Dan Gheesling addresses US Army backlash
Viewers are leaving Dan Gheesling's channel because they believe his US Army sponsorship signals support for a political genocidal regime, creating a situation where the streamer feels he must defend his character against assumptions made after fifteen years. He admits that while some see the deal as political and understands their upset, he never viewed it that way when signing on. If accepting this partnership meant actively upsetting his community, he asserts he wouldn't do it, yet he refuses to issue a specific statement just to convince people to return if that is what they demand. The core disconnect stems from the assumption that streaming implies personal belief in x, y, or z, leading viewers to think he supports bombing schools. Gheesling questions why anyone would ever want a school bombed and notes that critics argue not taking a stand invites alt-right individuals into the community while putting minorities at risk. Despite these concerns, he maintains that how he acts naturally attracts his community and finds the diversity of beliefs within it acceptable. He concludes that if people think he holds those views after fifteen years, they simply have no idea who he actually is.
Transcript (en)
It is political. The U.S. Army works for the government. That's your opinion. And so I understand why you're upset. I didn't see it like that going into it, which is if that were the case, if it's like, oh, take take this deal and upset your community, I wouldn't do it. People are leaving because they got a specific idea of who you are. You won't gain their trust without clarifying your politics. You understand this. If that's what it takes to convince people to come back, I'm not going to do it. It's just like end of the day, the community here everyone believes different things and that's cool like but that's not why i like people i don't like people here because of what they believe in or what they don't believe in so people are mad because you support a political genocidal regime like that where that where the whole disconnect is like that like doing doing a stream says that i believe in x y or z that I think that where I think that where the disconnect is for me and for people in the community Do I think, hold on. Someone said about bombing a school. Why would I ever, and this is where it's like, if you know me, why would I ever want a school to be bombed? Like you need, you need me to say that I don't want a school to be bombed. You think that I think that's a good thing. Like, and this is like, that's, that's like, I can't like you, you need me to say that. Cause you don't know that about me that like, that's like, you know, like, wow. Like, that's what I don't like. I can't believe you don't know that about me. Do you understand that by not taking a stand, you're inviting alt-right chuds into the community, putting minorities at risk. I think how I act is going to attract the community. So if you think that's what I am, I can't. What do you want me to like that? After 15 years of that, so you think I am, you have no idea who I am.
