Thread by @visakanv

saddened & disappointed to hear about neil tyson. upset. angry. found myself wanting to make up excuses for him ("times have changed..."), or maybe just not talk about it at all ("not my problem").

tyson's a hero of mine for his incredible *sensitivity* as a sci-communicator...

... if we are serious abt becoming a better people, as a species – then we owe it to ourselves to acknowledge our own ugliness, & to do something about it. it's clear to me (you're welcome to disagree) that there's a species-level sickness that infects the way we treat each other

I don't know how to appropriately judge people for their mistakes, failures, crimes. I don't know how to mete out justice. I don't know what is the price that needs to be paid. I don't know if reparations can ever be enough. all I know is that I want to be part of the solution

when I look back on my own life, I recognize that I have had thoughts that were dismissive of women's stories, concerns, perspectives, agency, autonomy. some of these thoughts I inherited via the culture around me, the way IMO *most* people were casually homophobic in the 90s

I don't know if it's productive to paint people as cartoon villains. it seems to me that the truth is somehow grittier, harsher than that. that cruelty cuts through the heart of every human being, including people we assume must be so kind, so thoughtful, so compassionate

if i could speak with neil alone in private, i would ask him, as sincerely as I can

"do you *realize* what you've done? have you considered, how it feels, to be on the receiving end of actions like this? what happened to lessening the suffering of others?"

I know what I would say, if I were in his shoes. what I *have* said before when I have caused suffering in others

"i don't know... I wasn't thinking... it didn't occur to me in that situation... it seemed like a harmless thing to do..."

without moralizing: we need to do better

we have to know. we have to think. we have to consider.

it's what neil himself would say. ignorance is not an excuse.

we cannot *afford* to stay ignorant like this. the flourishing of our species, the future of intelligent consciousness – depends on us being better than this