Don't Be a Member of a Shame Mob

in politics •  6 years ago 

https://www.firstthings.com/article/2019/01/shame-storm

The link is to a well-written and thoughtful article from a woman whose life was changed drastically because of internet mob-shaming. She was not a public figure. She was young and made mistakes. Had a bad break-up. It went viral. People celebrated her humiliation. Her "reputation" followed her to a home on another continent. Shaming seems particularly prevalent these days on the internet because it usually comes with a slice of self-congratulatory virtue signaling. I think it is a fair criticism to say that patting one's self on the back for pointing out the flaws of some other unfortunate person is not virtuous.

That's my goal for 2019 ... to avoid being part of the mob celebrating someone's mistake. As an acknowledged fellow sinner, flawed individual, and purveyor of mistakes, I hope to have the courage to think, "[t]here but for the grace of God, go I," and to ask, "how can I help?" when I can. I can think of at least one post in the last month that I will take down because it commented on the actions of a college student who, to be fair, probably did not spend a whole lot of time thinking before acting. My two cents.

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