"MTG:The Bannings"

"MTG:The Bannings"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Recently a Magic pro has been banned for running a facebook page that rates women in magic for their bangability and a Magic youtuber for spewing a lot of hate and harassing other people in the community. 

The main reason that Wizards of the coast did this was to foster a more inclusive and safer environment for Magic players the world over. These include women and members of the LGBT community to play magic in peace. Is it bad for WoTC to want more players of course not.  You can love this game regardless of your race or sexual orientation. For some people it can be the only place where they find acceptance and refuge from the every day pressures that they face.

This is a very controversial move as it seems that the rights of people to express their views no matter how horrible it is being trampled on. People should toughen up. People should know a joke. People should be able to just take sarcasm or criticism.

Of course it is really different when you spew out things directed at a specific player or groups of people. To single them out and to hammer that point again and again. It stops being a joke or criticism. It turns a lot into hate. And it makes a lot of people feel that the game that they love can no longer welcome them.

Everyone is different of course and some are like just the famous Gabi leaves of our country , they let all of those things slide and still keep on being themselves but not everyone is like that. Not everyone has a tough skin or develop it. And so we also extend understanding to them for this.

Now the question we need to ask if that a particular person is adding negativity to the community or not. Being the victim of trolls myself( a small number thankfully) I know first hand how bad it can feel. However there are things that you can ignore and those that you cannot. I guess if you continue your hate for so long then someone is bound to notice it.

I love magic and to say that it is not about being inclusive is being naive. Remember those who played this game learned from people who wanted to share it as well. Those teachers wanted to include those people in the group. Include them in the community that we are all part of now.

I welcome everyone. I know how it feels to even be rejected by other players in my earlier days until I found people who love playing with me as well. I am with that journey with them still. And to you who found happiness in this game , know that the happiness is still there. And a whole lot of other people to play with as well.

Peace. Keep on playing. Keep on brewing. You never know what you can discover next.