Erick Mendez
Staff Writer
Good and bad people alike say things they later come to regret whether it’s on audio or video. We need to question why we can’t put issues behind even in print or digital.
Joy Ann Reid of MSNBC was found to have made homophobic statements on a blog relating to her previous years. At one point, Reid attempted to curb the discussion by suggesting that hackers were responsible.
Tulsi Gabbard, a presidential candidate for 2020 had a disdain for the LGBT community. Gabbard explained that she was raised in a conservative household and was taught a worldview that shaped her at a young age which he has since been unlearned gradually.
Having once made statements against an individual or group that has since been formally educated is completely different from anyone in a career that refuses to stop attacking marginalized groups at present.
This is something that needs to be discussed more.
Social media has become so large it has engulfed most of America, and the world. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are harder to circumvent today given the integration of networking and businesses.
Society tends to be presumptuous as if one quote written in public domain is grounds for a permanent exile out of an industry or civilization in general.
If prophets and messianic figures had a Twitter account or any public digital forum, the irony is that we as humanity would be quick and the first to condemn them.
The question then becomes how do we solve this problem with present methods?
The solution begins with a series of principles.
Do not heavily invest your life into social media. Not everyone online is or will remain your friend. Go outside.
Limit how many platforms you conduct yourself upon. The more people know about you, the greater the pressure will be.
Popularity is not important. The people who love you for less in your personal life are.
Be a leader, not a follower. Society is facing a shortage of leadership predicated on authenticity anyway.
Comments personally made by others must be held to the same standards you are bound to. We are all guilty of making stupid statements therefore we are all eligible to see second chances.
If you make an inappropriate comment, do not run from it. Apologize, own it, and educate yourself so the matter can be settled.
If someone makes an honest attempt to own their comments, do not disparage them otherwise hatred breeds more hatred.
Share your opinions with a filter and with people who do not see your point of view. You might win them over even with an eccentric presentation.
Across journalism, cinema, gaming, sports, and politics, we all say ridiculous things because we are not properly trained or evolved to handle social media where something is posted quickly because someone wants to be noticed.
In today’s environment some truths are difficult to accept which needs to change.
The people tolerant today of the pride community, the hard of hearing collective, the mental health demographic, or autistics, were not so accepting some years ago. While it is nice to be accepted for who you are, society tends to forget that tolerance, love, acceptance and support began with invoking hate in the first place. While you have the chance ask yourself, why don’t we move on?
The answer is that we should be able to. We have to.
mende@mail.broward.edu