Yes, that is yet another Star Wars quote. I think I’m going to keep referencing Star Wars in all of my blog posts, not just because they’re cool, but because they often relate greatly to the topic of discussion at hand. This week, I would like to discuss the fear and anger within the article by Rebecca Solnit, and relate it to the current socio-political climate which I feel has taken a rather sour turn. Rebecca Solnit’s article, while making many valid points, is stooped in a very fearful, angry and accusatory tone. I doubt that many white guys would want to understand Solnit’s perspective when she says “But seriously, you know who can’t take a joke? White guys.” While the following paragraphs go on to explain her quite valid frustrations, I don’t think many white men would continue reading that far. This is problematic, as this could potentially frighten white men; as Yoda said, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”. More importantly, I think that is situation is not reserved to feminists, and is certainly not their fault. Many people online are quick to spout divisive, anger inducing rhetoric; some for the sake of their beliefs, others to troll. This kind of behavior is driving people apart in an exponential cycle. I think that it is better for people to discuss these kinds of social and political issues face-to-face, rather than duking it out online.

Sadly, recent political events culminated in the rise of widespread meme warfare that crossed boundaries with politics, feminism, and racism, so I doubt this issue is going to be resolved anytime soon. Hopefully we can have more discussions on this issue in class, as I find the current battle between feminists and the right-wing absolutely fascinating.