Every so often, when I criticize a work, I get a response of "OMG! It's JUST a STORY!". Last week, someone on Twitter told me I needed to learn the difference between reality and fiction (sadly, I was talking about politicians saying silly things in public and I'm pretty sure they're real).

Yes. It's just a story and no actual people are harmed in the creation of a work of fiction. However, the story itself can harm people. Misrepresentation causes direct harm. ( Read more... )