Injustice for All

We knew this year's HOPE conference would be different.  The atmosphere in our country over the past couple of years has become so toxic that it was inevitable we'd feel the effects.  But what we wound up learning was beyond anything we could have imagined.

In short, we failed.  We were completely broadsided by conflicts we didn't see coming.  And once we became aware of them, our internal communications were completely insufficient in handling them swiftly and decisively.  There are no excuses for this, so we won't waste space attempting to come up with any.  The sad fact is that our world has changed in the past two years and we didn't adequately prepare for that.  We will learn from the experience and, as with any other challenge, we will rise to meet it for the future.

But we learned about a whole lot more than our own failings.  We also saw everything that was wrong with social media and how it could be used in a manipulative and intimidating manner, actions which arguably caused more stress and confusion than the actual conflicts.

While our code of conduct team is still analyzing the handful of incidents brought to their attention, we can give a general summation as to what happened.  Basically, we were targeted and infiltrated by a small group representing fascist ideals who were able to manipulate attendees, staff, and our own rules to their advantage.  And while outwitting the system is kind of what we do as a rule, we draw the line when it comes to people espousing reprehensible ideologies.

Except Steven Rombom & the JDL's Threats Against David Cole

The real problems began when we defined where that line should be drawn.  While most of our attendees were clearly not fans of Donald Trump, we simply couldn't justify kicking people out of the conference solely because they were wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.  And when an attendee grabbed such a hat from someone and refused to give it back, they were in clear violation of our own rules and had to be ejected.  And this is when the social media attacks kicked in.  If you were monitoring the conference from Twitter, you would have seen us being accused of harboring Nazis and creating a fascist environment where attendees were in fear for their safety.  It was a false narrative which proved detrimental mostly to the people spreading it, as it called into question nearly everything they supposedly stood for, like freedom, openness, and dialogue.  It was through interacting with our many attendees, plus wading through a massive amount of feedback afterwards, that we realized the true extent of this.

If you look back over the years, you'll see that we tend to question everything we're told.  Some accuse us of favoring one side over another, but we really only focus on particular policies and ways of treating people.  If one side does a better job of that, then they won't find themselves critiqued as much as those we feel are actively causing harm, such as those currently in power.  But we guarantee that regardless of who is running things at any particular moment, the hacker community will always be a thorn in their side.  That's because we ask a whole lot of questions, challenge the rules constantly, and resist blind allegiance of any sort.

As many of our readers and attendees are learning (as are we), this can sometimes put us in direct conflict with people we ordinarily agree with.  What we were being asked to do at our conference simply didn't feel right (and "asked" is really putting it mildly).  We wouldn't throw anyone out just because they were wearing Trump hats.  Nor because they asked a confrontational question to a speaker.  Nor because they were a speaker who said something controversial.  Nor because of where someone was standing or how they looked.  Yet we found ourselves being told to get rid of attendees who were doing those exact things.  And when we didn't, we became the enemy, the enabler of everything bad.  And, to be clear, we did take action against those who were being intimidating or disruptive once we became aware of them.  However, much of this was overshadowed by the digital indignation, much of it from people who weren't even there.

We take any threats to the well-being of our attendees extremely seriously and, in so doing, managed to fail even further by focusing too much on what was being said over Twitter and not what was actually happening.  This, combined with our communications issues, ensured that we weren't focusing attention in the right places.  We should have known better.  But we hope some valuable lessons emerge and that all of us are able to apply them to future situations.

It's really easy for us to take a stand when something seems clearly wrong - as it often does with our current regime.  After all, we've been at this since the Reagan-era - and we've come down hard on pretty much every administration since.  But it's not so easy when we come up against people fighting the same battles.  It's incredibly important to us to remain loyal to our ideals and to not cave in to peer pressure or the amplification of social media.  We've been inundated with comments from people over the past couple of months who said they were afraid to speak their minds for fear of being condemned and shamed.  And that kind of environment is just not healthy.  Nobody should have to go through this, especially those who believe in free speech, honesty, and the democratic system.  Disagreeing on issues, strategy, and history are all healthy things that need to be encouraged.  To see people afraid of expressing themselves or inadvertently saying the wrong thing is absolutely heartbreaking, particularly in an environment that's supposed to thrive on the exchange of ideas.

Fortunately, what we've heard so far from readers and attendees has filled us with inspiration and pride.  Instead of being cowed into submission by those who purport to speak on their behalf, we see people who want to participate in dialogue and debate before reaching any conclusions.  Instead of slamming the door on those who disagree, we see a desire for engagement and the defense of held positions.  None of this in any way allows for the acceptance of racist and fascist ideologies, and to believe any less merely shows a profound lack of understanding as to what this community is all about.

For many of us, these days can be considered a very dark period in our country's history.  But change is inevitable and one period will be replaced with another.  We cannot lose sight of where we want to steer ourselves in the ensuing chaos.  If you examine history and look at what often follows periods of oppression and tyranny - or even what follows revolution or civil conflict - you may notice that it doesn't always match the ideals put forth at the beginning.  We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the trap of labeling, purging, and attaching blame to those seen as less "pure," acts that serve only to eclipse the true battles ahead and prevent us from building a better world.  Doing this risks losing in the short term and absolutely guarantees losing in the long term.

We intend to get better at this.  Our community is strong and proving to be filled with courage and integrity as these challenges pass.  We hold no grudges towards anyone who approached all of this in a different way, as we feel lessons have been learned on all sides, and that this kind of thing ultimately makes us all stronger.

Many have told us that The Circle of HOPE was the best conference yet, something that can be difficult to feel when you're in the midst of it.  We look forward to history's verdict on this.