Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

If someone creates something that is utterly genius, yet we find out that they have done awful things...

Does it cancel out the genius part?
As an example: I'm a huge fan of L. Frank Baum. I think that he was truly a literary genius and the majority of authors could only hope to reach his level one day, me included!
L. Frank Baum also wrote racist editorials in a South Dakota newspaper, calling for the extermination of Native Americans. Some believe those editorials sparked the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890.
I notice a lot of people bring this up when I mention that I am a fan of his, yet I'm not sure what that has to do with his writing capabilities and the land of Oz that he created.
So what do you think?
Do awful acts cancel out the good ones?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

SW-User

Everybody is different. Many people, when finding themselves in a burning building are afraid. There are some people who are not afraid of fire and some who actually run into the building.

Many people, when surrounded by those of an alternative race are afraid. Some people, embrace the difference and invite them into their society.

Can we really force people to overcome their fears. On this site of all places, we know not to urge someone to "get over" their anxieties. We all know them. That's why we are here.

Can you blame someone for how they thought at a certain point in time? I don't know. Indians were the white man's first terrorists in America. He lived in South Dakota. Maybe he had fears from personal experience. It's not like he tweeted them from an apartment in New York.