Unpopular Dissent

It’s that time of the school year where I’m plagued by research and paper-writing, so if you’re a follower of this blog, apart from being surprised that you exist, I want to begin for apologizing for the lack of substantive updates over the last month.

On a slightly more positive note, my good friend Derek has written an exceptional entry on his website Doing Feminism about the importance of resisting the desire to remain silent. I feel that too often those of us who have potentially unpopular – but likewise potentially constructive – opinions keep those sentiments hidden to protect ourselves from conflict and physical aggression.

A very potent and visceral excerpt from his piece, A Note on Silence:

… I’ve become tired of engaging the ignorant and the uninformed. I’ve become tired of being the subject of other people’s anger. People don’t want to have their own shit shoved in their face for them to smell it, and they get angry when someone does it. That, I can understand. I don’t think it’s right for them to get upset about things they’ve said and done, but I can understand it…

I will most likely refrain from posting until after December 3rd, which is the last day I have a paper due – and coincidently, the last day of classes! Until that point, keep on challenging ignorance and systems of domination.