@Vslayer We've had some very good conversations in the past, including being on opposite sides of opinion, so I'm prefacing this immediately, not because I either agree or disagree with you, but because I believe this conversation NEEDS to be had, discussed as adults, and, most importantly, looked at, AS ADULTS, and EVERYONE needs to learn to play devil's advocate in order to judge each scenario for themselves and not just react with mob mentality in EITHER DIRECTION.
To everyone else, I am a happily married adult male in my mid-40's, with 2 young children, both boys.
I have fears and concerns about my children's future due to cancel culture, however, I am also someone who fully supports women's rights, BLM, recognize my own white privilege and what is has afforded me. I do recognize that they exist and that the answer is not to pull me down, but to do everything in my power to help raise those in need up.
For the sake of being on a fighting game forum, we don't need to nerf me. We need to make sure that those who don't have the same advantages are buffed, so that we all start the race at the same starting line with as many inherent advantages as possible.
Lastly, I hope everyone here attempts to do something before continuing: Please try and be mature enough to compartmentalize your EMOTIONAL RESPONSES and you LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS. Logical conclusions are, by nature, the only true way that one can believe something, LEGALLY is by this definition:
conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence
"The Examination of evidence" being the most important part of this statement.
I am going to disagree with you on a major part of this. Particularly:
I purposely didn't leave the "The person who did the acts" out because I want to both comment on it and make sure that I'm being fair and not editing to prove a point.
Remember, all suspects are innocent until proven guilty. This is the very FOUNDATION of our justice system (In the USA) and that exists for the sole purpose of protecting people from being improperly incarcerated from something as simple as an accusation alone.
For example, lets say tomorrow 5 people from 5 different time frames, who don't know each other come forward and say that one of your parents did inappropriate things to them over the course of a period of time.
First, you would be ANGRY! Likely at your parent's accuser, and possibly even at your parent for being in that position.
Next, you would ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO BELIEVE until the accusers, ALL OF THEM, showed proof that someone you care about actually did what they're accusing your parent of!
You would not simply abide by
"saying someone needs proof when all the proof you can give is the accusations form multiple people who are brave enough to speak up" That wouldn't be good enough, right? Evidence and proof are what you would need to have "conviction that the truth of some statement or the reality of a being or phenomenon..." Correct? There's no way you'd believe your parent's accuser without proof.
Now, if that thinking is fine to apply to your parent, or your significant other, or your sibling, or someone you CARE about, who is EQUALLY protected by the laws of our country, then wouldn't that thinking also apply to someone you don't particularly care for?
You would be left with no choice but to BELIEVE that they are innocent until the evidence and proof are presented by the accuser.
This is where you have to compartmentalize emotions and logical thought.
Remember, gut feelings, hunches, instincts, etc are all good indicators of how you may feel, and they are certainly a GREAT way to determine if a situation requires further investigation, be it legally or otherwise. Those instincts can be used to determine if a situation needs to be investigated and then the use them to garner information, evidence and proof in order to help build reasonable doubt in order to charge a suspect. The DA or ADA then uses the same info, evidence and proof in order to build a case and hopefully get a conviction.
Gut feelings, hunches, and instincts are not a good way to come to a conclusion of belief though, because they do not deal in evidence or proof. They only lead to the investigation that leads to those things.
For instance:
Mr. Wizard never actually admitted to anything publicly. He made a blanket apology. He never said "I did this". He apologized, and poorly at that. It's also the best you're ever going to see from him. He has not admitted guilt, but likewise, he has not admitted innocence! This is enough for me to use my personal gut feeling that the guy is a creep and LIKELY did what he has been accused of, since the timing of the apology coincided perfectly with the accusation and his subsequent dismissal. HOWEVER, unless he admits to it, the accuser has only made accusations without showing any evidence or proof that it actually happened. Therefore, we can only go by "innocent until proven guilty". He is, however, guilty in the court of public opinion, and rightfully so, as he used a statute of limitations to circumvent a legal case.
Likewise, I have properly compartmentalized my emotional response to Mr. Wizards alleged actions vs. what has either been proven or what he has admitted to. That doesn't mean I don't have a gut feeling as to what happened.
Lastly, let me make it clear to anyone who has made it this far:
I AM NOT DEFENDING THE PEOPLE BEING ACCUSED. I am defending the process by which we determine someone to be innocent or guilty.
ACCUSATIONS ALONE, WITHOUT EVIDENCE ARE JUST ACCUSATIONS. They could one day be used by someone against you or someone you care about, and if the mob ever comes for you or your loved one with ONLY accusations, you'll want proof or evidence too.
Which brings me to my next point:
@Jynks you are so dead on with this. If the mob comes for you with only accusations, you're already wrong because none of them have applied logic or reason to their thought. Their reactions are entirely emotion based, and they have not compartmentalized emotion and logic.
By the time the mob comes, it's already too late. If you defend yourself, then, in the mob's eyes, you're only making an excuse for your actions, or you're some other kind horrific thing like a racist, sexist, etc. If you're unfortunate enough to have the mob come for you and the mob is WRONG, it no longer matters.
You've been cancelled, and they can continue to cancel you, especially if they know even a little about your personal life. Your job could be called, people could say online "do not patronize ABC STORE at XYZ address while they still employ THE ACCUSED" and your place of business will have to make an incredibly difficult decision to either turn back the mob and thereby risk their business OR give in to the mob and terminate you in order to save face in their industry and save business.
Your other point,
"You think your safe... you do everything you think it "right"... but what is "right" is fluid.. and only children think otherwise. You think your "safe", you think you can "defend yourself" ... how naive can someone be." is also dead on.
We have to teach our children that the rules change, and very often, nobody tells US that the rules have changed, and in many cases, we only find out that the rules have changed when we, ourselves, have broken them without knowing they have changed. This can sometimes be an enlightening experience, and sometimes it can be a catastrophic, life changing incident.
Finally, as a father of 2 boys, let me tell you what scares me.
I teach my boys to be good human beings. I was raised in a lesbian household and I have an incredibly high level of respect not just for authority, but for the authority of women. This was my reality growing up, and I am teaching my boys to respect their mother and all women in their lives with the same amount of respect.
I know my children will eventually have adult encounters. I can only do my best to make sure they're prepared to make the best possible choices by being armed with information, knowledge and most importantly COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
