For Elizabeth Moon - with respect.

[dreamer_easy]

I want to make this posting out of respect for Elizabeth Moon. Why respect? Because I've met her and was inspired by her; because she's published lots of original SF novels and I'm still trying to get there; because it's her country and not mine; because, although I haven't the heart to check Google, I'll bet right now she is being dragged through the mud all over the place - not her posting about Park51; her. Online fandom, and indeed the net in general, don't know how to attack opinions - only how to attack people. (ETA: That's an overstatement. It's just woefully typical!)

You'll know, from my postings on the subject here and elsewhere, that Ms Moon and I have very different views on Park51 and on Islam generally. What's more, as an Anglo-Australian, I'm very aware that I'm not affected by the issues of discrimination and assimilation that her posting raises.

Rather than address either of those issues, then, what I want to do is question some of the statements in Ms Moon's posting, statements I believe to be factually incorrect.

Ms Moon states:

"When an Islamic group decided to build a memorial center at/near the site of the 9/11 attack, they should have been able to predict that this would upset a lot of people."

Firstly, the posting refers repeatedly to a "memorial center", which I don't think accurately describes the project: it's a community centre, which will include a memorial to the victims of 9/11, but also a swimming pool and gym, classrooms, a restaurant, an auditorium (and of course the prayer room which opponents call a "mosque").

But more importantly, in my opinion, Ms Moon is wrong in her belief that the planners of Park51 were hoping to provoke controversy - or that at least, they should have expected it.

For one thing, in the prayer room at the Pentagon, built on the very site of the 9/11 attack, hundreds of American Muslims have prayed every day since 2002 without anyone objecting.

For another - and for me, this is the clincher - the announcement of Park51 did not create a controversy. It had official and popular approval and minimal media attention. There was no to-do until months later, when anti-Islamic pundits made it into an Issue - and politicans jumped on board.

In my opinion, they are responsible for the angry arguments which are dividing Americans right now - not the planners of Park51. If anyone is neglecting their duty as citizens, it's the media figures and politicians using the community centre for their own cynical ends - especially those spreading suspicion, hate, and lies.

As Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated:

"We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life. And it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11."

tl;dr With respect, Ms Moon is incorrect: the planners of Park51 did not intend to provoke controversy; nor should they have expected it. There was no controversy until right-wing pundits invented one.

Comments

[dreamer-easy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this challenging comment!

I've only read one response to Ms Moon (from mondyboy, who was outraged but focussed on her statements rather than her person). I won't seek out further responses, because the quality of online debate is so poor that I am unlikely to learn anything new or worthwhile from it without wading through a ton of slag looking for a gem.

IMHO, one of the reasons for that poor quality is a persistent focus on character instead of statements - a focus which quickly sours into cyberbullying. Online fandom is not rigorous about the truth, and it loves to define in and out groups. Again IMHO, this is one reason so little of the discussion is fruitful.

In the face of all this noise, what can I contribute that others already aren't? Two things, I hope. One, debunking - my cherished hobby! The "bad citizen" thing is the spine of Ms Moon's argument; remove it, and the whole thing comes tumbling down. Obviously, there are plenty more bones to pick (mondyboy addresses the assimilation business with more authority than I ever could!), but I figured I'd grab the biggest one and yank it out.

Two: a message which Ms Moon (and others who share her views) may be inclined to listen to. A huge hurdle to discussing racism is white peoples' defensiveness. Well, white people ought not to be so defensive; but we are, as are all people when they feel threatened. While anger is necessary and appropriate, a non-threatening message may have a better chance of getting people to change their minds. From personal experience I know that a single respectful message after a flood of abuse comes as a great relief; it gives you a chance to stop defending yourself and instead turn your energy to thinking about the problem.

I'm sorry to have made you think less of me - although alas, my goal is not to earn anyone's approval! I mean to continue with this whole non-violent communication thingy, and I cling desperately to the importance of facts in what you rightly call the "climate of unreason".

However - and this is the important part of this comment, never mind all that other stuff - I take your point that I haven't addressed the attitudes expressed in the posting. I think you're right that it's those views and assumptions which, in the face of wrong or missing facts, produce the counterfactual statements I'm keen to correct. So what I'd like to do (in the next day or so) is make a second posting taking a look at those attitudes - keeping the same respectful, evidence-based approach.

[judiang.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong: I don't think less of you. My intent was to prod you to take the bull by the horns, as it were. Some time ago, you commented you felt burned by Race Wank 2007. I'm not going to comment about that except to say I hope you didn't take away from it the idea that bigotry is a topic you should publicly avoid at all costs.

I'm looking forward to your post.

[dreamer-easy.livejournal.com]

Consider me prodded. :D

I wasn't burned by racewank '07 - I was shattered by it. I'm still dealing with the psychological fallout. But it's had two very positive results. First, when someone told me that what I would do next was to run away crying about how mean the Black girls were, I created seeingred instead. I have a long way to go, but everything I have learned since then has benefitted me enormously. Second, it forced me to deal with the damage done to my soul by bullying in high school. In turn, dealing with that makes it possible for me to continue struggling with the issues, rather than hiding under the bed. :)

But enough of this airy persiflage! Your comments will of course be most welcome on whatever I end up scribbling. :)