FRR
She put herself in that predicament and should've been prepared for the backlash. I have no sympathy for ignorant racist individuals. Also, there's no way in hell I'd be willing to put myself in her shoes bc as a grown woman if she couldn't see how sensitive this would be and that she was clearly not the right person for it, she got what was coming to her. She should've put herself in Native Americans' and African Americans' shoes when she decided this would be her next project. Being told to harm yourself bc you tried to misrepresent centuries of oppression into a romance story was where she fucked up. The last thing I have to say about this is that online threats and hate don't compare to centuries of inhumane abuse, mistreatment, and harassment experienced by Native Americans and African Americans. The already lacking representation and acknowledgement of what Native Americans went through is already bad enough, with this story she chose to turn it into something that could've brought those truths to light but also still be focused on romance. She simply did not have the capacity to write this story in an appropriate light and that is on her and her alone.
Why do you scream racism over just any mistake? Furthermore, she never intended to romanticize slavery; the phrase was used in an appropriate context—the couple, in fact, consists of two cowboys. Did she realize she made a mistake? Yes. Did she apologize and understand that her error caused pain to certain people? Yes. Does claiming she deserves all that online hate and death threats make you look like a champion of justice? No, because you end up in the wrong and don't come across as a better person. I find it hard to believe that in your entire life, you’ve never made a mistake—big or small—that drew hate upon you
Clock it
Not once did I claim I never made a mistake, but even when I did make mistakes, I knew which topics I had a say in. If she were going to make a story that included slavery and the Civil War, especially if she had done her research, she wouldn't have included lines as dumb as, “take this money and find your families,” and “I'm your slave, master.” That's the blatantly ignorant and insensitive aspect of this pilot chapter. Whether or not the story would've framed their relationship and history in an honest light isn't the main issue; considering her continuous works set in the States—a setting and culture she's clearly interested in—the least one can do is address the history respectfully. The fact that the characters are two cowboys doesn't mean they were historically treated on the same level. Her influence and popularity are also a huge reason she received such an abundant amount of hate because so many readers saw her in a certain light, and when she misrepresented the past that African Americans had gone through, people stepped up to ask questions and were reasonably furious. If you think this is as simple as me screaming “racism over just any mistake,” you're the one mistaken. This was not a simple mistake, it was a reflection of character, and that propaganda can succeed if we do not inform ourselves. I have an issue with the fact that she chose to go about the first chapter as a whole in the completely wrong direction, not that she as a non-African American or US citizen decided to create a story about a historically sensitive and horrible topic. Just as I tried to inform myself before writing about comfort women, she should've been prepared to handle this setting and a huge portion of American history. Whether or not it was the main theme of the story is irrelevant. That is why a sorry ass apology, which is what it was, will not make up for this terrible initial chapter. And you do not know me, so for you to presume I'm just saying she's racist and dumb because my feelings were hurt... that's something. Stop sticking your neck out for someone who doesn't deserve it and wouldn't give a damn if you did.
"I have no sympathy for ignorant racist individuals"—but you wrote that right here, calling her a racist. "Ignorant" fits, because—as you wrote—she didn't do her research, but "racist" doesn't. By that logic, any other work where one of the characters has dark skin and is shown in a specific setting—like their country of origin—would also have to be considered racist and inaccurate. I’m not defending her mistake; I’m defending her against people screaming "racist" over a damn mistake. So, when *you* make a mistake and people scream "racist" at you—even though you certainly aren't one, just as I’m not—and you offer what get called "pathetic excuses" (your words, not mine), I’d really like to see if you wouldn't be upset at being labeled a racist. Go after the damn trolls in here; you’ve surely seen the obvious posts. Google Translate is inserting asterisks, quotation marks, or hyphens into the words it translates for me—I don't know why.
A reply to Robin, since commenting isn't possible. The apology was genuine. She disabled comments because people were sending her death threats. Try putting yourself in her shoes: you post something and—unintentionally—find yourself in the middle of an online storm, with people going so far as to tell you to die or threatening to kill you. How would you react? Retaliating only makes things worse; shutting down comments was the only option.