Bullies With Pitchforks And Torches

I really don't understand people these days.  I read something online of a lady who posted a drunken rant against a restaurant in Indianapolis Indiana.  There is nothing about this rant that was good or right or decent.

After all, a customer had fallen ill and had a heart attack.  To complain about this or somehow make it into a rant against a business such as the restaurant, is beyond my comprehension.  The restaurant's response was good and right I thought.

However, I saw people commenting on Facebook where the drunken rant lady worked.  It was in a salon and spa.  So, since this individual shut down her Facebook account, goodie two shoe people started commenting and urged people to go to the salon's site and leave comments.

Keep in mind that this salon had actually nothing to do with what happened.  None of the salon people were there and they were not connected to it in anyway except for this one employee.  The pitchfork mob though on social media determined that somehow they needed to take down the Salon's site with their holier than thou approach.  They were angry if the owner was trying to stop them from posting these comments on the Salon's Facebook page.

I'm disturbed these days by what happens on social media.  It is basically an avenue for bullies with pitchforks and torches.  Heck, we might as well get the torches and burn whoever we disagree with at the stake.  I know I'm writing a little on the wild side here, but it honestly is what it feels like.  We can't disagree these days without getting the pitchforks and torches out.

I hate to see someone's business demolished because of a group of people who think they are better than everyone, trashing the site of someone with absolutely no relevancy to what took place.  We need to start thinking a little more what we do on social media than just burning everyone down.

There is far too much unconsciousness on social media.  People just share everything that comes along their news feed without giving a thought to what they are doing.  A little moderation goes a long ways and that's missing on social media.

It is sad though how people react with get the pitchfork mentality and convict someone, try them and sentence them without even knowing most of what happened.  The even sadder part is that I don't see this changing and improving any time soon.  I wonder what it will take to get people to wake up.

Years ago, we had online forums and message boards.  Time and time again, if you were a moderator, you had to watch out for the ones that would just cause endless terror on these sites.  It was just too easy for someone to type whatever they wanted to a screen without giving thought to what they were truly saying.  It was almost like there was no human on the other side of that conversation.

I've seen some contacts and people I am connected to on Facebook and Twitter do some of this very same action.  I find it disturbing and sad.  I wish it would stop.

We talk about bullying in schools, but we allow it among adults.  It is time it stops!  Let's throw the pitchforks in the fire and maybe sit around the fire and get to know one another.  Let's work at finding the common ground.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/3/16 by Don Shetterly

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