You cannot be in a perpetual state of helplessness and expect a tiny minority to shoulder the weight. At some point, the excuse given for prioritizing self-centered needs, because of responsibilities to dependent families and other such valid justifications, may begin to wear thin, and the question raised as to why exit strategies were not devised that would allow some eventual repositioning and protective re-enforcement, in order for certain vulnerabilities to be bolstered and secured, leading to an ability to speak publicly in support of colleagues persecuted for challenging some aspect of postmodern piety.
In other words, you can’t dodge supporting the basic rights of your colleagues, whether you agree with them or not, forever, without facing up to the fact that your excuse for remaining silent has a time limit. Yes, you may need some time to make arrangements and build a metaphorical protective fortress, but at some point the generosity of spirit extended by those in the trenches, shouldering the weight, will expire. And you will become widely known for your passivity and cowardice.
At this point everyone should be organizing, even secretly and anonymously. A priority, to start (a bare minimum to say the least), is to do what you can to support the outspoken ones. If you cannot publicly vocalize your support, you can send money to their fundraising platforms (usually a defense fund, as they are usually being persecuted in some way). If you cannot afford to send money, you can volunteer your time and effort to their cause (reach out to them and offer your help).
Two great examples that highlight what I’m talking about, happen to be two files I cover. In the case of Chanel Pfahl and Frances Widdowson, their stories contain both the unbearable silence of cowardice, and the inspiring redemptive hope of courage!
Yesterday Chanel was interviewed by Marc Patrone ( interview starts at 16:30). It is a 20 minute hard hitting no-holds-barred frank discussion of the harm caused by indoctrinating children into ideological frameworks like Critical Race Theory. Chanel is dignified and on message throughout, which considering the content of her message, is an act of bravery in itself. Marc Patrone’s hostility and disgust at the CRT movement is palpable. Well done both of them for being real, and being willing to have this conversation publicly.
One point in the interview I found hard to listen to, is when Chanel speaks about the deafening silence from co-workers, who in some cases she had friendships with, before the controversy erupted. To a lesser extent, I have also experienced this when I became outspoken and helped to start Woke Watch Canada. In my view it is a blessing to lose a friend who never really was one. In these cases I don’t think anything is lost, but a gain is acquired, in terms of the knowledge that X person has a low quality of character, so one is much better off without them. Anyway, Get the background on Chanel’s case from a piece she wrote.
Over in Frances Widdowson’s brave world, silence is the furthest thing that could characterize the abundant activity and steady stream of informative media Frances publishes in a myriad of forms. Here is an episode of her Rational Space Disputations featuring Chanel. I recommend all 15 episodes of RSD, especially if you are one of my regular readers. Frances’ scholarship on Indigenous issues, as well as her conception of identity politics, and her ideas concerning “spiritual Marxism” vs. historical materialism are major areas of interest for me.
I’m trying to develop new frameworks of understanding that “plagiarize” a few specific scholars 1) Marshall McLuhan/Harold Innis. 2) Frances Widdowson. 3) Thomas Sowell. 4) Eric Kaufmann. There are a few more, but these are ones I steal from the most!
Frances’ world involves advocating for free speech and academic freedom through both her scholarly endeavors, and specific civil liberty advocacy efforts - like this piece she wrote for Minding The Campus - Why Mount Royal University Authoritarians Focus on the “Impact” of Speech - Minding The Campus.
In both cases these women have found support from many unlikely quarters, but have also noticed a lack of support from colleagues and/or friends. Public support seems to be directly proportional with the general levels of courage present. And, not shockingly I suppose, courage levels may have reached historic lows.
All the more reason to double down on supporting those who are leading, and taking it for the team. Chanel and Frances represent the vanguard of counter-woke dissidence in Canadian education (ground zero for wokeism). Frances is concerned with the Academy, Chanel, the Secondary School. These are brave not-woke warriors, and my admiration and appreciation for them is uncontainable. I thank them both for their inspiring courage, which gives hope for a redeemed future Canada of restored liberalism.
Please support Frances’ fundraising efforts, and the Rebel News Defense Fund helping Chanel’s as well!
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Reach out to me through Twitter or Facebook if you would like to organize with other Canadians and become part of the pushback against the great illiberal subversion.
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A terrific piece from an author whose work is getting better and better by the day.