I'd not heard about what happened to Winston until long after it occurred but I was glad to hear this podcast because I went through something similar. My sister in the trans cult found out I'd read "Irreversible Damage" through my reading app (it freaks me out because I'd thought I'd hidden my reading activity but somehow she found out) and bullied me, threatened me professionally, threatened to never talk to me again unless I apologized. I grew up in a family that was vehemently anti-censorship. I had a teacher who did a banned book project in high school and we were dismayed at how many of our fellow students wanted to ban books. We valued free thought and free inquiry and empiricism and felt that if your ideas were worthy then they could withstand criticism. The whole thing was so belittling and demeaning. I did apologize to show care and because I was worried I had done something wrong and terrified of her smearing me with everyone and I've regretted it ever since. I did immediately try to set boundaries with her that it was not okay to police what I read but she told me she was justified because of trans rights and we are currently in a stalemate with her wanting to coerce me into accepting her beliefs and that everything she does is justified and me maintaining strong boundaries. I don't need my younger sister telling me what I am allowed to read and watch and believe.
It sickens me that she did go to my family about how I'd read that "horrible" book and they weren't immediately alarmed that she was treating me so badly for reading a book and don't see anything wrong with what she did. She's in the trans cult. She is just so victimized she's allowed to act horribly is the message I get over and over again. I honestly think the only reason I've not been cast out by my family is because I have kids and they don't want to lose access to them. Through 2024 I kept hoping one of those scandals would rock the news and they would wake up. I would send articles to my dad but nothing ever convinced him. I've just come to accept that it's easier to fool someone then to get them to admit that they have been fooled and have given up on my family. So I'm just going to put love and respect towards the people who respect my right to disagree with them and trust my judgment and do all that I can to stop pediatric gender transition.
While I didn't notice Winston's cancellation there were others I was aware of and it concerned me even before I'd peaked. I grew up liberal in a conservative area and then it was conservatives who wanted to ban books and ideas they didn't like, so when I saw liberals doing it I noticed the hypocrisy and it didn't sit right with me even if I agreed with the people who were doing the cancelling. I also knew that conservatives trying to shut me up didn't make me agree with them and made me more opposed to them. It did take me more time than I would like to admit, but eventually it got to the point where I realized that the Woke movement was creating their own enemies by being so authoritarian. I was the only one in my family who came to this conclusion though, and that is disappointing and disillusioning. I guess a lot of people are only anti-censorship and anti-authoritarian when it benefits them.
I think that there are some people like Stella who have really valuable lived experience that helps them realize that something is a bad idea earlier than others, but I think for many of us this trans stuff seemed to have popped up over night and was framed as a civil right's issue and we didn't give it the thought it warrants until it was so entrenched that it was too late. Given that people are busy living their own lives this makes sense and since peaking on the trans issue I have been overwhelmed with the work involved in becoming truly informed on one issue, forget about every issue. But I think from here on out one of the lessons of this medical scandal needs to be that we need to be skeptical of new ideas and can't rely on the crowd to figure out what is and isn't a good idea. Ideas move faster than our ability to vet them so we need to be cautious. I think we need to learn to be comfortable with saying, "I haven't researched this enough to have an informed opinion on it."
Meanwhile, I no longer hold simplistic views that people on the left are anti censorship and people on the right pro. Authoritarianism happens on the left and the right and must be opposed wherever it is found. And while my family is not among this group, I do think more people are moving in this direction and see cancel culture as a problem and freedom of speech and thought as being under attack. I am not a Trump fan and many in my social circle vehemently oppose him, but while a lot of people are sad about the outcome I've not see the organized effort to oppose him this time and while there are people who are doubling down on Woke-ism, they are the ones who have gained the most from it and therefor the most entrenched. I think a lot of people have realized it's gone too far and the center movement who wants a better alternative is growing.
Loved this. Love Mumford and Sons and am so sad this happened and the band was unable or unwilling to back Winston. I look forward to the future music he brings to us on his own! Will keep and ear out, for sure. The music, as well as the lyrics are so beautiful. Moving and meaningful.
I'd not heard about what happened to Winston until long after it occurred but I was glad to hear this podcast because I went through something similar. My sister in the trans cult found out I'd read "Irreversible Damage" through my reading app (it freaks me out because I'd thought I'd hidden my reading activity but somehow she found out) and bullied me, threatened me professionally, threatened to never talk to me again unless I apologized. I grew up in a family that was vehemently anti-censorship. I had a teacher who did a banned book project in high school and we were dismayed at how many of our fellow students wanted to ban books. We valued free thought and free inquiry and empiricism and felt that if your ideas were worthy then they could withstand criticism. The whole thing was so belittling and demeaning. I did apologize to show care and because I was worried I had done something wrong and terrified of her smearing me with everyone and I've regretted it ever since. I did immediately try to set boundaries with her that it was not okay to police what I read but she told me she was justified because of trans rights and we are currently in a stalemate with her wanting to coerce me into accepting her beliefs and that everything she does is justified and me maintaining strong boundaries. I don't need my younger sister telling me what I am allowed to read and watch and believe.
It sickens me that she did go to my family about how I'd read that "horrible" book and they weren't immediately alarmed that she was treating me so badly for reading a book and don't see anything wrong with what she did. She's in the trans cult. She is just so victimized she's allowed to act horribly is the message I get over and over again. I honestly think the only reason I've not been cast out by my family is because I have kids and they don't want to lose access to them. Through 2024 I kept hoping one of those scandals would rock the news and they would wake up. I would send articles to my dad but nothing ever convinced him. I've just come to accept that it's easier to fool someone then to get them to admit that they have been fooled and have given up on my family. So I'm just going to put love and respect towards the people who respect my right to disagree with them and trust my judgment and do all that I can to stop pediatric gender transition.
While I didn't notice Winston's cancellation there were others I was aware of and it concerned me even before I'd peaked. I grew up liberal in a conservative area and then it was conservatives who wanted to ban books and ideas they didn't like, so when I saw liberals doing it I noticed the hypocrisy and it didn't sit right with me even if I agreed with the people who were doing the cancelling. I also knew that conservatives trying to shut me up didn't make me agree with them and made me more opposed to them. It did take me more time than I would like to admit, but eventually it got to the point where I realized that the Woke movement was creating their own enemies by being so authoritarian. I was the only one in my family who came to this conclusion though, and that is disappointing and disillusioning. I guess a lot of people are only anti-censorship and anti-authoritarian when it benefits them.
I think that there are some people like Stella who have really valuable lived experience that helps them realize that something is a bad idea earlier than others, but I think for many of us this trans stuff seemed to have popped up over night and was framed as a civil right's issue and we didn't give it the thought it warrants until it was so entrenched that it was too late. Given that people are busy living their own lives this makes sense and since peaking on the trans issue I have been overwhelmed with the work involved in becoming truly informed on one issue, forget about every issue. But I think from here on out one of the lessons of this medical scandal needs to be that we need to be skeptical of new ideas and can't rely on the crowd to figure out what is and isn't a good idea. Ideas move faster than our ability to vet them so we need to be cautious. I think we need to learn to be comfortable with saying, "I haven't researched this enough to have an informed opinion on it."
Meanwhile, I no longer hold simplistic views that people on the left are anti censorship and people on the right pro. Authoritarianism happens on the left and the right and must be opposed wherever it is found. And while my family is not among this group, I do think more people are moving in this direction and see cancel culture as a problem and freedom of speech and thought as being under attack. I am not a Trump fan and many in my social circle vehemently oppose him, but while a lot of people are sad about the outcome I've not see the organized effort to oppose him this time and while there are people who are doubling down on Woke-ism, they are the ones who have gained the most from it and therefor the most entrenched. I think a lot of people have realized it's gone too far and the center movement who wants a better alternative is growing.
Loved this. Love Mumford and Sons and am so sad this happened and the band was unable or unwilling to back Winston. I look forward to the future music he brings to us on his own! Will keep and ear out, for sure. The music, as well as the lyrics are so beautiful. Moving and meaningful.