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In this case, intent has no bearing on its utility. What should guide the rhetoric of social movements is, to take it back to your college GE writing class, th
by uoaei 9y ago
In this case, intent has no bearing on its utility.
What should guide the rhetoric of social movements is, to take it back to your college GE writing class, the consideration of "writer-based" vs. "reader-based" writing. In the former, you write what you feel based on how it makes sense to you; in the latter, the intent of the writing is to convey a message in the way that the audience can comprehend it.
That hashtag will and does imply "the accused is guilty." Something that would convey the intent you describe more directly would be along the lines of #DismissNoWomen or #TakeHerSeriously.
- vorotato 9y agoI'll be honest I'm don't really think the hashtag was written with that much thought in mind. It seems to be more a reaction to people being told "I don't believe you" when they claim someone has assaulted them. I agree it's unclear, and reading the responses is a mixed bag. #MeToo was more direct and obvious what it was about, however I don't think it's a huge mental jump to realize that "Assume the accused is guilty" isn't a nuanced conclusion and is frankly untenable as a policy.
- uoaei 9y agoYou'd be surprised by the extent to which governments enact policies based on a tiny, very vocal minority of people with bones to pick.