Terror and Social Media

  Social media has made us an instant society. It gives us minute by minute updates on other peoples lives. We can know everything about everything with the click of a button. News, politics and even entertainment are reported differently. You can be a part of the reporting with your trusty cell phone camera and instantly share it with the world.

  Friday, during the attacks in Paris, Facebook launched their "I'm Safe" button. If you are within the area of a natural disaster or a man made conflict you can hit this button and all your Facebook friends will see you are ok. Fantastic. Great use of technology.

   Since Friday, the internet, Facebook and Twitter have been used to spread some people's compassion, support and out rage at these senseless terrorist attacks. Again a great use of technology. But social media has also been a vessel for hate, misinformation and bigotry. Not such a great use.

  I waited to talk about the terror attacks simply because I was overwhelmed. By the information. By the amount of people killed. By the world's reaction to it. By my own desire not to offend friends and family. By... well fear.

  A few weeks back I wrote about how some people will say things on social media that they would never say in person. It is used as a vessel to say what we want with an anonymity that was unheard of ten years ago. Common decency gets left behind and we are free to be as nasty and bigoted as we want. With little or no repercussions. Boy am I seeing a lot of that these past few days.

  Anti Islamic rants are everywhere. Every Muslim is being condemned by someone with a computer and a twitter account. Keep the refugees out is a common phrase. Death threats are common place...on public boards no less. Just a few minutes ago I saw an open letter to our new PM being circulated stating how he needs to not keep his promise of taking 25,000 refugees by year end. As if these people were not gong to be vetted before hand. Seriously?

  This particular terrorist attack has been very successful. The world is once again terrified. Of people we should be welcoming. Of families who need our help not our suspicion. Who do you think these refugees are running from???? The terrorists who masterminded this attack!!!

  My thoughts are with the people in Paris who survived this awful attack. I hope for your speedy recovery, mentally as well as physically. For the families of the victims who didn't make it, I wish you strength and comfort in your battle with coming to terms with this unfathomable event. And for the EMT's, doctors, nurses, firefighters, soldiers and especially police officers who have had to deal with the ongoing horror, I wish you peace and compassion.....you are greatly appreciated.

  I leave you with these great words, from a great man, that I think are very appropriate for the upcoming days and months....

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can that." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  Ang