Midwest. And there are many other things that are happening that need to be uncovered because mail service has slowed down significantly.
Thanks for this fact-based reporting. While it's too much to ask that those promoting Rolfe's inflammatory lying read and consider it, I find it heartening to see a rational consideration of the issue of cancel culture.
Absolutely no doubt that Melissa Rolfe is a horrible woman. Not to mention the fact that she was reprimanded twice before her step-son was even in the news. Using her step-son to cover up the fact that she's a miserable old hag.
“Free speech” does not mean speech without consequences, it just means that in most cases, the consequences can’t be determined or imposed by the government. In “employment at will” states, employers can fire employees for any reason or for no reason. So employees can say whatever they want, but they might not remain employed for long. However, “cancel culture” takes the idea of consequences for offensive speech one step further and exposes one person’s ill-conceived comment to the scrutiny of, and public shaming by, thousands (usually without the benefit of context). We should be careful of indulging in the temptation to join the scrum. Otherwise, we all will be just one bad day away from being cancelled.
Whenever anyone in my red town mentions this type of story I mention the Fox attorneys telling the court everyone knows FoxNews lies and no one expects them to tell the truth!
I've been making a real effort to understand cancel culture since The Letter was published. This instance is a simple case of a horrible person in a position of authority being held to account, which didn't happen much in the past. The nasty comments would be excused away with 'it was just a joke' or 'boys will be boys (men) and my fav 'don't be so sensitive' leaving the victims as yet again victimized and fearful of hurting their opportunities at work, or socially.
I am veering towards 'cancel culture' being nothing more than the last stand of people who got caught misbehaving and trying to turn it around. Much like the bullies in jr. high!
That is not to say discrimination, or worse, doesn't exist. The Trans community is in the situation where the gay community was in the past: people fear change and what they don't understand.
Penny Adrian’s comment deserves a read. I agree with her: we can condemn the lies of the Rightwing, but cancel culture, or something like it, is real. Social media is saturated with people who will insult others, but accuse them of white privilege or mansplaining if the insult is questioned. Objective reasoning and sequential logic have been demonized by everyone who cannot or would rather not bother engaging in healthy dialog.
I think anyone who has seen FB and Twitter recently knows this to be true. But on occasion the hounds do rush in for the kill on the undeserving. Social Media has made the difference in how people are treating each other and combined with inflammatory TV like Fox News, it fuels the fire. A wildfire.
Wait. This woman was HEAD OF HR?!? Color me stunned. No one can be that clueless (except, it seems, MAGAts).
Excellent insight as usual. We need ongoing coverage on the dismantling of the postal service. I recently read that they are eliminating sorting machines in certain areas in the Midwest. And there are many other things that are happening that need to be uncovered because mail service has slowed down significantly.
She seems nice 🙄
Thanks for this fact-based reporting. While it's too much to ask that those promoting Rolfe's inflammatory lying read and consider it, I find it heartening to see a rational consideration of the issue of cancel culture.
Absolutely no doubt that Melissa Rolfe is a horrible woman. Not to mention the fact that she was reprimanded twice before her step-son was even in the news. Using her step-son to cover up the fact that she's a miserable old hag.
“Free speech” does not mean speech without consequences, it just means that in most cases, the consequences can’t be determined or imposed by the government. In “employment at will” states, employers can fire employees for any reason or for no reason. So employees can say whatever they want, but they might not remain employed for long. However, “cancel culture” takes the idea of consequences for offensive speech one step further and exposes one person’s ill-conceived comment to the scrutiny of, and public shaming by, thousands (usually without the benefit of context). We should be careful of indulging in the temptation to join the scrum. Otherwise, we all will be just one bad day away from being cancelled.
Whenever anyone in my red town mentions this type of story I mention the Fox attorneys telling the court everyone knows FoxNews lies and no one expects them to tell the truth!
I've been making a real effort to understand cancel culture since The Letter was published. This instance is a simple case of a horrible person in a position of authority being held to account, which didn't happen much in the past. The nasty comments would be excused away with 'it was just a joke' or 'boys will be boys (men) and my fav 'don't be so sensitive' leaving the victims as yet again victimized and fearful of hurting their opportunities at work, or socially.
I am veering towards 'cancel culture' being nothing more than the last stand of people who got caught misbehaving and trying to turn it around. Much like the bullies in jr. high!
That is not to say discrimination, or worse, doesn't exist. The Trans community is in the situation where the gay community was in the past: people fear change and what they don't understand.
Penny Adrian’s comment deserves a read. I agree with her: we can condemn the lies of the Rightwing, but cancel culture, or something like it, is real. Social media is saturated with people who will insult others, but accuse them of white privilege or mansplaining if the insult is questioned. Objective reasoning and sequential logic have been demonized by everyone who cannot or would rather not bother engaging in healthy dialog.
I think anyone who has seen FB and Twitter recently knows this to be true. But on occasion the hounds do rush in for the kill on the undeserving. Social Media has made the difference in how people are treating each other and combined with inflammatory TV like Fox News, it fuels the fire. A wildfire.