Today was honestly the most out of left-field day I’ve had not just this month but in a year or longer. I got my writing for #NaNoWriMo done, almost finished with my To Do list. I even made some progress back through my reading list.Unfortunately, I didn’t make it as far as I’d hoped because, while checking twitter I stumbled upon Sargon and KingofPol’s discussion with Geordie Tait about his remarks toward GamerGate.
To the uninformed, it came to light that a large number of online gaming journalism’s biggest sites were being run by people who were violating ethics laws and being all around biased and bad journalists. I won’t get into it here, since the information is available with a google search, but the short version is that after it came to light the shady practices of these websites and their “journalists” the gamers responded back. The journalists and their allies began a massive campaign to shutdown discussion about the events on every website or forum they could get their hands on.
The thought police were having twitter handles banned left and right, while also twisting the narrative to say that the argument wasn’t about Gaming Journalism, but that the Gamers were actually women-hating misogynists and scum of the Earth.
This particular narrative is what took off and even major news networks were reporting them, with some even calling them a hate group akin to the KKK if the the Klan was rallying to kill women. This is of course, unfounded and absolutely untrue, but that didn’t stop the media from pushing that version of the events.
It came to a fever pitch recently when a semi-prominent Magic: The Gathering writer, Geordie Tait, made remarks along the Anti-GamerGater side that went far beyond normal disagreement. There is no way to say this that properly does it justice, but Tait likened all of the GamerGaters to women-hating scum who needed to be flown into the Sun and also thrown into gas-chambers like in Nazi Germany.
I wish I was making that up, because that is both parts terrifying and sad. Mr. Tait, in his own delusioned and awful way legitimately believes he’s doing something right for the world. He’s doing what he thinks is right, but to believe that putting people in gas-chambers for simply asking for journalistic integrity because “honest journalism, who gives a shit?” under the guise of lying and saying it’s about “women’s rights” is absolutely deplorable.
After watching the stream of the interview where Tait made multiple statements that were textbook examples of doubletalk, calling the group he didn’t agree with “evil” but gave no sufficient elaboration other than that gamergaters were apparently all “Right Wing Gun Toting Fucking Nuts,” I can safely say that I wish nothing for Mr. Tait but to get the mental help he so desperately needs.
I do not say this lightly. I believe that Mr. Tait is not just a danger to himself, but to other people. If not physically because, as he later admitted he himself didn’t plan on gassing them, he just hoped -somebody- would, then he is a mental danger to himself. The kind of person who would have the kind of mental break that would allow cognitive dissonance to say that “What Hitler did to the Jews was wrong because the Jews were innocent, but people who support GamerGate should be gassed.” is clearly in bad straits.
This is in no way to trivialize anyway. I, along with everyone else in the Twitter sphere at the time of the stream were wishing nothing but help for him. Mr. Tait had revealed in previous writings that he has had a rough life, gone through some bad traumas and his psychotic hatred and blindness to his nazi-levels of inhumane desire needs to be treated professionally.
The livestream was honestly something I almost couldn’t believe. If I didn’t have such massive reason to believe otherwise, just on pure incredulity, I would believe he were a troll. Simply playing a fool for the purpose of “getting a rise” out of the GamerGaters. However, Mr. Tait, after his statements, was spoken to by his MTG writing source of income, Starcitygames, who had removed his author page in light of his stance.
In retaliation, Mr. Tait made a rant on social media several paragraphs long that, among other things, expressed his desire to end all #GamerGate supporters at any cost. Including, pointing out that he was ready to die for it. He expressed that he has “made his peace” with his life.
Truly chilling words that we’ve often heard similar echoed in the letters left behind by suicide victims. I do not believe that Mr. Tait is mentally in a state as to understand the things he is implying as harmful. Unlike Geordie Tait, I also don’t believe that I personally know what’s best for anyone. What I would hope for Mr. Tait, however, is that he finds counseling and therapy that he needs to deal with whatever underlying issue that has caused him such pain.
The words of a man who was very clearly sticking to his convictions to the issue. It was almost as if it were a mental piece of driftwood, the only thing holding afloat a man who was about to be swallowed under the current. Drowned by his own inner demons.
Make no mistake: I disagree with everything Geordie Tait said, and anyone who agrees with his extremely harmful desires. I also disagree with anyone who urges, goads, or pats him on the back for it instead of having the courage to tell him that his obsession with the deaths thousands of people who disagree with him is unhealthy.
As someone who doesn’t play video games anymore, I do not feel that I have much of a “dog in this fight.” However, as someone who believes in journalistic integrity in general, I do believe it is my duty along with others to stand up for this.
It’s one of the beautiful things about the Internet and it’s neutrality. Is that it is a platform for everyone to be able to speak without hindrance. Sure, the things you say will not be free from repercussions. Your boss might not like it and remove you, etc., but the “freedom” of the Internet’s speech is that outside of losing financial support from outside, a larger group (in the past, the Government) won’t come bearing down on you for disagreeing or saying things they dislike.
To put it simply, what’s great about the Internet is that it’s antithetical to Thought Police.
I disagree with social marxism, and furthermore with Geordie Tait. However, I will fight tooth and nail for his right to say what he feels. Yes, even the hate speech against me and the ones I agree with. Because the ethics that we’re fighting for are bigger than ourselves or our agenda.
That’s the point that Mr. Tait kept trying to discredit with wave-away statements like “Who cares about ethics in game-journalism?” Who cares about ethics? I do. And so should you. If it wasn’t for the ethic freedom provided by the Internet, you wouldn’t be allowed to threaten thousands of people and get just a stern talking to.
That’s what the Thought Police and social marxists and their ilk seem to overlook. If we live in a world where the party in power is able to control and censor thoughts and words they disagree with, what will happen if they should find themselves on the other end of that? What if, overtime, the party includes some new views and slowly loses others?
What happens then when these social marxists who relied on their strength in numbers to bully people find themselves suddenly outside of the “in group” and now they’re unable to speak out because when they did have power, they used it to take that right away?
What happens when the bullies become the bullied? Who will they run to protect them when their group has turned in on itself and is eating itself alive?
These are questions I’m not wholly capable of answering, especially not so soon. The truth is that while the stream gave me no end to the amount of confusion and, at times, heart breaking concern for a very sick man, it also gave me quite a bit to think about in the future.
As is custom, it’s time to do the scores for the day. I got almost everything done, save an extra hour of reading I alloted for “miscellaneous” that I had planned out, but instead got swept up into @KingofPol’s stream. So, given that things went exactly as planned, except for the audible during free time the scores are
1) Foregoing of mindless media consumption. 10/10
2) Having a clear daily plan and deadline goals to meet. 9/10
3) Exercise and write everyday. Period. 10/10
Daily Total: 29/30
Yesterday’s Total: 26/30
Total To Date: 332/390
Legends of Men 