The fact that he does not understand why BIPOC are offended by the word “plantation” does in fact show that he is a privileged white male. He also clearly does not understand that EN is a news site that is free to post whatever about whoever they want, as long as they are telling the truth. Boyd competes at public venues, he has no ability to control the photos of him that are shared online, those photos belong to the photographers that take them. If a photog approves EN to post the photos, Boyd likely doesn’t have a leg to stand on to stop them.
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And… you are assuming he doesn’t know why some people are offended by the word plantation…
I’m pretty sure after serving on the PFEE Board, and being smack dab in the middle of this mess for months… he knows.
People who have followed the issue know darn well this is all about what went on between multiple parties directly involved in the situation, and the bizarre, unprofessional and harmful way EN tried to go about matters.
As for them being able to get photos of him
via other means, etc? They might be able to. But it’s kind of bizarre if they do take pictures and write stories about him after that public pronouncement on his part. If they push it though, we can just add it to the list of bizarre and unprofessional conduct that this blog and the editor engage in.
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“create controversy where none exists” – where & what is that place where there is no controversy … ? Not in this thread. :lol:
“smear people” ? “unwarranted attacks” ? It’s an opinion. No one was attacked.
Are you attacking when you express your opinion? I didn’t think you were, but maybe I didn’t understand what you meant.
A benign remark about Ole Miss football team taking a knee … and this is your reaction? Well ok then. :o
(generalized “you” - others also might think about this)
You’re defending who you’re defending.
You’ve even got an elaborate rationalization for defending them.
You chose the rationalization over every other consideration.
Your Right. Your Choice. That’s fine. :yes:
From the incomplete picture so far, it looks as if things weren’t handled well. Not disagreeing about that, although we don’t have all the info. But not the first time in world history that’s happened. :o
Does that justify the reaction by Walker & Glaccum? According to quite a few of you, it does. OK that’s fine, you are welcome to that opinion. :yes:
Sorry for the shock to some of your systems that not everyone sees it your way. I get it that in ‘cancel culture’ people want to annihilate other opinions from the face of the earth. Makes it tough when that annihilation never does get rid of other opinions. But keep it up and you may finally get this thread down to just people who see it your way. That does seem to be a goal, for some of you, anyway. 
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I am assuming that if he knows why people are offended, and actively shares things on social media that are belittling them (see how his first reaction was to just post the definition of “plantation” while choosing to not include the portion of the definition relating to slaves), then he doesn’t actually care about those people and is only concerned about his own feelings of the event being cancelled.
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The founders of BLM - Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza have describes themselves in interviews as “trained Marxists.” Cullors has written a book an discusses her introduction to Marxism in the book.
The movement has grown into something bigger than the two founders, for sure. And is more of a social statement in many respects right now. But the founders are quite up front about this, and their background with respect to Marxist ideology.
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Yikes, this is one of the most narrow-minded things I have read in a long time. I’m sure the landowner understands that some people assert the word “plantation” is offensive because it reminds them of the kind of plantation that had slaves. Perhaps, however, he has enough faith in people’s intelligence that he believes they are capable of distinguishing the tree farm type of plantation from the slavery type of plantation–just like people are capable of distinguishing various kinds of auctions from slave auctions.
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Sure, he can believe that people are intelligent, but the decision to ignore their concerns (because he is not affected by racism, as a white male) comes from a place of privilege. That does not make me narrow-minded, it means I have an understanding of how privilege works.
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And… there it is. A mind steeped in a very specific ideology.
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By that argument, white males would have to accede to every demand or preference asserted by BIPOC, no matter how illogical, unnecessary, or burdensome, and regardless of the merits. You are essentially saying the BIPOC holds the trump card, and if the white male tries to argue that the demand seems misplaced or impractical, you will just accuse him of “coming from a place of privilege.”
Surely, we have to find a way of talking about these issues that doesn’t strip white males of the right to have their views considered.
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Uh, cause he is. And you’re a privileged white female who has spewed her high and mighty opinion all over this thread. I don’t see any “personal” attacks on him on there, other than calling a spade a spade: he is not a person of color or disadvantaged in any way, and for him to post that now-deleted instagram post and then this means that he still doesn’t get it and should just sit down.
Now, if someone said, “Coming from a guy who churns through dozens of upper level horses a year because they keep breaking down on him from overuse and has never really been questioned about it (and always revered by EN for being a fantastic horseperson), he might want to keep his mouth shut,” then that’d be a personal attack. Even though it’s fairly true.
”‹”‹”‹
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Well yes… I have spewed my opinion on this thread. Because it’s a DISCUSSION THREAD devoted to this topic.
Is there a reason my right to speak my mind should be limited? Because I’m white? Or because I’m “privileged” according to someone on the forums who doesn’t even know me snd hasn’t ever met me, and doesn’t know my full life background?
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Instead of arguing with other posters, I’ll share other news that I came across. Nancy Jaffer has reported about this whole situation (“Will Semantics Spell The Demise of Plantation Field?” Sept. 21st) and gotten a number of quotes from different people about the situation. The following paragraph in her report jumped out at me…
Eventing legend Bruce Davidson, who lives in the area, was angry at anyone in the sport’s governance who “was supportive of this problem,” contending they, “should be dismissed…and find new jobs.” Their purpose, he said, should be “to promote the sport, not to interfere with it. To take some of the best sport we have in the country and do this to it is not a very intelligent thing to do.”
I was wondering when he might say something about this whole situation. I figured it would be scathing.
Those of you who want to jump in right now and call Bruce Davidson an old privileged white male… go for it. It’s ok. You’re allowed to have an opinion and voice it. I think he’s kind of an important voice when it comes to US Eventing. That’s my opinion. But hey… you can disagree if you want, and ignore what Bruce has to say about this debacle as well. And support Eventing Nation. Because of white privilege, systemic racism, stubborn property owners who won’t have discussions with activist blog editors, etc etc
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No, it’s because you use the terms like “activist agenda” and “aggressive tactics” when there aren’t any. My guess is that you are NOT a BIPOC and have never experienced the kind of racism and bigotry that others have, and in that case, your ‘opinion’ is pretty much worthless.
Just go out and say what you really mean: “These ‘social justice warriors’ make me uncomfortable when they challenge my beliefs.”
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Well I am quite comfortable with my beliefs. I don’t want to change them. Just like people who are “social justice warriors” feel strongly about their beliefs. I’m happy to discuss anything with anyone (as evidenced by pages and pages of participation on a discussion thread).
ETA: And about me being white (I am)… and then blah blah blah. Uh… your profile picture seems to indicate you are white you. So why are you lecturing me on what BIPOC experience? I don’t understand this sort of thing. White people lecturing other white people about how they aren’t sensitive enough to the painful experience of racism.
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Boyd can do and say as he wishes but he has to realize a lot of his popularity in the Eventing crowd came from all that EN coverage over the years. He must feel pretty strongly about this to risk losing publicity and along with it potential sponsors/owners he would be getting thanks to EN
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Not at all. I’m in Australia and follow Boyd because he is an Australian. I know of him through his mother’s YA novels about pony club (she based a character on him).
Before this blew up, I might have read one or two posts on EN in my entire life. I don’t follow EN … how’s this, I’m FB friends with Leslie … and had NO IDEA she was even associated with EN, let alone the editor.
So there ya go. I live in BFN down under, have followed Boyd’s social media for years… and had no idea I was friends with the editor of EN, because I don’t read it.
I highly doubt Boyd flipping EN the bird will affect his career or horse opportunities one whit.
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I’m not lecturing you on BIPOC, I’m saying you nor I have any ground to base opinions on what BIPOC should or should not be feeling in regards to the name. I’m lecturing you on the fact that you’re insensitive and think that just because YOU feel that it’s not offensive doesn’t mean that it isn’t, and that poor Boyd shouldn’t be subject to all these “personal” attacks because his feelings apparently matter more than those who aren’t white male Olympians.
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I’m not sure why ‘privilege’ is such a hard thing to discuss, but it is. As a college professor, I find it’s the HARDEST thing I have to discuss, because people automatically take a discussion of privilege as an attack on them personally.
Here’s how I explained ‘privilege’ to my mother, who is a well-trained historian (as am I), who threw an absolute fit several years ago about many of the topics discussed in this thread (note: in my family, we are all whiter than white, and thanks to the efforts of my maternal grandparents, we’re solidly middle/upper-middle class, which is why I had a pony growing up, which is why I’m even on this board in the first place, despite the fact I haven’t ridden seriously in years):
My mum: ‘BUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS A COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER! They work their way up!’
Me: ‘Yes, mum, and that really sucked for the family & boy were they ever poor, but at least Nana [my grandmother] was white. She worked hard, but at least her biggest impediment was just losing the accent.’
My mum: ‘HOW DARE YOU, SHE WORKED HARD.’ [note: my family did, and I’m very appreciative of that fact, it’s the only reason I’m where I am today]
Me: ‘Imagine how much harder she would’ve had to work if she were a black sharecropper’s daughter, instead of a white, half-Irish daughter of a coal miner circa 1940?’
My mum: ‘… I see what you mean.’
I’ve had many, many other conversations like that as a college professor since I started 7? years ago as an asst. prof. Yes, I am privileged. WILDLY so. Far less so than many other people having a conniption on this thread, but still! I can acknowledge my privilege without spitting vitriol at “social justice warriors” (a dog-whistle if I’ve ever heard one) and still understanding why people - including the landowner of the event featured in this thread, and people on the other side - might be upset.
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I feel the exact same way. I am not seeing what Leslie wrote as villainous as they are making it out to be. I think she sounded like someone who cares and is trying to stand up for what she feels is right, and it appears they are only reading it through their own slightly distorted lens. Which is kind of hilarious since I’ve seen some people talking about confirmation bias.
The amount of vitriol I’m seeing spewed here is disheartening. People don’t seem to realize that POC have in fact brought up the name as something that bothers them. And that’s likely why this all started. Maybe EN went about it the wrong way (though I have yet to see actual proof of that, these letters sure don’t show it) but I will never, ever vilify someone for taking a stand for what they think is right. If that makes me “woke” then by God, I am proud to be woke. And shame on all of you for trying to make that into something to be ashamed of.
Your name calling, making fun of people for doing things that you yourselves are doing, none of this is a good look. Occasionally saying you see where someone is coming from, then going “hahahaha stupid woke people” a few pages later does not make you a willing participant in a discussion.
My generation (of which the writers at EN are a part) grew up being told to take a stand for what we believe in. If you see an injustice, don’t stay silent. Don’t just go with the status quo, don’t bend to the crowd. Give voice to those who can’t be heard or are afraid to speak. And now we are doing what we had been raised to do. You don’t have to change your opinion, you can hold us accountable for not being sure yet of the best way to go about it, but don’t you dare try to make us out to be somehow bad or lesser than you because we are fighting for something bigger than ourselves. And if we have to tear down the whole system to build it back up again, by God we (and the generation after us that can be even more annoyingly woke than we are) will do just that.
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Maybe you skimmed over my posts on this thread, because they are annoying to you, and admittedly VERY long, and you just don’t want to read them. And if so - that’s fine. But you are making up arguments that I haven’t gone into, and attributing then to me.
I have not debated whether or not the venue name is offensive. Nope. My focus on this thread, over and over and over has been about WHY this situation got so contentious. WHO played WHAT role in the series of unfortunate communications that lead up to the property owner’s decision to cancel the lease, and consequently the loss of the venue? Were there clear warning signs along the way that this loss of the venue might happen if ‘the powers that be’ made certain ill fated communication/policy decisions? WHY did folks plow forward with the decision to call this event in any blog, media or marketing materials, by something other than its name, “Plantation Field,” if they KNEW it was going to be considered this offensive to the property owner, and thus might result in the loss of the venue?
You seem positive that they plowed forward with that decision out of an abundance of sensitivity to BIPOC. The feelings of the property owner be damned, as he should have been willing to compromise on something so trivial as the name of the venue associated with his property and family history. You might be correct. Maybe we should just evaluate feelings of everyone involved, and then just prioritize one group of peoples feelings over another person’s. But that’s not really how I am looking at this. Because I think that gets you to a place where we pick a “winner” and a “loser” in this situation. And I don’t really buy into that being our only option in situations like this.
So… I’m just trying to go back on through the facts, thoroughly analyze it all, and understand what might have been done differently so that a “win win” outcome might have been achieved. Reports have indicated that USEA actually investigated how many eventing participants who are BIPOC were offended by the name of this venue… and found exactly two. And neither of those people were from area II. I have no way of knowing for sure if that’s accurate, and social media seems full of comments from BIPOC competitors and fans of the sport who say that no one from USEA reached out to them concerning their feelings on the event name… at least that’s what I have seen so far. Regardless, we know it was actually EN and Leslie Wiley who first raised the issue to USEF and USEA, not actually a BIPOC participant in sport. Then apparently USEA looked into it and found 2 BIPOC who were competitors, who were offended by the name, and in early September, a vote was held by either part or all of the USEA Board of Governors (it’s unclear to me), and it was decided to stop using the word “plantation” in media and marketing materials put forth by the USEA, and instead refer to the venue as “P Field,” in the coming days, when the Plantation Field International tan, so that the concerns first raised by Leslie Wiley and Eventing Nation would be taken into consideration. Everyone with USEA knew that the land owner felt this solution would imply that the name of this venue somehow WAS a racial slur of some kind, and thus unfairly and inaccurately imply that he and his family were racist, and because the origin of the name of the venue was tied to his family history and very personal to him… but no one with EN or USEA seemed to be particularly concerned about HIS feelings on the issue.
My opinion, however, is that EVERYONE involved in this actually SHOULD have considered his opinion and feelings… for purely technical, strategic, common sense reasons. He is a major sponsor of USEA activities, and the actual owner of this property. However, they voted the way they did in early September, for whatever reasons, ignored warnings that this was a concern for Mr. Walker and not an acceptable solution in his opinion, and the venue was lost after that when the lease was canceled. And THAT, in my opinion, amounts to incompetent mismanagement of the situation on the part of the folks at the USEA.
I hope you can follow along with that bit of logic and analysis. Because THAT’S where I’m coming from. It’s not about my feelings. To me, it’s about WHY was this decision made, and WHAT were they considering and ignoring WHEN they made it… and do I think their list of considerations, as well as the list of considerations they chose to ignore was wise?
No. Not at all.
Neither does Bruce Davidson apparently Which perhaps makes me feel “high and mighty” on some level. Cause he’s kind of a legend of the sport. But whatever… I digress. Maybe he and I both view it the same way because we both are arrogant insufferable people. That’s what you seem to think about me… which is ok too. You might be right.
But even arrogant insufferable people who say this whole mess was utterly stupid, and avoidable, and ridiculous? We might ALSO be right.
As for “poor Boyd” and his “feelings” vs. those of BIPOC who compete in the sport and were offended by the name of this venue… well… I never weighed the feelings of each party (not that I even KNOW the feelings of each party) and then decided that I thought Boyd’s were more important. Because he’s white and male abd an Olympian. NOPE. But it’s ok if that’s just what you presumed. What I noted is that Boyd has now been called a lot of ugly things on social media. This is as a result of his decision to stand up against EN (who are the folks who started this whole controversy back in late June) and publicly support Cuyler Walker and Denis Glaccum’s side of the situation. I don’t believe he’s supporting them because they’re all closet racists. Nope. But it’s ok if you do think that. Suit yourself. I actually think Boyd is likely supporting them because they are two people he knows very well personally, and has known for a long time.
Regardless, here are a sample of some of the comments circulating on social media with respect to Boyd now:
”Intolerant Bigot”
”Ignorant Privileged Bigot”
“Unprofessional (because his post is tantamount to a “temper tantrum” according to many)”
“Pandering to land owning money”
“Someone who should go back to Australia, as his tone deaf racism isn’t needed in the U.S.”
”Well it figures he would feel this way, as look how people in Australia treated their natives”
etc, etc, etc.
I think that is TRULY ugly stuff. Don’t you? I wouldn’t want that sort of thing flying all over social media about me. Would you? And I believe that the reason all these comments are all over social media is NOT actually because because there is any real evidence to support them. Nope. I think these comments are out there because he chose to stand up against a situation that clearly played out in an ugly ugly way, and ended up with Cuyler Walker being publicly smeared and dragged into an ugly story in the New York Times. And Eventing Nation was the party that got this whole controversy started. And by their own admission, it’s because they feel strongly that they want to be a “racial ally” and support a very specific activist agenda. They feel it’s moral for them to do so.
A lot of people apparently also feel it’s moral to take this position. But the problem is, when others said, “Gosh… we just aren’t on the same page and 100% with you. We think there are other fans tots to consider too,” well… many people had a mental meltdown and started labeling anyone who objected to the whole thing an “intolerant ignorant bigot” or an out and out racist.
I still think that’s a very extreme and unhealthy reaction. There are multiple BIPOC who are involved with the sport and have commented on social media about it all… and many of THEM think the outcry and liberal use of the label “racist” is extreme as well.
Anyway, back to Boyd. I think it’s awesome he stood up publicly at this time after how all this has played out and said, “Nope. No more of this. Not only do you people from EN get the boot from covering this venue the last time it runs, courtesy of Denis. You all also get the boot from covering me and my horses, at any venue, from here on out. Courtesy of me.”
To me… that is a matter of Boyd publicly standing up against people who have treated a loyal sponsor and friend of Boyd’s poorly. And there is no doubt Boyd KNEW he would be attacked on social media when he did it. But he did it anyway. Because he knows the actual players involved, and what really went on.
That’s just my opinion. You are welcome to disagree and decide you think Boyd’s actions are all a result of his “white male privilege.” Suit yourself.
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