[OccupyCU] My Resignation From the Occupy CU Listserv

[Alex Cline]

You are disgusting. You and the other human wrecking balls who clog my
inbox day in and day out seriously make me so frustrated I find myself
deleting two thirds of the things I've written in this email for the sake
of decorum and not bringing futher hate to the wider community.

However, this is exactly the kind of behavior which so many of us find
insulting and alienating.

Count me out as well, you need a smaller soapbox.

Mark and Stuart, you guys are great but the hands-off approach is going
nowhere. I'd be glad to tune back in when this listserv isn't seething with
awful bullshit.


On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 6:48 PM, "E. Wayne Johnson 朱稳森" <ewj at pigsqq.org>wrote:

> **
> Sarah,
>
> It really seems that you do not have the cajones for this work.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 11/16/12 3:47, Sarah Lazare wrote:
>
> I'm sad to say that I'd like to be removed from this list, following in
> the footsteps of several young, female organizers I know. I am concerned
> that this list is not enacting the policies and practices I want to bring
> into the world.
>
>  To protect and build horizontal organizing, it is crucial to set
> guidelines and practices to ensure that our spaces of deliberation are safe
> for all to participate in. The absence of this will mean that people who
> don't want to wake up with bigoted, potentially triggering emails in their
> inboxes will simply be excluded from the conversation by opting out. This
> erodes democracy, as well as the creativity and brilliance that comes when
> people collectively work and think together.
>
>  Of course we can't and don't want to control what people say, and we
> will fuck up - I certainly have. However, we have to at least be trying to
> push back against bigotry - to identify and act on opportunities for
> political education and collective growth. We are being internally
> inconsistent if we are not trying. On this listserv, the bigoted voices are
> allowed to dominate unchecked. In fact, it is a hostile environment for
> expressing discomfort about oppressive dynamics - those who speak up are
> put in the same box as those who offended.
>
>  It is a relief to me that Jesse and others were not aware of 9-11
> Truth's fascist ties. I will assume best intentions on that front. However,
> we are all responsible for the organizations we endorse and work with: it
> is our responsibility to look into an organization's politics before
> joining. So it is completely justified that Scott would react with outrage
> upon seeing a 9-11 Truth email. I would hope folks agree that outrage is an
> appropriate response to suggestions of cooperating with fascist front
> groups. 9-11 Truth has documented fascist ties, and organizations
> throughout the U.S. have chosen to cut off any association with them on
> these grounds. We're not the only ones having this conversation.
>
>  The bigger issue is the pattern of bigoted statements and attacks that
> persist on this listserv. Expressing anger at bigotry is healthy,
> natural, and an important part of building accountable community: it must
> not be equated with bigotry itself. Instances of sexism, anti-semitism,
> racism, etc. do real damage: they are a big deal. Framing this in terms of
> why-can't-we-all-just-get-along blames those speaking out against bigotry
> for being "divisive" and fails to take responsibility for the political
> content of what's going on. As organizers we are challenged to think
> critically and politically.
>
>  Waking up with a bigoted email in my inbox can ruin my whole day. Seeing
> that email go unchallenged adds to my sadness. It feels bad not to respond
> to emails that attack friends, comrades, strangers, or myself in an
> oppressive manner. It also feels bad to respond on this listserv, because
> it is not a supportive environment for doing so. My only choice is to leave
> this listserv.
>
>  It sounds like the conversation with Francisco and others was really
> great and inspiring, and it seems that a rebirth of Occupy is in the works.
> I'm sending wishes for community-building, growth, and success as we take
> on the big monsters of capitalism and injustice that we're all up against.
> Although this online forum is not a productive space for me to be a part
> of, I hold out hope that when we see each other in person, we are able to
> find footing rooted in solidarity, respect, and justice.
>
>  With Hope,
> Sarah Lazare
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OccupyCU mailing listOccupyCU at lists.chambana.nethttp://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/occupycu
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OccupyCU mailing list
> OccupyCU at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/occupycu
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/occupycu/attachments/20121115/05f73b28/attachment.html>