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dragonlady7via http://ift.tt/298wqEZ:
The real issue, I suspect (though now I’m on mobile so my ability to do much of anything is low):
There is a difference between a real world political situation and the discussion of a fictional one.
I do not give real-life fascists platforms. Not even by writing fiction that glorifies their ideals.
I am interested in exploring why fictional villains coded as fascists would do the things they do.
That’s a much different thing, on every level. Most importantly, said fictional villains are not actually real. In the real world, they have not done anything. They have been presented in a story.
And exploring their motivations is not the same thing as glorifying their ends.
But most importantly, they are fictional. I’m not excusing any real-world violence. I am well aware of the real-world violence that irresponsible political rhetoric has inspired, especially recently. I am also aware of the power that stories have. I am aware that fictional fascists can empower real fascists.
But so can fictional zealots of any stripe, and any exhortation to violence without reflection is potentially harmful.
I am not saying “don’t fight hate with hate”. I am saying, I want to know why evil exists and banning its discussion will not stop it. Refusing to examine its origins will not delegitimize it.
But most importantly, I want my fictional villains to be complex, because I can’t fight a cardboard cutout. We learn from stories, and one-sided shoot-em-ups only teach so much.
The real issue, I suspect (though now I’m on mobile so my ability to do much of anything is low):
There is a difference between a real world political situation and the discussion of a fictional one.
I do not give real-life fascists platforms. Not even by writing fiction that glorifies their ideals.
I am interested in exploring why fictional villains coded as fascists would do the things they do.
That’s a much different thing, on every level. Most importantly, said fictional villains are not actually real. In the real world, they have not done anything. They have been presented in a story.
And exploring their motivations is not the same thing as glorifying their ends.
But most importantly, they are fictional. I’m not excusing any real-world violence. I am well aware of the real-world violence that irresponsible political rhetoric has inspired, especially recently. I am also aware of the power that stories have. I am aware that fictional fascists can empower real fascists.
But so can fictional zealots of any stripe, and any exhortation to violence without reflection is potentially harmful.
I am not saying “don’t fight hate with hate”. I am saying, I want to know why evil exists and banning its discussion will not stop it. Refusing to examine its origins will not delegitimize it.
But most importantly, I want my fictional villains to be complex, because I can’t fight a cardboard cutout. We learn from stories, and one-sided shoot-em-ups only teach so much.
