It's about being a gracious victor. Yes, Eich was on the wrong side of history when he supported prop 8 those years ago.
Yes, those who support gay marriage are "right" and history will show this. But the graceful thing to do when you're right is not to curb-stomp those who were wrong. It's not to rub it in their face. It's not to ruin their lives because they made a mistake.
The graceful thing to do when you are right is to let those who were wrong to get away with it. To let them pretend like it never happened.
Because "winning" history is not about destroying those who opposed you.
Curb stomp? Rub it in their face? What are you talking about?
Eich never said that he was wrong. That’s his prerogative – he can have that opinion – but I’m not sure why anyone would forgive someone who isn’t even asking for forgiveness.
I’m really all for forgiving mistakes and being graceful. There is no reason to rub someone’s past mistakes in their face when they already admitted to making a mistake. Humans screw up, even CEOs. I think in general we need to be more forgiving.
But Eich never asked for forgiveness, so that’s really a moot point with him.
Of course, harassment is not ok, but I really can’t see a problem (and also no internet mob) in voicing your opinion (even strongly worded) and calling for a boycott.
It's not about gay marriage; it's about Mozilla. And yes, I do think Mozilla is in a better place now that Eich is gone.
Donating $1000 to support a movement that undermines human equality is incredibly out of line with Mozilla's views. From my perspective, that's about a month's rent or a mortgage payment; he must care about the issue a lot to donate that much of his own money. His interview non-apologies certainly didn't help the issue.
Is there any proof that they felt uncomfortable at any time ? Every post I've seen from Mozilla employees has stated that they find the work environment at Mozilla very supportive and Mozilla does have excellent pro-LGBT benefits. I fail to see how this is a positive effect.
Any positive effect? Of course. It's now far less safe to donate to anti-gay marriage causes while also being a public figure. Public figures shape public opinion and societal norms. Ergo, a net gain for gay marriage and a net loss for public funding of bigotry.
Is it the most monumental gain ever, or the cause for a "different direction" for gay marriage? Of course not, few things are. It's a war made up of small battles, and small victories that add up. That's how societal change works.
Since we're just throwing questions, here is one for you: How exactly do you think most societal change occurs?
> Yes, those who support gay marriage are "right" and history will show this.
I prefer the term 'equality'. This particular fight is just one example of a large group of people trying to prevent a smaller group of people which they dislike from enjoying the same benefits as the larger group. There are many others, and they're all equally important on principle.
It's not about being gay; it's about being equal no matter who you are or what you do.
You keep saying "was" and "opposed" like his opinion has changed. For it to be a mistake, you have to first own up to it, and second, apologize and try to make amends.
Brendan has don neither, and in fact has pretty much doubled-down on his opposition with his clearly crafted non-answers.
I don't think so, pal. There is absolutely no evidence that Eich would be a real threat of freedom of speech inside Mozilla. He stepped down because of pression over his political views, which has nothing to do with his competence or the way he treats people.
The problem I have with all of this is the manner in which it occurred. The "mob" here had a disproportionate voice and thus disproportionate political power. This is a real problem with our culture today, instances of which can be seen at all levels of society. Any group who can "hack" the media to create a narrative that suits their cause (whether through quirk of politics or through large amounts of money) can have nearly unlimited power in our society. There must be a line somewhere. The fact that there doesn't seem to be one is terrifying.
