Hi, this is HnyBnch, and I am somewhat disgusted by last week's article about Whyville kindness.
I think it is great that more and more people are joining Whyville. I think the majority of the new citizens are actually doing the games and stuff. Especially since there are people who will actually be kind enough to help "newbies" at games! This is good!
Another thing about kindness: it is not just teenagers here, and not all teenagers make fun of newbies. I am fourteen and started Whyville at thirteen. Does that make me a mean Whyvillian, just because I am a teen? There is already so much discrimination going around! Let's try to calm some of it down....
The next thing I am going to say is not promoting meanness, in fact, I would never do this! OKAY! Making fun of people for what they look like is not nice. But a few years down the road, those made-fun-of newbies may become oldbies. They won't make fun of future newbies because they know what it's like to be made fun of, won't they? So, in a way, people making fun of newbies now will help newbies of the future.
But please, be as nice as you can to newbies so they will want to learn for themselves, and not to look good!
Editor's Note: Nice article, HnyBnch. But are you sure that those folks who are teased today will refrain from teasing tomorrow? Haven't you heard some people exclaim, "Well, I had to go through it, I survived it, so they should too!" Indeed, there's real world evidence that many people who were abused as kids are *more* likely, not less likely, to abuse others.
What's my point? Simply, that making fun of others -- discriminating against people -- just being downright impatient with people -- is an epidemic, and personally, I believe that we only make it worse by letting ourselves do it, even once or twice. The world needs more kindness now -- and I know you agree with me on that, HnyBnch. I'm glad you wrote this article to support that idea, even if perhaps we disagree a bit on some details. :)
My apologies for my little opinionated rant there. No offense intended! :)
Times Editor
