#Hashtag

I read a disheartening article this week. A soldier patronizing the hashtag and challenging "the vanity of  hashtag activism". Immediately I thought about how important it is to mobilize our efforts as we are able. I wondered what he hoped to accomplish with his smear campaign against social media activism. And I couldn't help but throw my two cents back at him so here it is!


http://www.ijreview.com/2014/05/139946-time-army-ranger-tweets-perfect-bringbackourgirls-response/

#"Hashtags will not bring our girls back "...but neither will silence. "Speaking Out", whether through social media or a press conference is just that; speaking out. Anti-bullying ads don't stop bullies and Pro-life/choice ads don't stop or encourage abortions. The difference between an Anti-Bullying or Pro-life/choice ad and the bring back our girls hashtag is the fact that these causes, these initiatives are ADVERTISED by big media corporations. They are funded and broadcasted to mass audiences with the hopes of persuading and convincing the masses that this particular cause is worthwhile.

The abduction of "our girls" has not been advertised, there are no bring back our girls commercials, there are no "real men don't buy girls" PSA's or billboards. As such it is not unreasonable for people to not only express themselves publicly, but also to create a community of people who care about a cause. That is what hashtags do.
#"Highly trained Operators will [bring back our girls]" People are not so naïve to believe that a pound sign will find and bring back anyone. Its insulting to insinuate otherwise. What a hashtag can do is serve as motivation, instead of insulting the people who are supporting the cause for which the highly trained operators are risking their lives, why not take time to appreciate that a generational staple i.e. the hashtag is being used as support. No one whines about "support our troops" hashtags even though they are simple words and do not actually provide any physical support for the troops, so why is this any different?

#"Stop lazy internet activism"...Activism is anything but lazy, action is literally the root of activism. The promotion of a cause via social media is not only effective in raising awareness but also essential to winning a social war. If "internet activism is "lazy" then by definition activism itself is lazy, as it does not require the physical accomplishment of a task, more so the support, rallying, and promotion of a cause. So often the hashtag is used to promote the popularity of ignorance and negativity, or even "news" that isn't significant to our well-being as a nation, as a planet, or as a human race; it is refreshing to me, and I am sure I am not alone, to see people actively engaged in conversation about issues that matter.
#"You are not making a difference"....This is a largely presumptuous statement.  Who is he, or anyone else to say that someone's hashtag does not make a difference? I will venture to assume that this "highly trained operator" hasn't completely considered all aspects of the situation. What I mean to say is, if we look at the issue of the abducted Nigerian girls from the perspective of their Nigerian parents, we come to the realization that our disdain for the circumstance as is, is really irrelevant. However, the internet has the ability to accomplish so much! From  overseas and across borders we can reach out to all people, and let them know that we are abhorred by the acts committed against them and their families! Supportive words go a long way! That is a difference!
I am curious to know if this is transferrable to all situations, consider the children that are kidnapped in the US; do police officers feel that hashtags or statuses that promote awareness of child abductions are examples of "lazy internet activism"? Granted none of the people who post or share pictures of missing children will be the actual people endangering their own lives to recue them, however spreading the word via social network has been proven highly effective. Why should anyone be condemned for extending kind words of support towards a population in need.

If anything the "bring back our girls" movement is directly in line with the "warrior" that is going to be working to make it happen. I feel that this soldier's disdain for the hashtag stems from the lack of action behind it, however bringing about social awareness to issues is very important in problem solving.  The statement "the vanity of hashtag activism" assumes that the people promoting awareness have a delusive point of view that their hashtags are actually affecting change, when in fact there is no evidence of such a belief. promoting awareness and affecting change go hand in hand in hand, but they are not the same thing!

Now, I need to clarify something! I am not arguing that "internet activism" is sufficient to make change. In fact I will adamantly argue the opposite. Additionally, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the men and women who place themselves in the line of fire to actually accomplish the dreams of American's including bringing our girls back.

It's all about perspective!

“Dream delivers us to dream, and there is no end to illusion. Life is like a train of moods like
a string of beads, and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many-colored lenses which
paint the world their own hue. . . . ”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

See the original article here:
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/05/139946-time-army-ranger-tweets-perfect-bringbackourgirls-response/

Social War

This week my Facebook newsfeed has been buzzing with speculation over the Solange and JayZ fight!....this low quality video with no audio has gone "viral", it has hash tags, memes, and even headlines buzzing about what happened.
I know I can't be alone in that I don't care! Why are we so pressed over this crap....there are real issues in our society that need to be addressed.

Someone should make a hash tag about the homeless people in Baltimore, or the budget crisis that still exists, or the education system and its flaws, or the incessant incarceration of African American males, how about the kidnapping and selling of children domestically and internationally, how about underpaid laborers and overpaid CEO's, how about the collapse of the middle class, about classism, racism, sexism, and all of the many other isms that are prevalent.....including separatism, how about religious intolerance...how about the fact that still over half of the country is discriminating against half of the population....I just can't. I can't comprehend how this is the hottest trending topic, and not only that it is trending but that it has continued to be the most talked about news in every possible media facet since Sunday!

This is a call, an all-call if you will. For us...people....to use Social Media as a catalyst for social change, to use Social Capital and grow as a nation, this is an opportunity for all of us to broaden our scopes and stop twiddling our thumbs. the elevator fiasco my friends, is not news! The burning and killing of over 300 people in Gamboru Ngala is news! And yet I see nothing about that on my social media news feed.
 

These are issues that people claim to care about, ask anyone how they feel about the homeless and they are most certain to express that something should be done. Sometimes out of frustration and a desire not to see homeless people and sometimes out of compassion and soft spot for human suffering; either way something should be done! And yet the highlight of the week is that 2 very well-off individuals who happen to stay in the public eye were recorded at a moment in which their behavior was not socially acceptable.

Now don't get me wrong, assault is most certainly not okay, and I am not by any means, condoning the behavior exhibited...I am simply stating a fact, I work day in and day out with women who have come out of homes where they have been trapped barefoot and incessantly impregnated against their wills only to be beat down day after day to such an extent that their only escape is to come to a Shelter! JayZ is returning to his undoubtedly decked out pad with his mega star wife! He might increase his body guards and should he chose to press charges he may, but the situation is not even half as awe-worthy as are the stories of the many men and women who find themselves crippled at the hand of violence!!


If we want to highlight the violence in America I do not believe that Solange and JayZ make a very good "poster child" for the cause!

instead of talking about the important issues, and claiming that they matter to us, and publicizing the ratchet and the ridiculous propaganda that media feeds us...why not publicize the issues that we really care about.....
And as I come into a sense of consciousness I realize that perhaps we are publicizing the issues that we care most about in which case I fear we may be doomed!

I was thinking about my future career as a Social Worker, I am excited to make change in lives of those that have been oppressed and disserved by the systems of society, and yet I find that I have a fire for seeing a larger social change. I see society at war, at war with ourselves over what is pleasing and easy to digest versus the reality of our status. I am a Social Warrior!
#Socialwarrior #Socialchange #Bethechange