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I& #39;ve been thinking for days about the issue affecting us esp ph melody & ph stan twt. There were thoughts & questions in my head & I wanted to make sense of them before I share them. This is a summary of learnings from reflections & conversations with a lot of mutuals & friends.
I& #39;ll try to cover the following:
1. summary of the issue + the context behind the issue
2. the misunderstandings + the causes behind it
3. my learnings + realizing some hard truths
4. points to ponder
5. final thoughts
1. summary of the issue + the context behind the issue
2. the misunderstandings + the causes behind it
3. my learnings + realizing some hard truths
4. points to ponder
5. final thoughts
Notes:
- I& #39;m going to use English so intl fans who are asking questions may also understand
- Please read the whole thread before reacting. Please don& #39;t take things out of context.
- Everything in this thread is open for rational and logical discussions.
- I& #39;m going to use English so intl fans who are asking questions may also understand
- Please read the whole thread before reacting. Please don& #39;t take things out of context.
- Everything in this thread is open for rational and logical discussions.
1. The Issue
- 4 days ago the PH president gave "shoot to kill" orders for leftists and rebels
- This caused an uproar among those against the Duterte admin who stand that killing is wrong.
- Supporters of the Duterte admin argue that the order is only for rebels not for everyone
- 4 days ago the PH president gave "shoot to kill" orders for leftists and rebels
- This caused an uproar among those against the Duterte admin who stand that killing is wrong.
- Supporters of the Duterte admin argue that the order is only for rebels not for everyone
- A similar issue has happened before during the Drug War campaign where orders to kill people involved in drugs were released. One side agrees that this "iron-fist" discipline is needed while the other side argues that without due process, innocent lives become casualties.
- I will not be able to discuss everything that happened the past years in the PH, but I encourage you to read up on articles for better understanding. Just please make sure these are coming from legit sources and not fake news.
- Here& #39;s a thread on why people are angry at the president: https://twitter.com/_JamJam01/status/1245400791449399296.">https://twitter.com/_JamJam01... Though the tweets are mostly in Filipino, the articles are in English.
- I also want to link a thread on the achievements of the president. Please inform me if anyone knows where I can find this.
- I also want to link a thread on the achievements of the president. Please inform me if anyone knows where I can find this.
Why was stan twt involved?
- Tweets with the format "No <fandom name> should be a DDS" started to spread on stan twt. DDS is the collective name of the president& #39;s diehard supporters.
- More tweets of personal sentiments to filter out the DDS from the fandom/s followed.
- Tweets with the format "No <fandom name> should be a DDS" started to spread on stan twt. DDS is the collective name of the president& #39;s diehard supporters.
- More tweets of personal sentiments to filter out the DDS from the fandom/s followed.
- Some fans felt offended and posted their own sentiments (e.g. how can other fans decide to kick out fans in the fandom & tell them that they are not welcome in cupsleeve events, fandom and politics should be separated, stan twt becoming toxic and disrupting the peace, etc.)
- The president then had another controversial press conference which ignited tweets towards the government again which then ignited tweets about stan twt becoming toxic and urging fans to separate fandom and politics again (i.e. dont tweet abt politics in stan accounts)
- The first group of fans felt offended & posted about the hypocrisy of fighting for issues in korea like burning sun, nth room, treatment of kpop idols, etc. but wanting to remain silent against issues in ph govt. They said if you dont like our tweets you can block or unfollow.
- Second group of fans then felt offended, too, because it seemed like other fans do not care how they feel.
- It became a never-ending cycle of throwing shade against each other and misunderstandings.
Note: This is based on what I know. If I missed out anything pls let me know.
- It became a never-ending cycle of throwing shade against each other and misunderstandings.
Note: This is based on what I know. If I missed out anything pls let me know.
2. The Misunderstandings
- I wanted to get to the root of the misunderstandings and see what caused all these so I talked to several people from all sides (mostly melody).
- I can see 3 main misunderstandings which I will enumerate and discuss further.
- I wanted to get to the root of the misunderstandings and see what caused all these so I talked to several people from all sides (mostly melody).
- I can see 3 main misunderstandings which I will enumerate and discuss further.
a. Misunderstanding on Anti-DDS statements: "No <fandom> should be a DDS", etc.
What it was interpreted as: "I hate you as a person. You don& #39;t deserve to be in this fandom. Get out of the fandom if you don& #39;t share the same views as us."
What it was interpreted as: "I hate you as a person. You don& #39;t deserve to be in this fandom. Get out of the fandom if you don& #39;t share the same views as us."
What it actually meant: "Every one in this fandom is important to me so I hope we all share the same principles because I do not want to have conflicts with you."
Upon talking to some people, admittedly those tweets were out of line. Those were too emotional and were outbursts of anger & frustration bc people support a president who advocates killings. I also qrt-ed the tweet and said "Sadly there are" to express my disappointment & shock.
b. Misunderstanding on generalization of each sides especially DDS
I made a basic spectrum for reference. Please see photo.
What is happening: We usually lump people in 3 categories - DDS, Dilawan and Neutral.
What it actually is: Most of us are pro-Filipino (intention-wise).
I made a basic spectrum for reference. Please see photo.
What is happening: We usually lump people in 3 categories - DDS, Dilawan and Neutral.
What it actually is: Most of us are pro-Filipino (intention-wise).
Both sides make the mistake of generalizing & creating a message for everyone on the other side when their real intention is only a message to the ones on the extreme sides. This causes people to misunderstand and be offended even if the message wasn& #39;t actually intended for them.
Personally, I& #39;m in the Anti category. In my fandoms, I have yet to see a Dilawan. Sadly there are a few DDS, although they& #39;re more active on FB. But mostly, it& #39;s a mix of the 3 middle categories which are all Pro-Filipino (intention-wise) who are capable of rational discussions.
c. Misunderstanding on being Neutral
There is a tendency to generalize being neutral as a bad thing. However, I think it depends on the issue at hand.
Examples on when being neutral is ok:
- choosing between two government officials
- mediating between two friends fighting
There is a tendency to generalize being neutral as a bad thing. However, I think it depends on the issue at hand.
Examples on when being neutral is ok:
- choosing between two government officials
- mediating between two friends fighting
Examples on when being neutral is not ok:
- choosing between right and wrong
- seeing someone getting bullied and choosing to stay silent
I will not be able to list all down. The point is choosing sides has to be on a per issue level and not based on loyalty or personal biases.
- choosing between right and wrong
- seeing someone getting bullied and choosing to stay silent
I will not be able to list all down. The point is choosing sides has to be on a per issue level and not based on loyalty or personal biases.
3. My Learnings
a. Proper communication is key.
We really need to choose our words properly no matter how we feel at that moment. This does not mean that our emotions aren& #39;t valid. It means we also need a rational mind whenever we post something to avoid misunderstandings.
a. Proper communication is key.
We really need to choose our words properly no matter how we feel at that moment. This does not mean that our emotions aren& #39;t valid. It means we also need a rational mind whenever we post something to avoid misunderstandings.
b. Taking time to reflect is important.
When i asked the question in this thread ( https://twitter.com/leihoonie/status/1245845320723869696?s=20),">https://twitter.com/leihoonie... I wanted to really reflect and think about things with an open mind. I chose a topic that I am not directly affected but would also help me evaluate my own values.
When i asked the question in this thread ( https://twitter.com/leihoonie/status/1245845320723869696?s=20),">https://twitter.com/leihoonie... I wanted to really reflect and think about things with an open mind. I chose a topic that I am not directly affected but would also help me evaluate my own values.
Really thankful to everyone who replied and provided insights. I learned a lot from each one despite differences in answers.
Sometimes we need to take a step back and think as objectively as we can before reacting to a certain situation. It helps minimize mistakes, too.
Sometimes we need to take a step back and think as objectively as we can before reacting to a certain situation. It helps minimize mistakes, too.
c. Right is right and wrong is wrong.
This truth will never change. It& #39;s not about standing up for what we think is right. It& #39;s about standing up for what is really right. Finding out what the truth is and standing up for that are our responsibility as human beings.
This truth will never change. It& #39;s not about standing up for what we think is right. It& #39;s about standing up for what is really right. Finding out what the truth is and standing up for that are our responsibility as human beings.
d. Being kind is more important than being right.
Honestly, this is very hard to do especially when the other person is not kind at all. I understand that we are not perfect and people have limits on how much we can take. But as cliche as this sounds, love is greater than hate.
Honestly, this is very hard to do especially when the other person is not kind at all. I understand that we are not perfect and people have limits on how much we can take. But as cliche as this sounds, love is greater than hate.
In our effort to tell people about the right thing, we must not do it in the wrong way. Let us not fall in the trap of belittling and dehumanizing the very people we want to educate and inform. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the very purpose of why we are speaking out.
At the end of the day, we cannot change other people. We can only do our part.
Personally, I also believe that we are not the final judge of anything in the end. And no matter what happens, the good will always prevail.
Personally, I also believe that we are not the final judge of anything in the end. And no matter what happens, the good will always prevail.
e. We have the freedom to express our opinions but we are also responsible for our own opinions.
Opinions can be wrong so each time we formulate our own opinion on something, we have to inform ourselves first.
Also, the effect of having different opinions varies.
Opinions can be wrong so each time we formulate our own opinion on something, we have to inform ourselves first.
Also, the effect of having different opinions varies.
Having different opinions on which kpop group is better? Just respect each other& #39;s opinion and move on.
Having different opinions if racism, exploitation of women and killing is okay or not? This is an entirely different story because there are lives involved.
Having different opinions if racism, exploitation of women and killing is okay or not? This is an entirely different story because there are lives involved.
f. Understanding the intention of a person is crucial.
It might be hard to do at first but in times of misunderstandings, trying to put ourselves in the shoes of the other person and trying to understand their intentions are key to rational discussions.
It might be hard to do at first but in times of misunderstandings, trying to put ourselves in the shoes of the other person and trying to understand their intentions are key to rational discussions.
A person may do something wrong but may have good intentions. This doesn& #39;t mean that the person is not wrong anymore. It just might help us come up with a better solution if we understand each other more.
g. Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
Applying this to fandoms, I know we all just want to always be happy spazzing with each other but realistically this is impossible.
Applying this to fandoms, I know we all just want to always be happy spazzing with each other but realistically this is impossible.
This is not the first and last time there will be differing views in the fandom. But that doesn& #39;t mean that the fandom has already become toxic. It is how we handle conflict that will determine if we truly are a peaceful fandom or not.
h. A fandom is a mix of people of different ages, background, cultures, etc. Understanding and accepting that is key.
This is a lesson I learned in my years of being a melody. Unlike in real life, we can immediately be close with people because we share the same interest.
This is a lesson I learned in my years of being a melody. Unlike in real life, we can immediately be close with people because we share the same interest.
This is a good thing. But we also tend to forget the fact that we have different maturity levels and can react differently to issues.
For example, I am turning 30 this year. I should not expect the same maturity from someone who is 18 even though we spazz together.
For example, I am turning 30 this year. I should not expect the same maturity from someone who is 18 even though we spazz together.
Understanding that helps me become more patient and helps me find ways for a better approach. A good exercise is to ask ourselves, "When I was at that age or at that stage in life, how do I react to different situations?"
This is probably one of my life advice that works.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😊" title="Smiling face with smiling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with smiling eyes">
This is probably one of my life advice that works.
i. Lastly (this is a personal view but I feel like a lot of you share this with me too), this issue hurt us because we think of fandom as family.
We made friends here who actually care and understand us as much as, if not more than, real life friends.
It hurts because we care.
We made friends here who actually care and understand us as much as, if not more than, real life friends.
It hurts because we care.
Let& #39;s fix it together. Let& #39;s not let pride get in the way. Send a message to people you felt like you had conflicts with. Talk it out with all these in mind.
Trust me. It feels better than keeping it in and letting things eat you up inside.
Trust me. It feels better than keeping it in and letting things eat you up inside.
4. Points to Ponder
I also want to leave us with questions to reflect on and think about for ourselves.
a. What are the values I believe in and will stand for?
b. How do I improve myself so I can communicate with others better?
These are questions only we can answer.
I also want to leave us with questions to reflect on and think about for ourselves.
a. What are the values I believe in and will stand for?
b. How do I improve myself so I can communicate with others better?
These are questions only we can answer.
5. Final Thoughts
I know it is a lot to digest. Don& #39;t force yourself to understand everything all at once. It took me days to digest everything and make sense of all the thoughts and questions running through my mind too.
If you have read everything up to this point, thank you!
I know it is a lot to digest. Don& #39;t force yourself to understand everything all at once. It took me days to digest everything and make sense of all the thoughts and questions running through my mind too.
If you have read everything up to this point, thank you!
Also thank you to everyone I exchanged thoughts with. I really appreciate it.
I am open to rational discussions, clarifications and questions. You may dm me.
Love you guys. Let& #39;s overcome together.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blue heart" aria-label="Emoji: Blue heart">
I am open to rational discussions, clarifications and questions. You may dm me.
Love you guys. Let& #39;s overcome together.
