To the Angry White Men on the Internet
IDGAF what you think
Last year I published a piece called “What Most Men Don’t Understand About Living In Fear”. I described an unsettling personal experience and went on to share thoughts on street harassment, white male privilege, and why dealing with the patriarchy can be frustrating. It was in response to a Human Parts prompt about remaining silent so it was fitting; in most instances where I’ve been the target of harassment, I have remained silent for one reason or another.
Apparently, this was very triggering for some men on the Internet.
While plenty of people (men and women) shared supportive comments, more than a few responses berated the piece and made it clear they not only didn’t read it in full but also didn’t take a single moment to absorb the words and their meaning.
Any guesses as to who was posting the latter?
In my typical fashion, I either ignored those comments or replied with a single snarky response before moving on with my day. As I wrote in the original story, sometimes it’s just not worth the effort to make myself understood to someone who doesn’t seek to understand.
But as I continued to follow the comments and responses, I noticed several of these men returned to edit or elaborate on their initial response…
