Let's have a conversation about race.

Oh, MAN! Why do we have to have a conversation about race? Well kiddies, because Fugie posted a great post about the wonder of islands and proper threat assessment and inexplicably sprinkled it with at least three racist comments, the precise wording of which has been lost to time and the mists of our RSS feed. I edited the post without asking Fugie and in response, he pulled the post and sent this extraordinarily humorous response out into the world instead. I trust I don't have to explain why I still consider the blog a safe space for white folks despite Fugie's protestations to the contrary.

So first, why did I edit the post? I'd like the blog to be a space where everyone can feel comfortable and not feel like they are going to be made a target. Snide or derogatory comments of a racial nature make public spaces feel unwelcoming. It minimizes people's reactions as if those persons who are affected by the comment are not allowed to participate in the discussion.

Magic is primarily produced and played by white men. We can debate the reasons for this back and forth but the fact is not in doubt. A Misty Mountain prerelease will have several hundred patrons, only 2 or 3 of whom will be people of color and 2 or 3 of whom will be women. This has a self perpetuating effect as the very fact of this horribly skewed environment can be very intimidating for players who don't meet the norm. The only way to overcome this effect is to make an active effort to create safe spaces where women and people of color can participate fully. Make no mistake, racist and sexist comments are a form of assault and can cause emotional trauma. Even a seemingly minor comment can have a major effect on the motivation of players who don't fit the young, white male model. Why would anyone participate in a leisure activity where they have to be on guard all the time?

This very dynamic has hurt our local store in the past. A group of young, loud male children who think nothing of throwing around racist, antisemitic or homophobic slurs participates there on a regular basis and it has a significant effect on the store's bottom line. I know a number of people who limit their participation or don't play at all due to this situation.

So that's my point. This blog is supposed to be about Magic. It's not about race, or gender, or homophobia. That doesn't change the fact that I feel the need to confront these issues head on when they come up. I'm sorry, Fugie, if you felt hurt because I edited your post without your permission but I would do it again in a heartbeat.