i think more skaters and people should take a stand and be vocal on issues, as the poster above me said. as a leftist I don't like either party, or want to vote anymore, and I get the anti-government stand a lot of people take. However, racism, sexism, transphobia, poverty, labor rights, these are all things that affect everybody, and more people should talk. I know skaters aren't the smartest people, but I feel like the smarter ones are outshined and talked over by the dumb ones.
Another funny thing to me is when right-wing skaters and other people not neccesarily on that side of the spectrum will bitch about "cancel culture". Cancel culture is the worst buzzword created, because there is no such thing honestly. There's not a mob of shadowy figures coming to take what you love because you said something. Its the same fearful mentality Conservatives have in terms of their way of living. They act like they are strong, independent types, but cower in fear at the thought of somebody else having healthcare on their dime. Its the same fear-mongering terms, but just applied to different things.
People need to realize that there is no cancel culture, there is just criticism coming from people, which most of the time is justified and has ALWAYS happened in the public eye, but now that everybody has a voice it's just amplified. If you say something dumb like "Trump is the greatest president of all time", and somebody says "that's fucking dumb", they are not trying to silence you, they are just calling you fucking dumb. It all kind of reminds me of the Eric Andre meme where he shoots Hanibal and then is like "what have I done". Somebody says or does something awful, a bunch of people call them out on their shit, and then they bitch and moan about "cancel culture" even tho they did it to themselves.
As somebody very far left on the ideaology scale, with pretty controversial opinions, when I let them out in the world I am prepared for backlash. I dont know why people think the littlest amount of backlash is people trying to silence them.
Anyways, sorry for the rant. Its a wild day.