Andrea Dworkin
As you may know, Andrea Dworkin passed away this weekend.
In many ways she is the total expression of why I do not consider myself a "Lefty". I have a fundamental disagreement with her concerning speech. She believed you silence a Nazi or a Klansman forcibly. I didn't, I didn't see any purpose in using fascist law structures to combat fascism. I have always believed that you let them expose themselves to the light of day, and the sun will do the rest. (that of course, and pursuing them relentlessly when they "practice" what they preach.)
BUT...she was a shit disturber of monumentus proportions. Crazy? probably. Delusional? possibly. Even possibly psychotic. But...she did throw it down, and made the man answer. She afflicted my enemies, and disturbed the comfortable.
So here are some links...
Her work...read it...argue it...think about it...if she doesn't offend you in some way...your heart just isn't beating.
Two postings by Susie Bright...the first "The Baffling Case of Andrea Dworkin" (SB points to it in her RIP post) in which points out that AD has taken the Islamic approach to woman's rights by suggesting that someone should assassinate Susie.
and "Andrea Dworkin has died". This is the most striking RIP I have seen today. It encompasses everything...the lack of tolerance...and the trail blazing.
Good stuff.
Oh, and I suppose I should point out that I think she was almost always wrong. It has only been two hundred years since "freedom" has been on the rise. And in that two hundred years we have come closer to freedom for everyone than we have ever actually been since the discovery of writing. She disdained the freedom that made her possible, and for that I will always pity her. In many ways she reminds me of the woman who was runnung for office in Iraq so that she could make laws preventing other woman from running, and I don't think AD understood that the very core of censorship would begin under her "cover" and then extend...because that's the way it works. Silence one...silence all.
Even if I disagree with her...she says things we all need to hear.
In many ways she is the total expression of why I do not consider myself a "Lefty". I have a fundamental disagreement with her concerning speech. She believed you silence a Nazi or a Klansman forcibly. I didn't, I didn't see any purpose in using fascist law structures to combat fascism. I have always believed that you let them expose themselves to the light of day, and the sun will do the rest. (that of course, and pursuing them relentlessly when they "practice" what they preach.)
BUT...she was a shit disturber of monumentus proportions. Crazy? probably. Delusional? possibly. Even possibly psychotic. But...she did throw it down, and made the man answer. She afflicted my enemies, and disturbed the comfortable.
So here are some links...
Her work...read it...argue it...think about it...if she doesn't offend you in some way...your heart just isn't beating.
Two postings by Susie Bright...the first "The Baffling Case of Andrea Dworkin" (SB points to it in her RIP post) in which points out that AD has taken the Islamic approach to woman's rights by suggesting that someone should assassinate Susie.
and "Andrea Dworkin has died". This is the most striking RIP I have seen today. It encompasses everything...the lack of tolerance...and the trail blazing.
Good stuff.
Oh, and I suppose I should point out that I think she was almost always wrong. It has only been two hundred years since "freedom" has been on the rise. And in that two hundred years we have come closer to freedom for everyone than we have ever actually been since the discovery of writing. She disdained the freedom that made her possible, and for that I will always pity her. In many ways she reminds me of the woman who was runnung for office in Iraq so that she could make laws preventing other woman from running, and I don't think AD understood that the very core of censorship would begin under her "cover" and then extend...because that's the way it works. Silence one...silence all.
Even if I disagree with her...she says things we all need to hear.
posted by Johnny Lightheart at 7:14 PM
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