My world is kind of like a rubberband. Small on its own, but ready to stretch to limitless lengths at any given moment. I may stay home most of the time, but my universe expands through the magic of the internet. I love it. People!! Talking!! Okay, so not face to face, and I love that too but it's not doable everyday for me.
So I participate in my own virtual reality. Facebook being a huge corner of my fakey fake (but totally awesome) bigger world. I love catching up with old friends and chit chatting with whoever feels the need and just socializing in general. I'm sure if you're reading this, you concur. It's got its upsides.
But now, business groups and forums and all nature of things that aren't individual people have a presence on Facebook and of course, I participate in those as well. There's an element of weirdness when it comes to be a participant in a larger group where some "powers that be" can tell you what to say, how to say, to whom it can be said and if "they" don't like it, poof your existence just vanishes into thin air. You broke a "rule." but no one can tell you how exactly and then when other people say they never saw the rule breaking happening the mods use their powers to convince the masses the whole reason that the world is a happy place is because those questionable posts were removed BEFORE the masses could be molested by them.
Big. Fat. Liars.
(Actually I'm quite unsure of the person in questions actual SIZE but the lie was impressive in stature)
I am one pissed off Momma today. Number one, top pet peeve....the sand in my shoes, the nails across my personal chalkboard is LYING. Seriously my world comes to a complete halt when someone lies and then they try to cover it up and basically throw themselves over you like you're a live grenade. Damage Control. Tape her mouth shut,....shhhh....quick, delete, delete, delete.
But we all know when anyone gets any kind of power, at some point, they are going to wield it irresponsibly. That's just being human and I get it. But what scares the crap out of me is how placid the followers are when this happens. I am talking complete non-resistance, with almost a faint buzzing sound of worship of the Powers That Be...with praise about all their "hard work" (It's an INTERNET FORUM. Please, for the love of all things Holy, get OVER yourself if you think moderating an internet forum is some sort of great deed you are doing for the planet. I get it...it takes some time..but let's just keep it where it is in terms of greatness shall we?) And if you say ANYTHING against the wrongs happening, you are "starting drama..." It's not DRAMA, its responsible adult behavior. I am so sick of any dissention being labeled as drama these days. It's become synonymous with "I don't like that you just caught me in a lie....called me out for a hypocritical opinion....held me accountable for my actions."
These days, it seems the live and let live is going a bit too far. If someone is behaving badly, and it affects not just you, but multiple people....it is not only our right, but our responsibility to speak up about it. What makes me so ill is that I am one of those speaker-upper people and I get LOTS of private affirmation (I am SO glad you said that...they were totally wrong...I can't believe...) but those people say nothing to the people who need to hear it.
And y'all might be thinking...so what? So what if moderators on an internet forum use their powers of deletion and then saying that because they can delete (their own nasty comments about the members that were intended to be delivered to another mod via PM in a copy and paste gone horribly wrong) that is WHY the forum is so great. Zero. Accountability.
Think on those two words. Zero Accountability. Those two words frighten me beyond measure because it seems, as a collective, we are totally and completely getting comfy with them. They are our ratty jeans, our fleecy slippers, our fat day sweatpants. We don't want to speak up because it's uncomfortable, "doesn't involve me" or any other reason that has us watching the scene unfold with huge interest, but we're too busy holding our popcorn to jump in and lend a hand.
We are getting way to compliant and complacent and mindless. We are lifting up people who abuse power, even SMALL amounts of meaningless power and shaking our heads at anyone who dares say "Hey, not cool." We're Good Little Girls who do as we're told, when we're told and how we're told.
I challenge every single one of you reading this to stick up for the right thing the next time you get the chance. Speak up. DO something. Don't be one of the faceless, mindless, voiceless warm-blooded space takers. Be a person, with a voice and an opinion. Compel other people to be the best version of themselves rather than accepting the worst. Be kind, but be firm and stand your ground. Otherwise, y'all....we're screwed.
Seriously.
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