We are Being Muzzled
and the Vendetta
It is no longer subtle. You can’t hide it. It is happening right here on Medium. Certain voices are being quieted or even banned. Censored, eliminated.
I thought that Medium was a place for all civil voices to be shared but I guess I was wrong. I guess I can speak a little more freely than others since I get no income from the site so I have less to lose. That means I am obliged to call them like I see them. Voices I have found valuable have either left or been banned. I have gotten an e-mail reminding me about the rules but not saying why I needed to be reminded. I am critical and take unpopular positions from time to time, maybe even often but I don’t call names or use offensive language. Are there some landmine, trigger words that are verboten that are not definitized in the rules. The FCC had some no use words for broadcasts, if there are such words here they need to be listed.
Many of the voices that have gone away were less liberal than those that remain. Maybe that was deliberate. Maybe that is what Medium wants.
I wonder how long we will still be allowed to call stupid people stupid.
I think Medium needs to take away writers' ability to block users. Some writers are using the block function to protect their writing from valid criticism. They block people for just disagreeing with them. This is bad for journalism and democracy. Democracy needs back and forth, give and take and it is journalism that provides that forum. Blocking prevents that, is censorship and makes the stories of that writer not journalism but propaganda.
How about you let some of the banned writers back, call it a Jubilee or Merry Christmas. How about trying to attract some less liberal writers so we can get out of the echo chamber.
Just because it is winter writers don’t need to act like snowflakes.
TEK
