Aftermath by Ryan Buell

www.ryanbuell.net

Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 06:44PM

I received an e-mail from Britt Griffith. Although out of respect to him I won't post the contents without his express permission, the dialogue was very good and, I believe, genuine.

I have a few friends who know Mr. Griffith, and they share the same sentiments, that Mr. Griffith is not a hateful, discriminatory man.

But like most of you, I do not know Mr. Griffith. So why he chose to say those words can only be interpreted.

I still stand by my original feelings that the word should not have been used and repercussions, therefore, are expected. I also meant what I said in that Mr. Griffith does deserve a second chance if he works for it. He will have my full support if he does.

A few minority opinions believe that the use of the term "fag" should not have been that big of a deal. But myself and countless others disagree. To not understand why it's offensive and hurtful shows a lack of understanding. This word didn't become offensive in the last week. It's also no secret that gays are across the board tormented. I haven't met a single gay person who has experienced more than the average bullying that we face growing up. They were victims of hate crimes and discrimination. Mr. Griffith's words have power. He may not have meant it as discriminatory, but they affected people. After all, that's why we're here talking about this. It was hurtful to read.

Some argue, "what happened to free speech?" Well, those people don't understand the art and purpose of free speech. For a personality to go on air and say "fag" is free speech. But it's also hate speech. It's also free speech of the network (among other rights that companies have) to speak out against that and choose not to stand by that person. The Supreme Court has ruled several times that people are free to say what they want, but that they still have to face consequences if it does damage. The free speech amendment really came from the government persecuting someone unfairly for speaking out against the king or other ruling bodies. No, the government will not throw Mr. Griffith in to the Guantonomo Bay prison (nor would anyone want that). But if what you say is hurtful and offensive, there are consequences. The rights of others will come through and thousands of voices can unify to speak out against them (again, free speech is a two way street). We - as well as companies - have a right to also choose not to stand by or work with someone who says something hurtful and demeaning to a group of people.

Whether the detractors like it or not, using the term "fag" has consequences. I came out to discuss this to make a point. If anyone, whether in the paranormal community or elsewhere (but especially in the paranormal community which I am a part of) uses hate speech for whatever extremes, there will be consequences. You'll have to face hundreds of thousands of watchdogs who will not stand for it.

Lastly, I want to thank Mr. Griffith. He didn't have to e-mail me. But he's being a man and accepting what has happened. Already he has gained a lot of my respect.

I hope to continue my dialogue with Mr. Griffith, and perhaps share some of it publicly in the future if he's ever willing. If he doesn't, that will be okay with me, as this isn't about publicity. I told Mr. Griffith that, when he's ready, I would give him access to my fans via Twitter & Facebook and even PiTV is he wants so he has an opportunity to reach a large enough audience as possible to say whatever he'd like.

In the meantime, we are continuing a private, positive dialogue. I will be posting later on a response he already issued out there on the Internet where he apologized for this situation because I feel Mr. Griffith's attempts to make amends should be louder than the mistake itself. And as he works to stand against the mistake he made, we should all stand by him. After all, we will all make mistakes. We all deserve second chances to prove that we are more than our mistakes.