"The Missing Stair" is where people try to manage a problematic situation by quietly warning others rather than exposing the issue publicly. An example would be a creator or performer who abuses people, yet is never publicly held to account and instead is warned of in whispers.

There is a point where you have so many of these problematic instances that you have less of a missing stair, and more of a missing staircase. That is, there are so many missing stairs that the danger has exponentially grown to an unmanageable point.

Having spoken with old furries who helped build this fandom, I am aware for a long time problems were swept under the rug to prevent exposure of problematic elements to the mainstream - especially when media attention of the fandom was less than flattering.

"If we talk about X, it will prove them right."

"It's a bad look for the fandom, we'll get bad press."

"Great, now that we're talking about it Y group will have a field day."

These are all examples of The Missing Stair in action, encouraging silence to handle things privately.

The thing is, stuff only stays under the rug until someone starts asking what that lump under the carpet is and lifts up the rug to check.

And that pretty much always happens.

Nothing stays quiet forever, especially in this internet era.

So here's what you need to do:

Rebuild the staircase. When there is an abuser in your community, a known predator, a situation of that nature: Don't stay quiet. Rebuild the goddamn staircase, and highlight each step.

Because you don't make a house safer or sturdier by letting people find out the problems when they fall from the landing to the basement in one step. You make it safer by building a new stair.

Yeah, you take an immediate hit by publicly airing the dirtiest of the dirt. Sweeping often kicks up some crud.

But in the end you're left with a cleaner, and safer, house.

If I’ve offended you, kindly gaze upon my field of fucks and realize it is barren.