In an era of weaponized sensitivity, participation in public discourse is growing so perilous, so fraught with the danger of being caught out for using the wrong word or failing to uphold the latest orthodoxy in relation to disability, sexual orientation, economic class, race or ethnicity, that many are apt to bow out. Perhaps intimidating their elders into silence is the intention of the identity-politics cabal – and maybe my generation should retreat to our living rooms and let the young people tear one another apart over who seemed to imply that Asians are good at math. Lionel Shriver
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In an era of weaponized sensitivity, participation in public discourse is growing so perilous, so fraught with the danger of being caught out for using the wrong word or failing to uphold the latest orthodoxy in relation to disability, sexual orientation, economic class, race or ethnicity, that many are apt to bow out. Perhaps intimidating their elders into silence is the intention of the identity-politics cabal — and maybe my generation should retreat to our living rooms and let the young people tear one another apart over who seemed to imply that Asians are good at math. That’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is: We may not like it when we’re called racists and we may not like it when we’re called homophobes and we may not like it when we’re called transphobes and we may not like it when we’re called misandrists and we may not like it when we’re called misogynists and we may not like it when we’re called cissexists and we may not like it when we’re called xenophobes.

But those are words that have power and those words can hurt and those words can wound. If they keep on hurting us, then maybe they deserve to be spoken. And if they deserve to be spoken, then maybe they deserve to be heard.

Source: The Mandibles: A Family, 20292047

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