But here's where a lot of the criticism of both the letter and specific signatories come in...
You know what a lot of cases where one person gets mobbed have in common?
The people mobbing think they're fighting cancel culture. Or "SJWs", earlier. Or "PC police", earlier still.
A pledge to use their platforms responsibly and think about their reach vs. others' before wading in.
She doesn't have to be silent. Still and always, no one can actually shut her up.
I *control* myself. Follow me for a day and you know I'm not the strong silent type. If I have something I think is worth saying, I say it. At length. I don't just spell it out, I use it in a sentence, and provide the definition and country of origin.
Encouraging people to be kinder online is a good thing. It really is. Absolutely do that.
It leads to anxious vigilance against any sign you might have angered the monster.
But she can ruin anybody's day or life just by screenshotting them and saying "This is cancel culture."
I mean, what's the alternative? A billionaire with a million fans can't have a "robust, reasonable, and respectful" debate in a crowded auditorium with a random stranger where nobody's in the audience because we all have microphones.
Look what happens to the mentions of anybody who is accused of engaging in Cancel Culture. Look what happens when some powerful, very important special person says they are under assault by a random account.
"That's it, Monday's cancelled." Fact check: No one can cancel Monday. "Snow again? Winter is cancelled." Fact check: Seasons don't care if we schedule them or not.
It only became a bogeyman because it slotted into an existing mythology, that had Social Justice Warriors and PC Police.
I mean, that's powerful.
And if you want a robust marketplace of ideas where people disagree respectfully and debate what is up for debate, this is a bad thing.
Stop engaging with it.
Stop engaging *in* it.
And this is true. It won't.
That would be much more likely to work than trying to "cancel" them via Cancel Culture.
Number one way to avoid being accused of being part of cancel culture is to denounce it every chance you get.
But it sure seems like people are afraid of being seen to *not* speak out against it, lest suspicion fall on them.
Is that not how a witch hunt works?