An Open Letter to Mr Hines
Mr Jim Hines takes exception to the grave insult done to all fans of LEGEND OF KORRA by asserting, first, that I am the only one dismayed and dissatisfied by the bad writing, cheap ending, lame out-of-nowhere romance between two female characters (neither of who previously was homosexual) being shoehorned into the last scene in the closing episode of LEGEND OF KORRA for reasons of Political Correctness; and second, that the reason for my dismay was not my artistic judgment, love of the show, and a normal human sense of decency, but the pure evil of my character.
As for the first point, it is the informal logical fallacy known as ad populum. He is asserting that the minority opinion is always wrong. And it is a false assertion in any case: Their great claim to moral superiority of the pro-irrationality faction Mr Hines represents rests on their inferiority in numbers or in power or both, that is, on their underdog status. If they are in the majority, that claim evaporates.
As for the second point, it is ad hominem. Evidently Mr Hines imagines himself to be The Shadow, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.
Sadly for him, the evil is not where he detects it. I am not the bigot here. The bigot is the one who denounces everyone whose opinion differs from his own as bigots.
He makes much ado of the fact that the scene is so short and so trivial, and therefore it shows a lack of judgment on my part to take offense, or a lack of moral uprightness. But, by the same logic, if the scene is trivial, then those who celebrate it (including, by their own testament, the writers themselves) are celebrating a triviality. The scene cannot be a landmark only for those who praise it, but at the same time be a triviality too small to notice only for those who dispraise it.
Here are his remarks: I do him the courtesy he does not do me, by linking to his column. He did not wish me to learn of his backbiting. That is understandable. I would also be ashamed of my cowardice, were I so cowardly as to slander and denigrate a man behind his back, and call him by name, then call him names, but not invite him to speak a word to defend himself.
http://www.jimchines.com/2014/12/john-wright-legend-of-korra/
* * *
Dear Mr Hines: If a writing team betrays me for my loyalty by halting the story to preach a sermon on a religion that is alien to my religion and hostile to it, those writers get no grief for being treacherous, sly, or underhanded; but I get grief for daring to have a religion that differs from theirs, and for following as my conscience dictates, even though I am not being treacherous, sly, or hidden here.
I am the not ashamed of my beliefs, ergo I do not need to sneak in little sly advertisement for them into a children’s show, into the literal last two minutes, without warning, and so ambiguously that it requires a later public statement to take a stand.
Nor am I, Mr. Hines, the bigot here. You are. You are so craven in your bigotry, that you do not even do me the courtesy of addressing me directly, nor linking to the column with which you took exception, nor discussing the merits of the case.
(Also: learn to read English, please, sir. I did not call for the extermination of people, but of ideas: man’s politics, policies, or faith.)
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
