xie_xie_xie
22 January 2007 @ 10:30 pm
Censorship  
For those who stubbornly seek freedom, there can be no more urgent task than to come to understand the mechanisms and practices of indoctrination. These are easy to perceive in the totalitarian societies, much less so in the system of 'brainwashing under freedom' to which we are subjected and which all too often we serve as willing or unwitting instruments. -Noam Chomsky

Disagreement is not censorship.

Criticism is not censorship.

Debate is not censorship.

Fair opposition is not censorship.

So, what is?

Having your viewpoint, writing, art, criticism, opinion or other expression silenced by force, by unfair opposition, by threats, is censorship.

If someone tells me they'll kill my child if I speak at a political rally, or fire me, or burn down my house, I'm being censored. If the government passes a law depriving me of my right to say what I think about something, I'm being censored.

If someone removes my post from their website, I am being censored, although it's the website owner's right to do that... nonetheless, I'm being silenced.

However, freely expressing your opinion, forcefully and well, with documentation, even ruthlessly and brilliantly ... IS. NOT. CENSORSHIP.

It's the OPPOSITE of censorship. It's the CURE for censorship.

The remedy for speech you don't like is MORE SPEECH.

It's a complete reversal of the meaning of the word "censorship" to say that those of us who express concerns about someone's written work are "censoring" that person. No one is being censored... well, except us, who have repeatedly had our posts removed from the feedback section at Midnight Whispers, where someone made the accusation, in a sneaky way, that speaking out against a story is censorship of the author of that story.

It is a subtle and dangerous message, to say that someone's criticism of your speech is a form of censorship, because whether people do it to themselves or have it forced on them, silence is silence. 

One person's right to express herself doesn't outweigh mine. If she has the right to write her story, then I, or anyone else, have the right to critique it. Freedom of expression is a double-edged sword.
 
 
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[identity profile] gaeln.livejournal.com on January 24th, 2007 12:39 am (UTC)
I haven't completely read your whole 2 posts yet but just let me say this before I spend tomorrow going through it. It was mostly them for me, actually more alice then anyone but understand, I have only been here what? two and a half months, published two stories to the community at large. I don't know you guys, I don't know you.

I feel like the new kid at a well established school with rules I'm not aware of, which I actually was a lot. How long have you been doing this? How well do you know alice and bunny, and a ton of the others? obviously very well, I don't. You say you consider the source when dealing with criticisum, I don't know the sources, I am basically working blind. You tell me on my story that you almost never critize, that you weren't even sure why you were but then you did. What would have me take from that? The point is, it was a small thing and yet you, who rarely critize, critized me for it. And like two comments later I'm dealing with alice.

Yeah you're right, I do need to get some balls but see, they like you. I'm not so sure they're going to like me and I really don't wnat to have to spend much time defending myself.

I came here to be a little creative and have some fucking fun..thats all.

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[identity profile] xie-xie-xie.livejournal.com on January 24th, 2007 02:20 am (UTC)
understand, I have only been here what? two and a half months, published two stories to the community at large. I don't know you guys, I don't know you.

I feel like the new kid at a well established school with rules I'm not aware of, which I actually was a lot. How long have you been doing this? How well do you know alice and bunny, and a ton of the others? obviously very well, I don't. You say you consider the source when dealing with criticisum, I don't know the sources, I am basically working blind.


I have only been here a few months, too. I started my LJ in April of last year, had only first seen QAF last winter. I've never written a word of fan fic, nor a completed fiction, in my entire life before last summer.

I have never met alice or bunny or vamphile. I first started interacting with them online in May or so, and we became really close in June. We love each other, but we often disagree on things and don't usually consult each other before we comment or post in the fandom, or form our opinions. We're all pretty independent, strong willed, opinionated women, which is pretty much what I like in a wife. Or friend.

You are acting like I'm some well-established big person in the fandom, and I'm not. I'm a new fan. I am not sitting on Mt. Olympus laughing at the humans playing on the earth below. I'm a fan, loving this show and the boys with silly abandon, and falling totally in love with this fandom and writing fiction. That's who I am. Period. Anything else is a mistaken perception.

You tell me on my story that you almost never critize, that you weren't even sure why you were but then you did. What would have me take from that? The point is, it was a small thing and yet you, who rarely critize, critized me for it.

My concrit on your fic in the challenge was a great compliment. You know why I don't normally post concrit? Because most of the time, I don't think the writer has the ability to fix it. Your story was really good, I told you so and I told you why, and the two objections I had to it were one, minor (the hat) and two, something that could be dismissed as a personal fic preference (Brian having had a previous relationship).

Taking out a fedora (if you agreed with me) and tweaking Brian's backstory (if you agreed with me) are minor plot points.

Being able to write seamless exposition, invoke a mood, capture a story in few words, these are gifts and I praised them.

You are focusing on the negative and ignoring the positive, and that's on you, not on me.

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[identity profile] gaeln.livejournal.com on January 24th, 2007 07:46 am (UTC)
There was a time, xie, when I could crack you up, I remeber you saying just that. Will we ever see a time like that again? or will it always be like...this. I trust, xie, we can make it right, I really do...

and yeah, you're right, as I believe I've mentioned before, I am focusing on the negative, I know that, I have embraced that reality, because it's well, it's negative and I'm not used to that. Let's just see where I am in six months, I will be tougher in six months or maybe even by tomorrow.

Thanks for the backstory, just realize that in combination, at least for me, the three of you loom large, I haven't had any negative interaction with vamphile yet but I sure that little over sight will be rectified in due time.

And trust me, no Mt. Olympus, just a strong presence felt throughout IMO.

One last thing, seriously...one last thing.
"My concrit on your fic in the challenge was a great compliment."
Thanks, I get it now, I just didn't then. FYI I fixed the hat thing but Brian still has his little three month affair and that's where alice and I went astray.
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[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_alicesprings/ on January 24th, 2007 12:20 pm (UTC)
Umm, ok, I'm not too sure what to say to you. It sounds like you were greatly offended by my comments on your fic, and if that's the case, I apologise, it was unintentional.

As Xie said, so many fics out there are just hopeless and I don't bother giving concrit on them because I don't think the writer has the skill to improve or take the criticism on board.

I thought your fic was very well written. I gave concrit on the 2 points that bothered me - the hat (and I explained exactly why it bothered me) and the previous relationship - and I posted about that, specifically to hear opinions on the matter.

That's what we do here in fandom. We talk. Talk about episodes, talk about plot points, talk about fic, talk talk talk talk about characterisations in the endless quest to get them right, to understand them. To enjoy them.

That's what my comments were about. Hope that it clears it up for you.
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