Oh hello darling, and welcome back to March on benpechey.com, today my angels, I would love to explore an activism buzz word: Accountability. Now I’m not here to patronise you, because I am sure you know what this means as a term, and how that can be used in language to ensure the world is just.
Accountability is making someone aware of their actions and holding them responsible. To be clear this is only to the person that has acted, and not anyone else!
The landscape of justice has always been in favour of the most privileged, but in the age of the internet, this is only getting worse. The actions being taken under the guise of accountability are getting worse, they are ruining people’s lives, and also confusing the world about what actually constitutes as helpful action. To make this clearer for us all, why don’t we look at what accountability is NOT!
Historical Actions
Okay, I get it, a lot of people on the internet were not always the person that they are today, and some past actions may sit way out of line with what we would deem acceptable, we can all agree with that.
However, this is not an excuse for you to bring this up, because the past is the past. People made mistakes, we all have darling, but if they are actively working to repair them, then you should support them, not try to tear them down!
Weaponising Difference
So your views with another person differ, we get that, that's a massive part of being human. I spend my days working out how to make people more capable of understanding difference, but even I know there is a limit.
However, taking that difference and making it something to use against another person is reprehensible, and is happening on all sides, and inside communities, especially the LGBTQIA community. We have to stop weaponising our differences to use as clout, there is no hierarchy, we're just people trying to live!
Internet Stalking
One behaviour that I actually find to be so toxic, is people keeping track of you to such minute detail. Messaging you because you follow a certain person they have strong opinions of, and that they need you to unfollow, or that you are somehow responsible for their actions.
This kind of internet surveillance feels very creepy and is essentially a low level of stalking. This is not helpful, it is policing, and it has to stop.
Doxing & Canceling
Doxing if you’re unaware is the foul modern internet-based behaviour of researching and publicly broadcasting private or identifying information about an individual and then publishing this. Usually via social media, going back YEARS, and realistically trying to ruin someone's career and income opportunities.
Doxing inevitably leads to cancelling and people lose jobs and their reputation. Of all the behaviours this is the most shit, and honestly why I will never trust people.
This is not, and NEVER will be a form of accountability, this is bullying and the implications are devastating for so many, and it has to stop.
If we refuse to allow people to make mistakes, and for them to learn and make better choices in the future, we may as well throw the whole of humanity in the bin, because no good can ever come of this level of shitfuckery on the internet.
It has to stop, and we have to be the ones that stop it, by changing the levels of expectations we place on individuals, and by being fairer when it comes to accountability online.
That’s it from me today, I will be back next week, but until then, please always choose conversation and compassion first!
Shot by Rachel Pechey
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