Regarding cancel culture: it is real. And it’s existed in one form or another for…ever. Having been named makes it seem all the more sinister, a looming presence over social discourse…don’t say or do the wrong thing! But hasn’t that always been the case?

Don’t all of us, always, steer a narrow path when it comes to getting along with others? It’s one thing to have an opinion; it’s another thing to express it.

At a physical, social event it’s difficult, absent an open bar, to forget that the beings in earshot are real live humans. But sitting on the pot, scrolling the Twitter feed, the gentle reminder that ‘@forexample’ is a real person with real feelings and real friends—who might know your friends? It can go missing.

Certainly, there are excesses. When a group of arrogant undergrads get up in arms over a guest lecturer honestly advocating for conservative position ‘xyz,’ with which they disagree…we could call it cancel culture. More accurately it’s a spoiled brat hissy fit. (I must admit, with all due respect to youth in general, that I have little sympathy for the near zealot-like deference society grants to college students…my own out-of-place rant!)

But to be ‘canceled’ due to amplifying demonstrated untruths, inciting violence, fomenting racism, etc.? That is not ‘cancel’ culture. It’s culture, plain and simple.

It’s the way it works.

I’m not saying there is no cancel culture. I’m saying that no matter where on any political spectrum we may fall take due care in spouting off because real people are listening. And if they don’t like what they hear they are free, in our free society, to turn their back, to cross our name off their list, to mention us to our boss, to our pastor, to our spouse, to fire us, to let us know in their own very personal way that they heard us.

Isn’t that why we spoke up? To be heard?

Isn’t that the way it works?

Once again you spark my thoughts. Thank you, Henya!