The Internet has been a safe haven to voice opinions -- controversial or not -- for years. You can somewhat anonymously broadcast your views from the comfort of your home on anything -- from your opinion of U.S. President Barry O to the bizarre name Jay-Z and Beyonce chose for their baby girl (which sounds like an endangered plant life found in the Amazon jungle). No face-to-face confrontation, just type it in, hit send and fuggedaboutit. Yeah, with today's technology a computer nerd can quickly sniff your ass out but it's highly unlikely anyone would go to the trouble unless you're linked to a serious crime -- terrorism, child pornography, murder.
So, you're probably thinking ... uh duh! This isn't a new notion you damn blubbering cynic.
I know. However, it hit home the other day when I signed on to Facebook and noticed an uproar over racism. He said, she said abound ... an old friend's status update cried racism, pinpointing the culprit and asking why on Earth this is still an issue. It's 2012!
Of course being the somewhat catty yet moderately nosy woman I am, I investigated. This is the status update in question:
Martin luther king day!?!? Shit, I say we kill 4 more and take the whole WEEK OFF!!!! lol
First thoughts? That's inappropriate, especially considering with Facebook your views and comments are connected with your "face" so there is no anonymity. I felt an uncomfortable tingling hum throughout my body, specifically my stomach, like I was 8-years-old again and my mom and dad were fighting while I feebly sat and pretended not to hear their harsh insults. Like I was at my local watering hole enjoying an adult beverage and the company of friends when an argument broke out across the room. Confrontation -- in person or on the Internet -- makes me uncomfortable.
The status update did not result in an "lol" from me or from many of the people who commented -- I refrained from doing so. Instead, it started a shit storm of angry rants about race, especially relationships between blacks and whites. People spewed hate, profanity and vicious threats. A few peacemakers chimed in but were quickly tossed aside, one described as a "fake-ass wannabe Ghandi." Pitchforks were out, torches were blazing!
So ... I began to wonder ... is this what people are like or are we hiding behind the shield of Facebook and Twitter -- not necessarily anonymous but safely tucked away from face-to-face confrontation. Typing in insults as quickly as they pop into our minds, hitting send and then regretting it soon after. Maybe human beings aren't made for social media. Maybe the gut feeling we get before making a comment to someone is what stops us from the part of ourselves we try to keep under wraps -- you know the excuse, that's not really what I'm like. The uncomfortable feeling when staring into another person's face, when being physically confronted, saves us from ourselves. Without this fight or flight scenario, we freely dabble in sexting with idiots who forward our dirty birdie photos to everyone in their address book, we text message and post status updates in a joking manner that can easily be taken the wrong way ... yeah, your dirty joke you posted on Facebook was funny, sort of, but did your 70-year-old aunt think it was funny or your mom? Facebook isn't just for the young and the restless anymore.
Let's be honest here folks, a lot of people are uncomfortable with others from a different race. Picture an average white person in a room full of black people or vice versa. This isn't a racist observation, it's a fact. However, for the most part the odd man out, white or black, wouldn't spout hateful comments or confront others as easily as they might online. This goes for all sorts of things, not just race. Twitter and Facebook wars, fights over likes and dislikes, people, movies, music, books, etc.
Of the 200+ comments made to the above mentioned status update concerning the late and great MLK, the one making the most sense came from a black man who wrote, "You would never say that to my face or the face of any black person." The author of the update responded to all the threats and upheaval, saying he was only kidding and those who know him well would know he's not racist. He said it's an old joke -- Doug "The Greaseman" Tracht said it on air in 1985 and got in a lot of trouble -- and he didn't mean killing four other black men.
So, is the culprit racist, is he stupid or both? Is the Facebook & Twitter revolution making us jerks?
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