I swore I'd never do this...
But this whole thing has really got to me.
Deliberately not LJ cut, I want to get it out of my system.
LJ has apologised and said they will reinstate most of the journals deleted. This is a start.
The implication that all fanfiction writers who touch on the subject of child molestation, whether it is for the purposes of titillation or plot, are encouraging paedophilia is not particularly appreciated.
The entire situation was completely mismanaged and LJ has not addressed all of the issues surrounding this - Others who have reported disturbing journals have been told that "Nothing can be done," unless "there is actual evidence of illegal activity" and LJ's complete about face on the matter is rather shocking. Plus the re-definition of interests to, "Things I actively encourage people to participate in."
LJ's actions over the past few days have seriously disturbed me, but they appear to have at least realised that they have made a mistake (Even if they are being rather condescending over it) and hopefully things will improve.
What still galls me is the attitude and behaviour of the group calling themselves Warriors for Innocence (I have deliberately not linked to their site, as some people have reported major spyware infestations after visiting. If your firewall is good, google them).
As someone who has spent a great deal of time working with children that could be considered especially vulnerable to these sort of attacks, the idea of harming a child in that way sickens me and I would do anything in my power to make sure that no child suffers in that manner.
And WfI's stance on the subject is frankly disturbing. They offer no apology to the people they have hurt in this matter - be they from fandom, RPGers, discussion groups for the book Lolita or support groups of survivors of they very thing they are trying to prevent.
In the case of fandom they instead say that anyone who complains about having their hard work deleted is obviously "too close to their subject matter." Never mind that lots of the stuff deleted did not contain any references to paedophila or child molestation at all.
They have also been accused by many people more expert in the subject than I, of going about hunting down internet paedophiles in exactly the wrong way - posting on their blog about what they were trying to do weeks before it happend so that any aware paedophiles could spend time hiding and making sure they wouldn't be caught, not working with any law enforcement agency so that even if some child molesters have lost their journals, they have not lost their liberty.
But WfI insist that they can do no wrong, that they have caused only acceptable levels of harm, that they should not be judged -
Because they are hunting paedophiles!They imply that every journal that was deleted was in some way guilty - indirectly accusing many surviors of child abuse of being abusers themselves and no doubt causing a great deal of distress. I did point this out to them, although I doubt they will pay much attention, because...
Anyone who comments at their journal (Where outside comments can be edited or deleted without warning by the WfI people - and a post I commented on (Although I don't think my comment got past moderation, they don't like intelligent dissenters and I used a rather clever metaphor that must have had them a bit stumped.) now has comments disabled.) and disagrees with their methods or complains that innocent people have been hurt along with the (Very few - I can't imagine most genuine paedophiles are stupid enough to have child molestation in their interests list.) guilty are accused of being paedophile themselves, or supporting paedophiles.
They received one comment (which now appears to have been deleted) from a survior of child abuse, who said that they thought WfI were behaving badly and were not helping their own cause. WfI's response? This person was obviously unable to be objective, due to their experiences.
When others have pointed out that most cases of actual child molestation are committed by close family members/friends of the child and maybe WfI should focus more on stopping these actual cases of abuse the commenters were told they were "Naive," and "If you google you find thousands of child porn sites," obviously making this kind of activity more dangerous and harmful to children than actual attacks.
I can find nowhere that indicates WfI actually care about children who have suffered abuse - Instead they seem to want recognition as being a force for all that is good and pure. Presumably if you've been abused you no longer fit into that category.
WfI also show an astonishing lack of sense when it comes to information distribution. They encourage internet users to pose as children in order to trap and 'scare' paedophiles. (Of course meaning these paedophiles will be even more wary in future and police sting efforts to trap and actually arrest them will be that much less successful.) To help visitors to their site, they even have a handy page on how to convince other users you are a child. Which no paedophiles will run across and find useful, obviously.
I have other objections to WfI - Including their comments on consent. They say "A child is not capable of consent," but define a child as anyone under the age of consent, even though many 'children' regularly and frequently have completely consensual, non-coerced or forced sex. (Often with others of the same age, although I don't know how WfI copes with that. They seem to be the sort of right wingers who think that sex is for married people, in the missionary position, for the purpose of giving birth only.) And that's not even taking into account the issue of England's age of consent being 2 years less than America's. Presumably 17 year olds suffer some form of mental retardation when they cross the Atlantic. And on your 18th birthday you get hit by a strike of lightning and suddenly understand what consent is and become completely ready to have sex, regardless of outside factors.
This whole affair has left a bitter taste in my mouth. (And was rather distracting on the day of an exam - I think I did as well as I could though, so that's alright.) LJ's mishandling, providing they make appropriate steps to rectify it, will eventually be forgiven - although not forgotten, they don't seem to have learned anything from the 'Nipplegate' thing last year.
But WfI's journal continues to make me sick. And there is nothing I can do about their website or their opinions (Because they are entitled to have them, however much I think them to be incredibly stupid) but the fact that they are allowed to continue with their potentially damaging actions galls me. I will accept that there is nothing I can do about it and I will continue to challenge their behaviour and attitudes if they spill over into my life. And however much it angers me, I will allow them their freedom of belief and freedom of expression. But I don't have to like it.
And I managed all of that without using the word cunts. Brilliant.
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