What’s happening in
American society is a transformation of one of the best aspects of America and the
American people, it is the death of forgiveness, it is almost the death of
second chances. We have seen this death of forgiveness if you pay attention at
all to what's going on in the world. There are people in this country, that if
you make one mistake, they will try to end you, ruin you destroy you, cancel
you, they will never forgive you and they will smear you with your own mistake
forever. Even minor mistakes which they will use against you until the end of
time. They will make sure that whenever your name is broached, your mistake is
broached as well. They will have you noted and marked tainted. You are corrupt,
there's a mark on your soul that cannot be rubbed out no matter what you do,
you must live with your sin branded on your forehead.
Consider broadcaster Megan Kelly's
clumsy remarks on blackface. Her Twitter feed from now on, forever and always,
will be filled with people who will call her a racist even after she apologized, devoted an
entire show to trying to understand the issue deeper and sincerely understand
the issue, But it didn't matter. This is the new scarlet letter in digital form.
) Or consider comic Kevin Hart. He is forever associated with a joke he made about his son
potentially being gay. He was disinvited from hosting the Oscars for that joke,
a joke he made years prior. What are the real consequences of this death and
forgiveness? First people don't speak up, don't speak their mind, they are too
guarded. It happened when I was at university. I can vouch for this speaking up
as someone who is slightly conservative. I knew that speaking up always brought
risks. What if I misspeak? What if I'm thinking out loud searching for answers
and I say something wrong? Congratulations I just ruined my life.
Jordon Peterson