As someone with a not-small following and seeking still more visibility, this Harper’s letter continues pissing me off. That this is the debate we’re having in the midst of this pandemic demonstrates how poorly we’ve constructed our public intellectual discourse — and for what?

So that everyone from billionaire and bestselling authors to those routinely printed in the New York Times can argue that the weight of their words should always be displaced on those least able to bear it. Take responsibility for your goddamn voices if you demand to speak.

I’m still flabbergasted that I had around 350 followers in January 2017, and now I’m over 30k. That shift has required asking if my voice is necessary, if it’s right to retweet, if I am furthering the discourse or dismantling it. And I’m a *rando* on Twitter. Jesus.

Ostensibly most of these people are paid lots of money to create, to process, to speak to the world, and you’re telling me absolutely zero percent of your goddamn process is thinking through the consequences of your actions? Fuck all of you.

Because if I can think through the consequences of flapping my gums on this platform to ask if my thoughts are worthy wares in the marketplace of ideas, then New York Times columnists can sure as fuck take an extra moment to check themselves.