Hiltz throwing shade to Letsrun interviewers

rojo wrote:

My thoughts on this thread are simple.

1) It's a little disappointing to me that Nikki can't separate the journalist side of LetsRun from the messageboard.

2) It's ironic that she doesn't appreciates the key ideal that this messageboard represents as this board is all about one thing - free expression. It's something we've adamantly stood for for almost 25 years - even if it's cost us a lot financially as it scares off brands. We've never wavered and recent U-turns by twitter and then facebook have made me feel quite good.

Free expression is VERY important. In fact, it's only a free country like America - where free expression is allowed - that nonbinary/trans/, etc. could become a thing.

Ironically, instead of understanding freedom allowed them to hold their views - their movement - along with many left ideas in recent years - became quite dictatorial and close-,minded. If someone else doesn't recognize your pronoun and say it correctly or let you dominate their sports like Lia Thomas, they are castigated and viewed as a bigot.

uphillrunner wrote:

rojo wrote:

My thoughts on this thread are simple.

1) It's a little disappointing to me that Nikki can't separate the journalist side of LetsRun from the messageboard.

2) It's ironic that she doesn't appreciates the key ideal that this messageboard represents as this board is all about one thing - free expression. It's something we've adamantly stood for for almost 25 years - even if it's cost us a lot financially as it scares off brands. We've never wavered and recent U-turns by twitter and then facebook have made me feel quite good.

Free expression is VERY important. In fact, it's only a free country like America - where free expression is allowed - that nonbinary/trans/, etc. could become a thing.

Ironically, instead of understanding freedom allowed them to hold their views - their movement - along with many left ideas in recent years - became quite dictatorial and close-,minded. If someone else doesn't recognize your pronoun and say it correctly or let you dominate their sports like Lia Thomas, they are castigated and viewed as a bigot.

Most everyone on the left and right is sincerely for free expression. What Rojo, and Musk, and Zuck get wrong is their sense that free expression means there is little to no responsibility for those who platform lies, hate, and content intended to perpetuate lies, hate, division. At least be honest and say, what I am doing is allowing lies and hate and it is my right as the platform owner and I understand how these things negatively impact our society.

Saying you believe in free expression as your mantra just obscures the result of what you all are doing and the profound harm done to society. Drink bleach for Covid - by all means. Let’s not fact check that. Say water was diverted to save some endangered fish and that caused the LA fires to be so devastating. By all means - no fact checking there. Election fraud - sure let’s just let people roll out lies about that! The list goes on and on. You all are turning people into morons.

I am curious though. How has and will this barely restrained free expression make the world a better place? What has X done to improve the world? What has the message board done to improve the world? The LRC intel’s have free speech rights, MAGA world and the far left have free speech rights. That does not mean platforms have to platform their lies, hate, and division. It does not make you a paragon of morality.

The good thing about the LRC message boards vs. Meta and X is there is no algorithm to force us into a bubble where we sink deeper into our own fantasy land. Thank you for that, Rojo.

FatherofDaughter wrote:

Nope. Doesn't make sense at all. If you can't discern exaggeration from fact than you're not very bright. What exactly is my bias? That 10-15% of teens aren't trans and that it was a post covid phenomenon? Yeah... I guess that's my bias. I think you are ignoring facts if you can't agree that a) transgender identity exploded during and after covid, b) TikTok, depression and a sense of belonging was a large reason for that and c) not nearly as many kids today identify as trans as last year, the year before that or the year before that. I also don't think you can disagree with the idea that in my school, at least, guidance counselors recognized all of those things and though were supportive, clearly didn't believe it to be a lasting fad. For you to not recognize the impact of social media on incredibly impressionable brains is literally insane. And don't try and tell me I'm some right-wing trans denier. Cause that's not the case at all. I think its just a very small percentage of the population and the fad actually hurts those who are very emotionally torn about their identity. To look at my daughter and her previously " trans friends" and contrast her to my cousin, for example, who is transitioning, is incredibly insulting to the severe mental anguish the latter goes through daily. FWIW, she was clearly a female from a very early age... unlike all of my daughters friends who suddenly decided to be they/them post covid after being told they were trans because they maybe we gay and different.

The interesting thing is... you saw something similar but to a lesser extent about being autistic. There was a whole fad last year where half (EXAGERATION ALERT... SUE ME) the girls in my kids school were 100% convinced they were on the spectrum. I mean maybe we all are a little (kind of have to be to be as obsessed with running as many of us are)... but so many were convinced it was detrimental to their health. How is that any different, really, than the Trans indoctrination?

FatherofDaughter wrote:

Nope. Doesn't make sense at all. If you can't discern exaggeration from fact than you're not very bright. What exactly is my bias? That 10-15% of teens aren't trans and that it was a post covid phenomenon? Yeah... I guess that's my bias. I think you are ignoring facts if you can't agree that a) transgender identity exploded during and after covid, b) TikTok, depression and a sense of belonging was a large reason for that and c) not nearly as many kids today identify as trans as last year, the year before that or the year before that. I also don't think you can disagree with the idea that in my school, at least, guidance counselors recognized all of those things and though were supportive, clearly didn't believe it to be a lasting fad. For you to not recognize the impact of social media on incredibly impressionable brains is literally insane. And don't try and tell me I'm some right-wing trans denier. Cause that's not the case at all. I think its just a very small percentage of the population and the fad actually hurts those who are very emotionally torn about their identity. To look at my daughter and her previously " trans friends" and contrast her to my cousin, for example, who is transitioning, is incredibly insulting to the severe mental anguish the latter goes through daily. FWIW, she was clearly a female from a very early age... unlike all of my daughters friends who suddenly decided to be they/them post covid after being told they were trans because they maybe we gay and different.

The interesting thing is... you saw something similar but to a lesser extent about being autistic. There was a whole fad last year where half (EXAGERATION ALERT... SUE ME) the girls in my kids school were 100% convinced they were on the spectrum. I mean maybe we all are a little (kind of have to be to be as obsessed with running as many of us are)... but so many were convinced it was detrimental to their health. How is that any different, really, than the Trans indoctrination?

rojo wrote:

My thoughts on this thread are simple.

1) It's a little disappointing to me that Nikki can't separate the journalist side of LetsRun from the messageboard.

2) It's ironic that she doesn't appreciates the key ideal that this messageboard represents as this board is all about one thing - free expression. It's something we've adamantly stood for for almost 25 years - even if it's cost us a lot financially as it scares off brands. We've never wavered and recent U-turns by twitter and then facebook have made me feel quite good.

Free expression is VERY important. In fact, it's only a free country like America - where free expression is allowed - that nonbinary/trans/, etc. could become a thing.

Ironically, instead of understanding freedom allowed them to hold their views - their movement - along with many left ideas in recent years - became quite dictatorial and close-,minded. If someone else doesn't recognize your pronoun and say it correctly or let you dominate their sports like Lia Thomas, they are castigated and viewed as a bigot.

3a1n4o1n5y9m2o6u5s3 wrote:

FatherofDaughter wrote:

Nope. Doesn't make sense at all. If you can't discern exaggeration from fact than you're not very bright. What exactly is my bias? That 10-15% of teens aren't trans and that it was a post covid phenomenon? Yeah... I guess that's my bias. I think you are ignoring facts if you can't agree that a) transgender identity exploded during and after covid, b) TikTok, depression and a sense of belonging was a large reason for that and c) not nearly as many kids today identify as trans as last year, the year before that or the year before that. I also don't think you can disagree with the idea that in my school, at least, guidance counselors recognized all of those things and though were supportive, clearly didn't believe it to be a lasting fad. For you to not recognize the impact of social media on incredibly impressionable brains is literally insane. And don't try and tell me I'm some right-wing trans denier. Cause that's not the case at all. I think its just a very small percentage of the population and the fad actually hurts those who are very emotionally torn about their identity. To look at my daughter and her previously " trans friends" and contrast her to my cousin, for example, who is transitioning, is incredibly insulting to the severe mental anguish the latter goes through daily. FWIW, she was clearly a female from a very early age... unlike all of my daughters friends who suddenly decided to be they/them post covid after being told they were trans because they maybe we gay and different.

The interesting thing is... you saw something similar but to a lesser extent about being autistic. There was a whole fad last year where half (EXAGERATION ALERT... SUE ME) the girls in my kids school were 100% convinced they were on the spectrum. I mean maybe we all are a little (kind of have to be to be as obsessed with running as many of us are)... but so many were convinced it was detrimental to their health. How is that any different, really, than the Trans indoctrination?

10. "I just think it's a very small percentage of the population.": Yes. It is a small percentage of the population. However, just because it is a small percentage of the population (3% when it comes to teens), does not make it right to immediately rule out the chance that someone is trans just because it is statistically unlikely. I'm not sure if you are religious, but here's a religion based example. Say you and your family are devoted Christians, and your children have practiced Christianity their entire lives. One day, your child tells you that they are Buddhist. Approximately 1% of Americans are Buddhist. But even though your kid was born and raised Christian doesn't necessarily mean they cannot believe in a less common religion such as Buddhism. To try to force them to stay with Christianity could be very damaging to them, and their perspective of Christianity. It could easily be seen as forced conversion. Even if later on they do switch back to Christianity, it should be their choice to, not by force.
11. "The fad actually hurts those who are very emotionally torn about their identity": This brings up a big question. How could you know if it is a fad or if it is legitimate struggles. What if your daughter was one of those people who were very emotionally torn about their identity? There is truly no way to know ahead of time if they will detransition later on in life. Gender is a complicated thing, and for some it takes time to figure out. The example I used in point 10 also applies here.
12. "To look at my daughter and her previously 'trans friends' and contrast her to my cousin, for example, who is transitioning, is incredibly insulting to the severe mental anguish the latter goes through daily": Unless you yourself are trans, you cannot truly understand what is insulting to us or not. As a trans person, I recognize that it takes time for people to explore and discover their identity. I, and other trans people I know (and for the record with one exception we were all trans/non-binary since before the pandemic, but not necessarily out as trans) would not be insulted by someone detransitioning. What is far more insulting (at least to me) is people using the small percentage of detransitioners (according to some studies the amount of trans people who detransitioned is around 1%, though on the higher end around 8%, though certainly not most. Here is a study to show this. .) to try to show that being trans is just a fad or a mental disorder. Also, you do not always know what your child is going through. You may see signs or mental anguish, but not always. To deny them your belief in their identity often times will only worsen their anguish.
13. "She was clearly a female from a very early age": Well this is just a stereotype. It is impossible to tell with certainty anyone's gender unless they have just revealed it to you.
14. "unlike all of my daughters friends who suddenly decided to be they/them post COVID after being told they were trans because they maybe were gay and different": You do not know why they identified as trans. You think is MIGHT be because they were gay and different. But maybe not. Also, I don't know how long you had known these friends, but unless you have known them since a young age you cannot say they were clearly one gender or another from a very early age.
15. "After being told they were trans": By whom?? Who told them they are trans? The most anyone in schools would do is reveal the possibility and/or the existence of trans people. But this whole "children are being indoctrinated in schools" thing is completely false. Even in possibly the most liberal state, I went through a whole 9 years of school and multiple years of gender dysphoria before the topic was ever talked about between me and school admin, and then it was because I brought it up, not them. If you think social media told them they are trans, see point 8. Social media may provide a community of like minded people, but in general people don't tell you that you are trans (of course, some comments may say stuff like that, but as a general rule it doesn't). If you think their friends told them, from my experience typically the only people who would bring up the possibility of being trans are those who support trans people. And those who support trans people would to some degree understand the cruelty of forcing someone into one gender or another. So it doesn't make sense that they would say "You are trans", but rather they would be more likely to say "You might be trans".
16. "How is that any different, really, than the trans indoctrination?": There is no such thing as trans indoctrination. To my knowledge, no school is diagnosing students with autism. There may be rare cases where a student is referred to a psychologist or other professional for testing, but the schools do not indoctrinate students. In regards to the students, that is another topic entirely. As the years come and go, people come up with new insults all the time. They typically aren't actually serious about them. For example, "if you play tennis you're gay". Being called gay was and is an insult I hear occasionally at school (not directed to me, but to other people), though there is no meaning to it. But one of the more common insults I hear all the time is being called sped (special ed) or autistic. Like the 'gay' insult, they should not be taken seriously. In a few cases, someone may truly believe themselves to be autistic. But people have self diagnosed themselves with many things throughout the years. It is nothing to marvel about. Many people do not want to spend the money, or the time, to get tested when having medical proof of it may not have a meaningful impact on their life. Also, you said "I mean maybe we all are a little". How is that statement any different? Is that not exactly what you say is happening? No. It is not. Because you had meant that as a joke.

Link:pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC95160...