A Writer's Notebook, Day Nine-Hundred-And-Seventy

A few months ago, I began to notice some content from a creator whom I have supported for many years that I found rather upsetting, as it drew (I am certain unintentionally) upon concepts that are built on anti-Semitic tropes.  For many years, as I said, I had been a supporter of this work with a significant monthly donation, so I decided to reach out.  I was not attempting to shame or scold, but to start a conversation.  The work at the heart of this is audience involved and their is always a focus on the supporters of the work, even a sense that they are considered to be part of a family with the team that works on the actual content.  I did not know that they would be receptive to my criticism, but I did expect, at the very least, to receive a response.

After not hearing back for some time, I reached out again, this time using a direct contact for a member of the creative team.  Again, I heard nothing after a prolonged period.  At this point, I decided to contact the membership coordinator, specifically to ask them to end my membership, with an explanation and the original note included.  This is an employee whose job largely consists of responding to all the member inquiries that they receive in a timely fashion, and as a person who has, over the years, given this group thousands of dollars in donations, and I don't think it is unreasonable of me to at least expect a response, if only in the form of saying that they received my message and were removing me from the membership roles, but no response ever came.  I was, after some time, able to figure out how to end the membership myself, but I have to wonder if I was wrong here or not.  If I had been a random person writing in, I can see not responding, but I think that a person who has been directly supporting a creative work is owed something, if only consideration.  Indeed, while I felt that the initial content was not intended to be anti-Semitic, I can't help but feel that the refusal to even acknowledge my communique transforms this exchange in a rather dark way.  Maybe I am wrong in feeling that way, but their is a degree to which the clearly intentional choice to not respond says a great deal.

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