Last week’s letter was me explaining how I find all the hate I get hurtful. I was inspired to admit that from Salman Rushdie’s new book, Knife, where he admits that all the hate, criticism, and rejection he’s received hurts. I mean, I haven’t had a fatwa issued against me. But I have had people tell me that if I didn’t want to be criticized and hated, then I should shut up and be nice. Victim-blaming abounds. In other words, stop speaking (or drawing) my truth. Something I’ve noticed about myself: Whenever I feel afraid, it’s because I intuitively know I have to decide to either retreat back into a safer zone or push forward at my own risk. The first means succumbing to the pressure to shut up and behave. The second means exposing myself to more and worse hate, criticism, and rejection. I’m afraid… not so much of what I’m now experiencing, but what I’m heading into if I keep up what I’m doing and get more honest about what I’m thinking and feeling. I noticed an interesting thing in the last couple of weeks. A huge movement was launched to block celebrities who were silent about Gaza. It all began when one of them, dressed in a $70,000 gown, proclaimed, “Let them eat cake!” Regular people were so offended by their tone-deafness that they decided to do something about it and vote by unfollowing and even blocking the super-rich and influential. It’s quite a movement. It reminded me of when I first posted about Gaza, and how afraid I was of the reaction I was going to get. And got it I did. But it was okay because I realized something very important: If I was silent about Gaza, I would please some and annoy others. If I speak out on Gaza, guess what? I will please some and annoy others. I’d rather please and annoy the right people for the right reasons. This applies to Gaza and almost everything I cartoon and post about. Wow. The pressure to be silent is incredible. Isn't it? Because you’re offered a kind of peace and safety if you shut up. |