Put-Downs Have No Place in the Star Wars Community
Dear Fellow Star Wars and other Fandom Friends,
One of the first things you are going to notice in this letter is that I am angry. I am very angry. As I do every day, I logged onto twitter this morning to see what new Star Wars tweets and news there was. I grew up on Star Wars, my dad being a nerd and all. I know the Original EU and have followed Disney's new films and shows closely. So, at approximately 11:30 this morning, I was so saddened to see this thread:
I cried. I literally had tears because of what this meant.
Friends, and you are my friend, this is unacceptable. I have seen threads like these popping up for some time, and I am so sad. This burns me. I am a registered libertarian. I believe the government should be limited and involved in 0% of my daily life. I believe in civil liberties and each individual choosing their own life and choices. Does that mean I am not allowed to be a Star Wars fan? Absolutely not! The first sentences here preach being better and not allowing fear to guide us. That is so true and I agree. But they are contrasted by the hate in the last phrases. The galaxy was home to everyone. Just look at the differences in our favorite characters. But to state that an entire group of people cannot be true fans based on what is an extremely wide term (conservative) is ridiculous and hurtful. And on behalf of the small portion of the Star Wars community who think this, I deeply apologize.
For those of you who are new to the Star Wars fandom, I would sincerely like to welcome you with open arms. I don't care who you are, how much you know, or if you are a casual or die-hard...you are a valued part of this community. If you would like to know anything about any subject, character, or event, I would love to speak with you. I promise, we are pretty friendly people.
In the end Star Wars is about one thing; one phrase that appears over and over. HOPE. Star Wars is hope, and hope is a chance for something better. Let's be better. Let's be better than politics and the outside world. Let's be better and leave it where it belongs - outside. We are not FOX or CNN.
We are Star Wars.
We are HOPE.
Twitter: @ForceKnowledge
At the end of my articles I have an aurebesh, or star wars Basic language, phrase. It says "be fearless". Let's be fearless and not allow the outside world to ruin our fandom and our community.
