Wizards of the Coast Employees Walk Out Over Hasbro's 'Tone-Deaf' Response to Overturning of Roe v. Wade

[RangerWickett]

The problem is that none of this is as stark as you're making it out to be. For one thing, what constitutes a human right? Would you say that internet access is a human right? If so, does that mean that your ISP is violating your human rights if they charge you for access and cut you off if you don't pay? If you don't think it's a human right, then you're going to need to tell that to the people who think that it is, and suddenly the question of what is or is not a human right is no longer simply presumed.

Moreover, "anything less than full bodily autonomy" includes things like people voluntarily selling their own organs on the black market, which I'm going to guess you don't support. And that's without getting into thornier areas like prostitution, drug usage, or suicide, which are also issues of people doing what they want with their own bodies. So again, an unnuanced line about "full bodily autonomy" has a critical lack of necessary distinctions.

Finally, the two summaries that you provide in your last paragraph aren't accurate representations of the private company mentioned in the OP, which hasn't issued a statement with regard to the recent legal decision. It's that sort of escalation of rhetoric that prevents cooler heads from prevailing, and inhibits an exchange of ideas which can lead to things being worked out, rather than people digging their heels in and refusing to budge.

I don't respect your decision to focus on tone policing people who are advocating for human rights. No doubt some people are speaking in more absolutist terms than would be ideal in a polite discussion of hypotheticals, but there's context you seem to either be ignoring or consciously avoiding.

People would not be incensed and outraged to the point of making these perhaps too-broad claims if they were not witnessing their rights being stripped by a political minority that has sided with a would-be autocrat in a coup attempt.

We've spoken calmly for decades about why we hold our beliefs. The hope was that those who disagreed would respect us, learn from us, and change their minds. They have not. Instead they have persisted in consolidating anti-democratic power to force undesired oppression on hundreds of millions of people.

So I am okay with people being angry. Indeed, it would hearten new to see a bit of anger on your part as well, rather than you trying to pretend that it is still reasonable to expect polite discourse to get the tyrants to stop.

 

[RangerWickett]

The will of the people of those states, who choose to make laws to support or remove that right.

We created this country with an understanding that the government wouldn't allow states to deny certain inalienable rights. I can walk you through the Federalist Papers explanations if you're open to seeing why the Dobbs decision is not in keeping with the nation's founding principles.

Yes, it would be nice if we had a Constitutional amendment formalizing the right to bodily autonomy, but we shouldn't need one to respect that right. For comparison, slavery was always wrong and against the principles of liberty even before we passed an amendment to outlaw it.

And when you get into matters of gerrymandering and partisan primaries skewing away from the actual will of public, it is less than accurate to claim that the will of the people is being represented even in states that have passed abortion bans. It should require more than a majority vote by legislators who are elected in gerrymandered districts to take away human rights.

 

[Umbran]

Mod Note:

Folks - you were all expecting a moderator to speak up eventually, so let's make it sooner rather than later.

This thread will not be about political theory. Nor will it be about the Supreme Court of the US, or the political movements and arrangements that led it to this moment. Those are worthy topics, but not for these boards.

There is a legitimate news story here, but the rules of the board will put a tight frame on discussion of that story. I am sorry, but that's the way this goes.

Of course, denigrating language will not be tolerated. Snarkiness will not be tolerated. Respect and being kind to each other will be the order of this discussion. If you are not on your best behavior in this thread, you can expect to get a vacation from this site, likely without warning.

Consider carefully before you hit "Post reply", please and thank you.

 

[Hussar]

Umm, did anyone actually bother to read the article linked on the front page. This is written by a Twitter account that has no proven ties to WotC. This looks a lot more like some random troll than an actual news article. I guess we'll see later on today if workers walk out, but, since the twitter account isn't anything like an official one, I really, really doubt it.

I mean, I know it was buried down near the bottom of the article but,

Wizards of Justice didn't provide any information verifying that those behind the Twitter account are actual WotC employees.

Seems pretty suss to me.

 

[Irlo]

If people didn't speak up and take action to influence their employers' policies and behavior, the world would be a much sorrier place than it is now. I'm glad they're doing this.

EDIT: I'm glad if they're doing this.

 

[Umbran]

I've said my peace on this. Don't @ me.

Twiggly has said their piece, and will not be posting further in this thread.

 

[Riley]

Seems pretty suss to me.

We’ll find out tomorrow, I guess.

 

[Umbran]

This is written by a Twitter account that has no proven ties to WotC.

Which you'd expect whether or not it actually was someone from inside.

Hasbro and WotC may well overlook folks engaging in a one-day walkout. Whoops, a bunch of people used a sick day today. Funny, that.

They may not overlook the primary actor giving the company a public relations bruise if they are dumb enough to actually put their name on it.

 

[Professor Murder]

I am just curious to know if anyone can point out the inciting "tone deaf" response by Hasbro. As a rule, corporate messaging on contentious political issues means a lot less to me than how said corporation may be funding political causes behind the scenes. Don't tell me you find these rulings abhorrent if the politicians who enable them are in your pocket.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Idk, it seems like an unnecessary measure to pay for travel for employees when a company is already located in a state where it's legal.
I would be instantly fired and incinerated into the bowels of hell if I made a demand like this to my employer.

Dndbeyond, which is owned by wotc, is based in Texas.

I wish those employee's well and that they walk away forever. You are paid to create content to entertain. Entertain me with content not your beliefs. I am on neither side of the debate.

There’s no such thing. One “side” believes only some people have rights. There is never a middle ground with that.
Middle ground, agree to disagree, not taking a side, are all valid in a debate about how to fix gerrymandering, or the details of a tax plan, or zoning laws. Not laws that deny AFAB citizens thier fundamental rights.

The Hasbro Latin American HQ is in Miami, Florida which may be directly impacted by the recently passed 15-week legislative ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.

God that twists my stomach.

"Each man must choose between joining our side or the other side. Any attempt to avoid taking sides in this issue must end in fiasco." — Vladimir Lenin

You are either with us, or against us is an endorsement of tribalist thinking, regardless of how it's dressed up or how righteous the person saying it is portrayed. If you (in the general sense of "you") insist on stark us-or-them divisions, with no allowance for nuance or subtlety or distinctions of any kind, then you're not helping.

I say this not because I'm taking a stance on the issue mentioned in the OP, but because the entrenchment of this kind of thinking is something that inhibits finding solutions to deep-seated problems, rather than fostering them.

I mean, if you’re not for the idea that I merit all the same rights as you do, then…yes, you are literally against me.

That isn’t me being intractable, it’s inherent to the situation.