Warning for discussion of ableism and quoting of ableist slurs, and for being in a triggered state.
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Currently in a nonsocial headspace the past few days (Tony wants to reply elsewhere but can't yet) but need to mention this while we're here. Apologies if tone is cold, triggered and struggling to feel anything.
Feedback we are currently able to give:
"Saving the world is often necessary to prevent lunatics from destroying it." (in the author notes section)
PLEASE NOTE. These people are not lunatics, they are violent assholes. Mental illness is not a requirement for wanting to destroy the world nor does it cause someone to try to destroy the world, the conscious and very autonomous decision to try to destroy the world is what causes someone to do so, whether they have a mental health condition or not. Implying that mental health is causally related to violence does very real harm to people with mental illnesses and provides undeserved excuses for violent behaviour. It is also ableist.
"Where do people GET these insane ideas? Phil wonders" (in reference to terrorism)
Also ableist, harmful, and innaccurate. These ideas are not insane, they are dangerous. Insane does not equal dangerous, dangerous does not equal insane. We would like to request that authors please stop contributing to society's perception of us as a threat to be neutralised rather than real people who need support.
We concede that this is the thought of a character and not the author, and it may be a part of that character's characterisation that he is ableist in this way. HOWEVER please therefore include this in the warnings (just including the words "Ableism" or "Ableist character" will suffice) otherwise you are implying that either you support this character's viewpoint because you do not believe it to be ableism (since you have not marked it as such), or that you are happy to allow your character to harm those of us with mental health difficulties and do not consider such things to deserve warnings.
Not marking ableism as such has the additional effect of allowing your other readers to continue assuming that the ableist concepts presented are accurate and that there is nothing wrong with them. It allows readers to take your work as a support of and permission for their ableist notions.
A good substitute for words like 'insane' and 'crazy' in places like this is 'ridiculous', as it also emphasises extremity and lack of sound reasoning which are usually the meanings people actually intend when they use those particular slurs. We also recommend reflecting on what it is you actually want to get across (that something is unacceptable? that it's dangerous? that it makes no sense? that you disagree with it? a combination of these? other things?) and choosing words that actually say that rather than using disabled people as a shortcut and therefore saying that we are unacceptable, dangerous, or whatever your meaning is. Thesaurus use can be very effective here once you know what it is you're actually saying.
((Edit: We are also aware that it is likely that you are simply unaware of the ableist nature of these things which is perfectly understandable and we do not intend to imply that you are deliberately doing any of the things we mention above. We are fairly certain that you do not intend harm and would prefer not to do such things if you had the choice, which is why we are letting you know. We believe you to be a good person and respect you, hence this comment.))
We appreciated your note of caution to Tony and have indeed been exercising such, but cannot choose to keep ourselves safe from things that are not mentioned in the warnings. Unless we choose not to read at all on the off-chance that such things might be there. We do still take responsibility for our current triggered state though, as our safety is our own responsibility not yours and we were aware that you have demonstrated some lack of awareness of ableism particularly in the mental/cognition/neurology areas (Note: this is not your fault and you are still a good person) and undertook to read your works anyway.
We approve very much of your writing andd want to give more positive feedback but currently incapable. Thank you for these stories, we are appreciating them hugely. Overall, your writing makes the world a better place for us. You are doing a good thing.
-general beasties (currently incapable of seperating out our individual identities & voices)
This comment may be heavy & upsetting, feel free to choose not to read it or come back another time.
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Currently in a nonsocial headspace the past few days (Tony wants to reply elsewhere but can't yet) but need to mention this while we're here. Apologies if tone is cold, triggered and struggling to feel anything.
Feedback we are currently able to give:
"Saving the world is often necessary to prevent lunatics from destroying it." (in the author notes section)
PLEASE NOTE. These people are not lunatics, they are violent assholes. Mental illness is not a requirement for wanting to destroy the world nor does it cause someone to try to destroy the world, the conscious and very autonomous decision to try to destroy the world is what causes someone to do so, whether they have a mental health condition or not. Implying that mental health is causally related to violence does very real harm to people with mental illnesses and provides undeserved excuses for violent behaviour. It is also ableist.
"Where do people GET these insane ideas? Phil wonders" (in reference to terrorism)
Also ableist, harmful, and innaccurate. These ideas are not insane, they are dangerous. Insane does not equal dangerous, dangerous does not equal insane. We would like to request that authors please stop contributing to society's perception of us as a threat to be neutralised rather than real people who need support.
We concede that this is the thought of a character and not the author, and it may be a part of that character's characterisation that he is ableist in this way. HOWEVER please therefore include this in the warnings (just including the words "Ableism" or "Ableist character" will suffice) otherwise you are implying that either you support this character's viewpoint because you do not believe it to be ableism (since you have not marked it as such), or that you are happy to allow your character to harm those of us with mental health difficulties and do not consider such things to deserve warnings.
Not marking ableism as such has the additional effect of allowing your other readers to continue assuming that the ableist concepts presented are accurate and that there is nothing wrong with them. It allows readers to take your work as a support of and permission for their ableist notions.
A good substitute for words like 'insane' and 'crazy' in places like this is 'ridiculous', as it also emphasises extremity and lack of sound reasoning which are usually the meanings people actually intend when they use those particular slurs. We also recommend reflecting on what it is you actually want to get across (that something is unacceptable? that it's dangerous? that it makes no sense? that you disagree with it? a combination of these? other things?) and choosing words that actually say that rather than using disabled people as a shortcut and therefore saying that we are unacceptable, dangerous, or whatever your meaning is. Thesaurus use can be very effective here once you know what it is you're actually saying.
((Edit: We are also aware that it is likely that you are simply unaware of the ableist nature of these things which is perfectly understandable and we do not intend to imply that you are deliberately doing any of the things we mention above. We are fairly certain that you do not intend harm and would prefer not to do such things if you had the choice, which is why we are letting you know. We believe you to be a good person and respect you, hence this comment.))
We appreciated your note of caution to Tony and have indeed been exercising such, but cannot choose to keep ourselves safe from things that are not mentioned in the warnings. Unless we choose not to read at all on the off-chance that such things might be there. We do still take responsibility for our current triggered state though, as our safety is our own responsibility not yours and we were aware that you have demonstrated some lack of awareness of ableism particularly in the mental/cognition/neurology areas (Note: this is not your fault and you are still a good person) and undertook to read your works anyway.
We approve very much of your writing andd want to give more positive feedback but currently incapable. Thank you for these stories, we are appreciating them hugely. Overall, your writing makes the world a better place for us. You are doing a good thing.
-general beasties (currently incapable of seperating out our individual identities & voices)