As it says in the title, this should have happened well before this. It’s on me that it didn’t. No one else, despite the team that makes up this blog. We are now going to be FaxesFromUncleDale.com.
We had a serious discussion about this a little less than two years ago. So many of you shared your opinions and suggestions. I thought merely changing the logo would let me get away with it. I told myself it was enough, but it was a half-step. A justification or rationalization, whatever you want to call it. I knew then but did everything I could to ignore it. I took far too much solace in those who agreed with me instead of those who were saying what I didn’t want to hear. You can’t learn anything that way. Some of the people closest to me told me better. They deserved a far better audience than I gave them. That’s not who I want to be.
My eyes were truly opened last fall and last season, when we did our best to speak for a segment of the fandom we thought were underserved. I was upset at the amount that disagreed with us, I was horrified at how many told us we didn’t even have a right to be upset. And what was truly terrifying was how all of the statements of the latter sounded exactly like what I said when people first brought up their objections to our name and how arrogant and dismissive I was sounded exactly what was being tossed at me. I was among them. That’s not where I want to be. It should have happened then. Whatever reasons it didn’t were and are not enough.
The final straw, or so I thought, was this past World Series, where sports fans were reviled by Chief Wahoo and Cleveland fans showing up in head dresses or whatever else. I was too, but soon realized I had put this blog and its writers in the same sphere. I don’t want anything to fucking do with that sphere.
Last night I saw, more clearly than I ever could have dreamed, what a lack of empathy and understanding can turn into. I don’t want any part of it. A close friend of mine had a Facebook post just a couple days ago about how impact always outweighs intent. I learned that lesson, if just late.
Again, it should have happened well before this, but to all those that were offended I’m sorry. To all those who took the time to spell out their opinions that were in opposition to mine and I just dismissed, I’m sorry. To all those who expected better of me, I’m sorry.
I put this in first person, because all the other writers of this blog, both past and present, wanted to change the name when we had this talk two years ago. I ignored their concerns out of stubbornness, or laziness, or fear, or some combination of all three. Some of them are among the people closest to me, and they deserved better. To them, I’m sorry. I’m lucky that they’re all the kind of people who’ll forgive, whether deserved or not.
If you’ll have just a little more patience while we switch domains and all the banners and such, we’ll be truly thankful. We’ll get it done as soon as we can. The old address will act as a mirror when we’re done so if you have bookmarks, you’ll still find us. I know that given our analysis, our style, our humor, this blog by any other name will still smell as terrible.
After last night, there are bigger changes to strive for and bigger fights to be waged. Maybe we’re a part of that or maybe we’re not. What we can change right now, if only to make a very fractional place in the world more welcoming, is this. Again, I’m sorry. I could have done better. We will do better.
