As they often do, the New York Times got me thinking yet again about the ugly state in which the world finds itself. Well, at least the world of social media.
In the article, “I’ll Take ‘White Supremacist Hand Gestures’ for $1,000,” the author describes how a mob of former Jeopardy contestants banded together to call out a Jeopardy champion for making what they claimed was a clearly white supremacist hand gesture.
Except, it wasn’t.
But that didn’t stop 595 from signing a letter condemning the man and his actions. Even now, after the Jewish Antidefamation League, Snopes, and the man himself have come out denying that it was what they say it was, many of them are still tearing out their hair in outrage over the action, and they continue to insist that the man is a complete and full-blown racist.
I was struck especially though by the one line in his article, repeated a couple of times – “These are, I should stress again, a bunch of nice, thoughtful people.” And I’m thinking, “No. They’re not.” “Nice, thoughtful people” don’t act like this. “Nice, thoughtful people” listen and…think. It’s already bad enough that they make immediate assumptions and launch accusations at people without thought to the ramifications for what happens as their victims are dragged through this garbage; but to refuse to believe the explanations – to go deeper down the rabbit hole and dig in even more with their errant beliefs – exhibits more than ever the poison of our society and its interactions.
I honestly believe we weren’t like this at one time. Yes, of course there were bad people and wide-eyed loons – the world has had no shortage of conspiracy theorists and gossip-mongers. But now, the unhinged fringe have a bull horn and a platform, and it’s twisted their minds even more. It’s amplified their outrage and, sadly, filled them with a sense of self-importance that’s a powerful drug to deny (who knows, they actually could be proud of the fact that the Times has written about them…albeit painting them as the unreasonable people they are).
I tread a thin line here – am I coming close to being outraged at outrage myself? Not quite. But I must be mindful that I choose the moment as one of instruction rather than condemnation — even as I pass judgement on the actions of these people as clearly wrong-headed and dangerous. But more so I’m passing judgement on what social media has done to us. How it has poisoned the minds of people who, in a kinder time, might have been considered “nice” and “thoughtful.”
I think my realistic view of human nature has served me well. I know what to expect, and I’m seldom surprised. I have the freedom to gauge the kindness of others without being forced to believe the worst of them because of what a mob says on Twitter or Facebook. Or even more, I’m able to not even know things like this are happening, and honestly, I know that I’m the better for it.
As a matter of fact…