Wiscon Update

[cathschaffstump]

First of all, thanks for all the linkage on the RAINN auction of the Marion Zimmer Bradley book! I appreciate that you're getting the word out.

For our first day, we have raised $50 for RAINN, and the offensive book has a potential home. I hope we can donate more money to support the efforts of healing and helping people like me, those who have suffered this kind of abuse. I hope we can all come out in support of MZB's children, and show them that we do care, and that we are actively against abuse. A tiny donation of $10 makes a difference. So, please think about it.

***

Another quick update: Wiscon has banned Jim Frenkel for life from the convention. Discussion will ensue. I have already seen people talking about the court of public opinion, and that's why Wiscon made its decision. We've seen that court in action before, regarding Elizabeth Moon when she made her comments about Arab-Americans and immigrants. My thinking? If many people were not going to attend, like I had planned, due to conscientious objection, why shouldn't public opinion influence their decision. For the con, it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of scenario. NOTHING the con can do will please everyone. I see them as making an attempt to amend a very big screw up and take care of their constituency in this case. No con comm should focus on the reform of an offender. Every con comm should make sure a con is a comfortable environment.

If this whole affair has turned you off of Wiscon, I get that. I do. I will support them in this decision and attend the convention because this is the decision I wanted. I don't feel comfortable saying something like thanks for fixing your error, doing what I wanted, but yet you appear to sway in the winds of public opinion. I would rather think they examined the action and realized it was the wrong action to take, of course influenced by public opinion, but also because they realized it was the wrong action to take.

Your mileage may vary. However, I hope to see you at Wiscon. It is only by holding cons accountable to high standards that we can have cons that pay attention to issues like sexism and racism. If we don't attend, we can't help the culture change. That is, if you still want to participate in that culture.

Thursday: Ode to Bernard Collier. Really. Also, some more auction soliciting. Because we can't let all those people depending on RAINN down.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.