#summary of this is just I went erm actually and op crashed out on me

[binglepringle]

So I got accused of racism and basically called an idiot for trying to point out a flaw in someone’s argument. Not cool.

If anyone cares to read this thing, can they tell me what they think? I need other opinions <3

First off, like an utter buffoon, in my anger I blocked them before I could screenshot my replies, so you’ll have to take my word for it. If you know my account at least, you’ll know I’m not and have never been racist, or idealized the baby sister Cass trope (in fact, I detest it).

I see this meme talking about the usual: people™️ wanting Cass to fall into negative stereotypes bc it’s cute or whatever, and the op gallantly pulling up a panel in which Cass displays the opposite.

The flaw with this one was two things: the panel they chose was Helena Bertinelli in the Batgirl costume, speaking in full sentences, and it was captioned “… and she can talk perfectly well.”

Of course I don’t think Cass is some little helpless baby because “aww she can’t talk she can’t read” that’s disgusting. What I do think is that going all the way to the opposite end, saying “no Cass is perfectly fine she can talk fine she’s not impaired in any way” is ableist. Is that wrong?

Cassandra is a disabled woman, and I think that saying things like “she can talk perfectly fine” is just a bit canonically incorrect. It’s straight up denying that she has a disability, if you ask me right now. BUT.

In newer issues, where Cassandra is older, and has worked on her disability more, she’s shown to communicate in full sentences and such. It would be different, to me, if they had a picked a panel from any comic with her that came out in the last 5 years where she CAN talk well, and it’s not Helena Bertinelli in her costume.

So, I’m arguing with this person. My initial reply was just me saying that the panel was Helena, and Cass didn’t exist until later and didn’t talk until even later, with citations. I was being petty. Definitely ended up being a mistake. I apologize.

The op then replies, and I paraphrase because this happened a few minutes ago, that they have writers privilege so they’re right and I’m wrong, that my citations were incorrect because—oh my gosh—the Helena panel wasn’t a comic titled No Man’s Land, even though I said “No Man’s Land V2”, not the specific comic, and that I’m not as old as the comic, because that’s relevant/s.

They were grabbing every straw in the bale. And here’s where I messed up: I replied. I was snarky. I told them they were grabbing straws, and I thought their argument was flawed, even though some of it was correct.

A MAJOR POINT THOUGH: in my last reply before this lovely message up top, I concluded that I thought their argument was FLAWED even though their point that people shouldn’t infantilize Cassandra was CORRECT.

Apparently they didn’t read it before responding to it, they were just so excited to point and yell “I’m big you’re little” that they didn’t see my response in which I very clearly stated that I did not like or support that trope.

Ok, I’m tired. In conclusion, I recognize now that trying to argue with anyone online is beyond stupid and will only get you called names and shouted at behind blue light. I apologize for being petty, and not just letting a (minor, in the grand scheme of things) note of ableism go and continuing on with my night. From here on out, I’ll know to never post any critical comments. It’s better for everyone to just remain calm and scroll past what you don’t like. Call this a learning experience.

My goal here is not to get any sympathy, it’s just that I’m pretty much always unsure if I did or said the right thing (in this case regarding the content of the argument, not the fact that the argument was had), especially online, so I want to get some other perspectives to tell me if I was horrendously wrong or not. This persons comment rattled me, and I know I messed up, so I want to know what someone else thinks of the situation. I also don’t want to be known as a bad person in case op had the same idea, so this is my side of the story.

Anyway, thank you if you reply. Have a good day/night.