The fluidity with which ideas are attached to and discarded has produced a context of shifting and obscuring meaning. One may find themselves surrounded at all sides, both by those who expect and present certain conduct that may have changed or disappeared by the next day.
Again, it proves to be harmful to movements and activists advocating for meaningful change by diverting attention away from the real issues at hand. In situations where real activists should be concerned with justice, they have to worry about outsiders sabotaging the causes they are fighting for. Attempting to improve ourselves and our communities, free from performative elements, has been rendered all but impossible by the nature of contemporary society and social media.
The radical solution may be as simple as either doing something or doing nothing. The eternal fight for freedom from oppression needs as many hands and hearts as it can get. On the other hand, performative exercises and the derailing of political messages often empower the very concept or institution they claim to be critical of.
In a world where all acts are communicative and where participation is chained to performance, one finds that the only sure way to help is to direct effort toward the material world. Journalism is an act of civic responsibility. We see our work as a public service that is necessary for a community to thrive because knowledge is empowering.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider helping us "Defend the First Amendment" by donating today! Shaming a person for a good-faith effort sabotages their ability to attempt self-improvement. Rather, they will avoid the situation in the future, holding fast to their current beliefs and actions, supporting the status quo.
We can only shame from the high ground of righteousness. This is the stone Jesus dared us to throw. This is why so many white people have denounced Amy Cooper so angrily. Painting Amy as evil and racist is easy, and it allows us to avoid painting ourselves in anything other than the prettiest of colours.
I can think of no greater support to the structures of white patriarchy than for a white person to shame a white man for making a good faith effort at understanding the lives of others and his place in building an equitable world. There is a common media trope of the Born-Again Christian, that person who, new to the religion, shows zealotry that borders on the comical. I find exhausting this fanatical assurance that complex topics like race and gender can be reduced into childish dynamics of good and evil.
I despise this will to immediately attack any perceived slight one might make while navigating such a socially complex and emotionally difficult topic as equality. It takes decades of practice to navigate these issues correctly, and even the greatest academics on a topic might make a misstep after a lifetime of such work. Much of this new fanaticism seems both performative and self-serving.
A stone thrown at those who stumble to avoid admitting our own sins. A social media post to market our own goodness and righteousness. Do you want to know who is actively working to dismantle white patriarchy?
People who feel no great need to shame the good faith efforts of others. People who feel no desire to post about their own goodness on social media but who instead simply do the substantive work within themselves to be a better person. John Metta. Published On 20 Jul Crash Course also has a great series on lateral reading when navigating digital information.
Another example: The historic mass farmers' protest in India. In India propaganda has also proliferated. International petitions and calls for donations have been met with a fierce response from online trolls , Modi loyalists, and even media personalities with millions of followers. To learn more about the farmers' protest, here is a comprehensive guide by PBS; for more progressive-leaning social media sources, some resources to look to are Washington Post journalist Rana Ayyub, South Asian technology organization equalitylabs , and long-form journalism site Caravan India.
All this leaves us with is people posting out of a sense of moral superiority, a culture of shame and guilt, with a complete disregard for the reality that not everyone is cut out to be an activist. It can be more valuable to devote yourself to a few issues you care most about — educate yourself, invest time and energy, learn from others in the movement — rather than dabbling in every world crisis.
But what is the definition of silence? What exactly counts as not speaking up? When our lives seem to be surrounded by conflict every day, how is it fair to expect people to possess the kind of knowledge and resources that could empower them to really participate and then deal with the consequences of doing so?
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