As I’m sure a few of you noticed, I took last week off from writing my articles. After the election I was emotionally exhausted and couldn’t find the energy to write about Magic. My articles are due on Wednesday nights and during those 24 hours after the election all I really wanted to focus on was my friends, family and some good old self care. Now that it’s been a week and I’m no longer in shock I wanted to share some thoughts about how I feel this ties directly into the Magic community.
Many writers, including myself, have written a lot about how the Magic community has a lot of work to do to become more inclusive. Issues of selfishness and respect are common topics that regularly need to be revisited. The election of Donald Trump and the rise of the alt-right has really only cemented the importance of addressing these issues not only within our own community but throughout the country. Most Magic players are not extremely rich, famous or well known. We do not have the influence to change the entire world but we do have the ability to work with the communities around us to enact change.
Racism
One of the major issues that have come to the forefront during this election is the blatant racism people have become comfortable expressing. With our President Elect making openly racist comments about all types of people of color it has emboldened many racists who have previously lurked in the shadows. This is an awful thing, I don’t care if your Muslim, Asian, Black, White, Hispanic, whatever, we all deserve equal treatment. However this does present us with the opportunity to address those who have hid their racism and help teach them why they are wrong. It will be a hard battle, especially now that Donald Trump has assigned a White Supremacist to his staff, but it does not mean that we should not fight.
Misogyny
I seem to meet a lot of people that forget that feminism is about finding equality for everyone. It is not about bringing men down or women up. It’s about letting people be themselves without fear of gender stereotypes. It’s about letting a guy cry when he is sad without being a wimp and letting a woman be strong and independent without being a bitch. It’s about teaching people how to respect Trans and Gender-queer individuals for who they are. This is probably the problem our community sees the most of. I’ve written before about how I feel like this problem should be addressed and I will stand by my previous assessments which you can read more about here.
One of my favorite quotes from all time is about WWII and I am reminded of it during this time:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
If we do not stand-up for each other now and demand respect it will only harm you in the end. You do not need to push others down in order to pull yourself, we can all work together to climb to an equal level. I know that as a community we cannot change the whole world, but I do know that we can work to keep the Magic community a strong and safe place for all. The world has become an ugly place and I hope that within our amazing community we can choose to spread love rather than hate. That we can remember that we are all here to play a really awesome card game and we should welcome anyone who is wants to join and is willing to show others respect.
Kate hails from Worcester MA and also does a bit of Card Altering. Check her Stuff out on Facebook! She mainly plays legacy and modern though will occasionally find herself playing EDH.
