Recently a friend sent me a link to a blog with an interesting orginal post. The orginal post was on court rulings about what is libel and what is free speech and so on. It was interesting. However the comment went from being about this issue to an issue of racism in the romance writing/reviewing world. As a reviewer I do not look at an author's picture. Heck half the time I only notice who the author is after I've read the book. Unless it's a "must buy" book from an author I already love. I look for great stories, with interesting plots. Or yes I look for stories set in NC or written by NC authors. What can I say I want to support my local state's authors and stories that have the great ablity to know that my state is awesome.
However what really got to me was, that all this energy was spent going back and forth over an issue that wasn't meant to be the main topic. It was like watching a snowball go downhill. What started as a small thing slowly built until it overtook the whole post. Much as a small snowball when sent downhill will roll into a huge thing.
While reading all these posts I could only think, here my mominlaw is battling a cancer that is winning, and these people are fighting over placement of books and supposed racism. Okay sounded like some had valid points and that some really did react in a racially based way. However some sounded more like they got their feelings hurt and wanted to lash out. I am not, nor can I ever be of a different race. I am human, I am God's child, I am me. I am an American. I have many different cultures in my background, from Irish to Scottish, to Dutch to German, to Native American, to hillbilly. I can remember having people be racist towards me because my cousins are half Native American, and because we had little to no money and the fact I was fatherless. Well I had and always have had a father, his name is God. He created me, and loves me for who I am and who I will become. He does NOT see me as white, black, pink, purple, yellow, or orange or any other shade. He sees me as Wendy, his child, the one He created with love and who has a place waiting by His side when my final page is turned.
I do know what racism is, I have felt it. Yes I am considered white, I'm blonde(okay not so much now) with green eyes, and yep I'm on the heavy side. Okay I'll say it I'm fat. Dang now I'll hear a ton of things on how fat is wrong. Well sorry that's the word. And simple fact is, it's a word. Same as thin. It's all in the eye of the beholder. I see me, not fat. So anyway. But the issue of books and authors dealing wiht racism and how things went from a nice post with good information to a cat fight just bothered me.
There are HUGE issues facing us all. At the end, there is death. For some, such as my mominlaw, death is looking closer and closer as each day passes. Why all the name calling and fighting? Okay so some people don't want to read a book by an AA author. Okay sorry for them. They maybe missing out an excellent story. Or maybe not. Not all white authors appeal to every white reader. I have a few I won't read. Not for their color but because their writing style doesnot work for me. So by the standards of the post I just read, I'm racisist for not reading certain authors works. Why? Because they are white? Or because I don't like their writing?
Do I think placement of books by AA authors or about AA authors needs to be rethought. of course. But then I think Christian Fiction, namely romance needs to be place with the secular romance as well. They are put over in the Reglious section and are overlooked by millions of readers, when they are excellent stories that many readers would be surprised to see in the Reglious section to begin with.
So why not just start a campaign? How about we as romance readers go into stores and put all ROMANCE in one section? I mean really is it racism or just something that has to do with genre location? So many genres are mixed and blended now that it's actually hard to say a book is "just" romance. You have fantasy books that are romance or mysterys with romance or even horror with romance. So what do we do to correct the issue instead of just going over and over it?
I would love to see a post about solutions rather than a post going over what is and isn't racism and who is or isn't a racist.
Anyway I found I needed to rant or just randomly comment. I'm really rather irked. My loved one is battling a disease that is killing her, yet people expound so much energy on something that is not life or death. No one will die if a book is not put in a certain section or if a book is not reviewed by a site. However if we took that same energy and put it into sending out positive thoughts, goodwill, and prayer for our fellow humans who are dying from diseases maybe, just maybe if they have to die, they will die with peace in their hearts and a smile on their faces. Rather than pain. I am a firm believer that all this negative energy being put into the world is hurting not only those they aim it at but others who have no idea the issues are even being discussed.
So stop with the anger, stop with the name calling, stop with the negative and come up with good things to say. Come up with solutions rather than adding to the problems.
Okay I'm going now. I've ranted and randomly talked and just in general made a pain of myself. Not sure I even make sense to anyone. I guess I'm angry that a good woman is dying from a disease while others are complaining. At least they aren't facing a death with no hair, a death that if she continues the treatments will lead her to an end much as she entered the world, as a baby. An end that she fears will cause her loved ones more pain than they need. Cancer.....
WK
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