I’m sure you all remember the infamous Kony 2012 campaign. I mean how can we forget? The video that went viral, the website, the action kit, the pledge, the donations; and then all the Facebook statuses where people proclaimed that they were dedicated to this cause after watching the 30 minute video, shoving their supposed activism in our faces through the form of a 20 word status. And the worst part is that most of these people didn’t go beyond watching the video and writing a status or signing the pledge, most of them didn’t donate or purchase the action kit, or at least become more informed about the issue and not just believe what the Invisible Children charity had told them.

This is a typical case of slack participation, which is becoming a commonplace practice within the new paradigm of participatory culture. It is the notion that because participation is essentially free of cost and risk (unless you rack up quite a large internet bill), a message will proliferate across many media platforms, and as a result becomes very well known and very pointless. Ill-informed people who sit behind their computer screens with no intention of every actually participating or who genuinely think they are making a difference by merely spreading the message, cause its value to diminish and a possibly important issue to fall victim to slack activism.

Sure there has been cases where the spread of a message has benefitted the cause, but generally the people who do the spreading also make an effort to follow up on it and become involved, going beyond social media to participate. Being a teenager, I have noticed that we are repeat offenders of slack activism and with good reason; everything about it is appealing to us. It’s free, it’s easy, we don’t have to ask permission to do it and we use enough social media for it to be essentially effortless, but yet we somehow still feel we are doing something good for the world, which is the main thing right?

So I’m not saying that you should go out and start a protest, or give away whatever little money you have to charity, rather just give a little thought to the message you are spreading. Do some research, become informed, and actually form a real opinion on the issue, not just regurgitate what you read, watched or heard, and maybe have a real discussion about it, that doesn’t involve sitting behind a screen. We are no longer passive consumers, so why are we still passive activists?

(Image Source: http://www.someecards.com/somewhat-topical-cards/kony-video-africa-charity-work-funny-ecard )

Today, with the help of 24 hours news, the Internet, Facebook, Paypal, it is easy to care. There is a seemingly infinite carousel of causes to become involved in from saving Japanese whales to Killing Kony, and with so much as a Facebook like, a fund-raising pack purchase, or a text you too can ‘change the world’. Now, we are all guilty of this, I have on occasion given money or support to causes I neither care about and I am vastly ignorant about. However, the financial and time cost to me has not been great, therefore, I am happy to put these actions down to human weakness; I want to help but I do not know how so I’ll just give some money or spread awareness on social media. Most of the time I give money to support friends not necessarily to support the cause, but that does not absolve me from some degree of hypocrisy. Ultimately I support the trivalisation of issues, which has been clearly evident in the catastrophic Kony 2012 campaign, and the recent Pink Equal Sign campaign.

Despite my lukewarm support for a few issues, I have never classified myself as an activist. In my eyes the term activist applies to two types of people. On one hand we have the aforementioned Twentieth Century civil right activists, who never introduced themselves as primarily activists. And then you have people who call themselves ‘activists’ or the even more pretentious ‘bringer of social change’ who not only seem to bear the bandwagon mentality and ooze self-importance, but also seem determined to block your way to class or work to feed you yet another forest killing leaflet.

Let us take the issue of Palestine (because I myself have been involved in this area of the world). I volunteered to teach English last summer as part of a university project and partook in all the fundraising and awareness raising and so on. It was difficult for me because I am skeptical about charity and such projects, but I committed myself whole-heartedly to the endeavour telling myself that I should be open-minded about such things. However, my primary goal was not humanitarian, it was to see for myself the situation in the an area of the world which is constantly devoured in a media frenzy, a position I made clear from the start. The issue of Palestine contains that heady cocktail of good vs evil, exoticism and rebellious that stimulates the wannabee activist especially members of the foreign middle-class. I am in no doubt that these individuals genuinely want to help the people of the West Bank and Gaza, but my question to them is why not help the Rohingya Muslims in Burma, the Tamil in Sri Lanka, or the Aboriginal Australians, because they have just the same level of connection to these peoples and places as they have to the Middle East.

Many of these people will be vocal about many different issues, domestic and international, but their motives concern me. They exploit become more about themselves than the issues, they travel great distances when people on their street suffer many of the same concerns that those in foreign parts deal with. Let us be clear I’m not advocating isolationism from issues in the world today, nor am I saying that you have to self-immolate to be true to a cause. What I worry about is a lack of sincerity with is born out of fundamental disconnect between issue and individuals, a product of ‘pick and choose’ armchair activism, “sofa-ism”. These disconnect spawns not only insincerity but also a lack of clarity and direction, which means, just like my sporadic guilty donations, self-proclaimed activists waste there time, or sometimes cause harm. This is the greatest injustice, when individuals exploit the vulnerable for their own self-glorification or to deal with a sense of white-middle class guilt.

The Irish statesman and political philosopher is often attributed with the saying  ”All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” It depends what they do.

KONY 2012. We’ve all heard of it, and if you haven’t, maybe go see what’s happening in places other than that rock you’re living under. It was a phase – a whirlpool of hype – that shook the country for little over a month. Everywhere we looked we’d see posters, or statuses, or videos. We really could not escape it. Essentially, the point of it all was to raise awareness over the issues of child soldiers in Africa, and to attempt to stop the ringleader of the whole ordeal, Mr Joseph Kony.

The promotions seemed reasonable, and were greatly emotive. They evoked anger into the hearts of many people. So much so, that people began to stir up and do radical things… like share the YouTube videos, or even like a facebook page here and there. I even heard of a few who were really controversial, who defiantly stuck a number of poster’s up in public arenas. The response to the whole campaign was overwhelming and really heartwarming. A revolution was in our midst!

(Now, I hope you picked up on my sarcasm)

All the shenanigans surrounding the Kony Campaign, personally, drove me up the wall. There is little more frustrating than people feeling as though they are doing the world some good by just clicking a few buttons here and there.

The swift advancement in technologies and social platforms has resulted in an indescribable change in its users. We have learnt to live our entire lives with our eyes locked to the screen. Today’s generation have become complacent in relying so heavily on hiding behind a keyboard and monitor, and although the evolution of technology has allowed us to be 25 times more informed and aware of the global circumstances, we are about 65 times less active*.

So, no, the real issue here is not Kony. What I am worried about is the wearing down of human emotion. With every day that passes that we use a social media platform we become more and more numb to the world around us. We protest that we have grown into participants, fighters for the cause, when really, we are only becoming more shallow, smug and content with what we have, that the only nerve we have is used to share a measly 30 minute video.

Take a look at the following images – they made me chuckle – but truthfully, they couldn’t be more spot on!

It’s one thing to be aware, but a completely different thing to be active. Choose wisely.

*Figures made up for dramatic effect

For further reference, please see below:

• Meme 1
• Meme 2
• Meme 3

The term “audience” in itself is now an old phrase, replaced by an active relationship between the sender and receiver. This “former audience” as coined by Dan Gillmor, shows the remnants of the monologic media of old times.Dissemination made information go from one to many – the audience was only a receiver.

But, as media became digitized, the audience could now ‘talk back’, and more importantly, talk to one another. With this dialogic media came the environment that this ‘many-to-many’ relationship thrives within now, the participatory culture.

With our ubiquitous connectivity comes a lessening of old censorship and gatekeepers. As Clay Shirkey put it, the new media is “global, social, ubiquitous and cheap”.

Now anyone can become a producer and share this with other producers worldwide. This rise of citizen journalism is instant, in many cases uncensored and can reproduce on a huge scale – one only has to look at the effects of Kony 2012 or say OPPA GANGNAM STYLE to see this phenomenon.

(here’s hoping you are riding an invisible horse at the moment, yee-haw Gangnam Stylers!)

But what about quality control? Slack Participation is created due to the profound level of publishing from uncertain sources – such as mobile phone captures.

The voice of a user, wether previously forbidden, unheard or unimportant is now alive thanks to the conduits of new media technologies. The relationship has changed because the mediums have changed, as well as those who receive the message. It has abolished the limitations of straight consumption and therefore created the modern prosumer – one with choice, a smartphone, 1,000 Facebook friends and a love of some serious dancing - Wild Evolution Style.

Joseph Kony’s LRA has waged war in Uganda and the region for over two decades

The US has offered a reward of up to $5m (£3.3m) for information leading to the arrest or capture of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.

The announcement came as the Ugandan army suspended a search for Kony in the Central African Republic (CAR), blaming “hostility” from its new government.

Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.

He and his fighters are thought to be in the CAR or neighbouring countries.

US authorities say the reward is also being offered for information on two other top LRA leaders, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen.

The LRA has “tormented and terrorized children” in Uganda and across the region, US Secretary of State John Kerry wrote in the Huffington Post on Wednesday.

Mr Kerry said Kony and other LRA leaders “will not be easy to find”, adding: “The LRA is broken down into small bands of rebels, scattered throughout dense jungle, hidden by dense canopy, controlling territory through tactics of fear and intimidation.”

Decades of war

Earlier, Ugandan troops in the CAR suspended their hunt for Kony and returned to their bases in the country.

Rebel forces took power 10 days ago in the CAR and ousted President Francois Bozize, whose government was a supporter of the mission to find Kony.

The Ugandan forces are in the CAR under an African Union mandate, assisted by soldiers from other African nations, as well as US special forces.

The African Union suspended the CAR’s membership after the Seleka rebel group seized power and overran the capital, Bangui.

“We have reorganised our forces, collected them in defence, as we await the decision that will follow consultations going on between the African Union and participating countries,” Ugandan army spokesman Col Felix Kulaijye told the BBC.

Joseph Kony and the estimated 200-500 fighters of his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have waged war in Uganda and the region for more than two decades.

He claims the LRA is fighting to install a government in Uganda based on the Biblical Ten Commandments.

But his rebels now terrorise large swathes of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the CAR and he is wanted by the International Criminal Court for rape, mutilation and murder of civilians, as well as forcibly recruiting children to serve as soldiers and sex slaves. bbc

(CNN) — The U.S. State Department is offering $5 million for information leading to the “arrest, transfer or conviction” of three top leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army, the department announced Wednesday.

One of those leaders, Joseph Kony, was the focus of a massive social media campaign called “Kony 2012.”

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court at the Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity, stemming in part from allegations that he conscripted children as soldiers and sex slaves in his army, which operates in parts of Uganda and other parts of central Africa.

A small number of U.S. special forces are advising and assisting regional military efforts authorized by the African Union, the State Department said. Some of those U.S. advisers have been operating in southeastern Central African Republic, according to the department.

The reward money is available through the Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act, which U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law in January.

Hunt for fugitive warlord Joseph Kony on hold because new government said to be not co-operating with African Union mission.

African troops in Central African Republic have suspended the hunt for the fugitive warlord Joseph Kony because the new government there is not co-operating with the mission, Uganda’s top military official said.

Operations against Kony were put on hold until the mission’s status is clarified by the African Union, under whose mandate the forces are deployed in the expansive central African country where rebels deposed a president and took the capital, Bangui, more than a week ago, said Ugandan army chief General Aronda Nyakairima.

KONY 2012: State Propaganda for a New Generation

“We put a halt to operations until we consult,” Nyakairima said. “We’re still there and we are going nowhere until we have consulted. We’re officially there under the African Union.”

About 3,000 African troops, the bulk from Uganda, are currently deployed against Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army in Central African Republic, where a former rebel leader named Michel Djotodia has since appointed himself president and announced a new government. The African Union forces are supported by about 100 US military advisers.

Nyakairima said Ugandan troops would stay in Central African Republic until the AU clarifies their status. The AU has suspended Central African Republic’s membership and imposed travel restrictions on the country’s self-appointed leaders.

Kony, who over the years has taken advantage of weak governments and porous borders to regroup and recruit fighters, would get a lifeline if those deployed to catch or kill him are forced to leave Central African Republic.

It would be a “catastrophe for civilians in the Central African Republic” if the African troops left the country, said Kasper Agger, a researcher with the US-based Kony watchdog group Enough Project.

“A full withdrawal of the Ugandans will also mean that the Americans have to leave as well,” Agger said. “All the top commanders of the LRA are in the Central African Republic. That is where the centre of gravity of the operations should be. This will only give the LRA a new safe haven.”

Former Central African Republic President François Bozizé was a strong supporter of the military effort to eliminate the LRA. African and US forces use two military bases in Central African Republic for their operations against Kony, an elusive warlord whose precise whereabouts are not known.

Early last year Kony became the subject of a popular online video by the charity Invisible Children, which wanted to bring global attention to his many crimes. The LRA is accused of recruiting child soldiers and taking girls as sex slaves in a brutal campaign for power that originated in Uganda in the 1980s.

Although the LRA continues to abduct children and raid villages in Congo and Central African Republic, the group is not as strong as it once was. Ugandan officials estimate the rebel group’s strength at about 250 men, most of them scattered in small groups that are constantly moving in the jungle to elude detection.

Most LRA fighters are operating in Central African Republic, according to Ugandan officials.

Click the title above to view the link for this NBC News article

Due to the rebels being “openly hostile” to the troops “the president (of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni) has ordered us only to be in defensive positions” in order to prevent more deaths like the 13 South African soldiers killed by the rebels in the attack of Bangui. It is clear this man is dangerous and has a very strong army behind willing to do anything for him. He is a threat to the children of Uganda and a threat to those trying to bring him down. This is a suspension, not a white flag, the troops will not stop. Kony will be stopped.

The State Department will announce the bounties on Wednesday, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly preview the move. The money is being offered under a provision in the War Crimes Rewards Program authored by Secretary of State John Kerry when he was a senator.

Kony is accused of ordering widespread atrocities during a brutal campaign for power that originated in Uganda in the 1980s. He is now believed to be hiding in the Central African Republic where an international manhunt for him led by African troops has been suspended due to lack of cooperation from that country’s new leaders, who overthrew the government last month.

Other than Kony, the rewards will apply to his lieutenants, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen, as well as the leader of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, Sylvestre Mudacumura, the officials said.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Pictured: Kony 2013.

Last year, the humanitarian group, Invisible Children, made a stir across the blogosphere with “Kony 2012,” a social media campaign & video that shed light on the horrors of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army, a militia heavily comprised of young, “Invisible” children who were kidnapped from their homes and bred to fight, rape, pillage and make Africans generally more uncomfortable than usual. The video itself, a mini-documentary that called American youth to action (A.K.A. to give Invisible Children, Inc. mad cash) was an Internet sensation, having over 94 million views on YouTube as of October 17th, 2012.

To put it bluntly, the cause blew up bigger than Nyan Cat.

However, as 2012 reached a close, many people began to forget about the cause. Hardly any progress was being made in the pursuit and jailing of Joseph Kony, and internal complications and scandals regarding Invisible Children’s founder, Jason Russell, who was arrested for public indecency in 2012, caused skepticism to coagulate around the validity and honorability of the cause. By late 2012, all hope was gone, and people began to forget about the tragedy in Central Africa.

The fight against Kony raged on, but dwindling support from the Internet, and thusly the International community, the African Union could not effectively allocate resources to catch Kony and stop the kidnappings of children.

In fact, as of 7:05 this morning, the African Union has effectively suspended the hunt for Joseph Kony, according to the Associated Press.

Well ain’t that a kick in the shorts.

The branch of the African Union’s military, spearheaded by Ugandan forces and about 100 U.S. military troops, was stationed in Central African Republic until the new government refused to cooperate with the mission. Without pressures – and support – from the outside world, there is nothing continuing the battle against Kony and his crazy cult of murderous tots.

This is a typical example of African bureaucracy and instability getting in the way of solving problems. I won’t divulge any further (cough, Rwandan genocide, AIDS epidemic, cough cough), however, I will say that these problems could be easily fixed if there were some form of stability anywhere on that continent.

But I digress, the search for Kony has ceased. Maybe the African Union needs to search elsewhere for muscle. Maybe it needs to recruit Liberian parallels to Kony, such as cannibalistic General Butt Naked, or the ruthless General Tupac. Granted, both hilariously, yet terrifyingly named Generals are retired from baby heart-eating and lady raping, respectively, but maybe they could make a comeback as the African Justice League. You know, they once worked for evil but now they’re using their powers for good?

That probably won’t happen?

You’re probably right. However, it’s better than nothing, and until Kony has been given his just desserts, the conflict will rage on. More people will die, more blood will be shed, and more families will be separated. I’m not saying that we should support Invisible Children again. Their incompetence with money and social media has already been proven. I’m just saying that, maybe next time, we could hop on a “cause bandwagon” with a purpose, rather than a slogan.

I currently belong to the Wholockian fandom, on tumblr and I  reblog gifsets of these wonderful TV shows on a daily basis. Yesterday though happened to be April Fools day and I was unknowlingly thrown into the depths of the Supernatural fandom in their supposed “Mishapocalpse”.

This ‘Mishapocalypse’ was when all those people in the Supernatural fandom constantly reblogged pictures and gifs of Misha Collins, putting his face in hilarious and awkward situations. All I could see on my dashboard was his face.

I don’t even follow that many Supernatural blogs, the fandom literally exploded and went mental.

Even the holy Misha Collins himself commented on the Mishapocalypse, “The #mishapocalypse is worse than an ordinary apocalypse. I’ve signed up for facial identity surgery so I never have to see that face again.”

I think is the best possible example of the extent that a fangirl/boy will go to, just to express their love for a TV show, film or band. It is quite scary if you think about it, these people basically hijacked the internet. It shows how powerful the internet can be, a year ago nobody knew who Kony was then 97,033,146 views later on YouTube and this war criminal is world famous and people are appealing to help this cause.

It proves that the internet is not just a place of procrastination, but can be a really useful tool in raising awareness for a cause or brainwashing the nation (depending on whether you were using it for the greater good or not).

The internet isn’t just a way for you to look at funny cats or share how you feel with your friends – it can be a really powerful tool in helping a cause… or world domination…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc   -Kony

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/mishapocalypse       – The Tumblr  Mishapocalypse

The expansion of the War Crimes Rewards program, which will now include Joseph Kony and other top LRA commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court, is the result of legislation that Congress passed and President Obama signed into law in January of this year. Invisible Children activists were very involved in lobbying for the passage of this legislation through local lobby meetings, phone calls, letters, and a lobby day in Washington, DC last November. As a result, Invisible Children’s CEO Ben Keesey was invited to join President Obama for the signing of the bill at the Oval Office on January 15, 2013.

President Obama signing the Rewards for Justice bill on Jan 15, 2013

Incidentally, the bill was originally introduced in April 2012 by then Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, who specifically hoped that an expanded War Crimes Rewards program would help put Joseph Kony behind bars. Mr. Kerry now serves as Secretary of State and we’ve been urging him to stand by his commitment to help bring Kony to justice by ensuring that the U.S. continues its efforts.

For the next 48 hours we are tweeting at the African Union to encourage them to continue their counter-LRA efforts and ensure that civilians remain protected. 

Hactivism (yes that’s a Wikipedia link – it just does such a nice job summarizing!) is a concept that broadly defines a digital type of activism where individuals with superior knowledge of computers and computer networks manipulate their function in support of a political cause. Hactivism is often misunderstood and assumed to be something negative by those whose knowledge of ‘hacking’ has been entirely influenced by identity theft commercials and Hollywood films such as Swordfish (2001). 

Hacking, however, a skill often assumed to be used for evil can be used for good as well. For example,  Anonymous, a popular hacktivist group known for wearing the Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta mask, recently used their skills to uncover information regarding the Steubenville rape trial that the mainstream media did not have access to. This provided the audience with an alternative perspective and introduced them to information that uncovered the reoccurring trend to keep things ‘hush hush’ in the small Ohio town.

Hopefully I’ve explained this concept clear, but if you’re still unsure I highly recommend checking out the previously linked Wikipedia explanation. Hactivism, although always an interesting concept to discuss in class, is somewhat of a review for me having learned about it previously. A fresh concept for me, and one which I wish to focus on for the remainder of this post, is slacktivism.

Slacktivism, simply put, is a less involved form of activism where one does something very minor in an effort to show their support for a specific cause. This may involve making a small donation, using a hash-tag on Twitter, wearing a t-shirt, or buying a specific product all ‘for a cause.’ In any case, the person involved is made to feel like they’ve done something profound, when in reality their actions have been rather minute.

This type of action does not strictly occur online, but the Internet is certainly a place where slacktivist movements gain popularity quickly. A recent example is the online movement in support of equal rights for the LGBT community. One can show their support for this cause by making their Facebook or Twitter display picture a pink and red equal sign. The question that lingers with movements like this one is whether or not this  type of action constitutes genuine activism. In other words, is changing your display picture (or donating, or wearing a t-shirt etc) truly a meaningful form of action? Coincidently, Autumn and I discussed this debate in our final Infiltrate the Mainstream radio show. For a recap of our discussion check out our blog post on Radio Laurier’s website.

Mark Hachman addresses this debate in asking whether or not ‘turning Facebook red’ is meaningful or not, conclusively taking no real decisive stand on this issue either way. Based on both in class and on air discussion regarding slacktivism and this movement in particular, I’ve come to believe that some action is better than no action, and that the real ‘problem’ is when people ‘act’ merely to follow a trend. That is, as someone who believes in equal rights for the gay community, changing your display picture to visually express this belief is something more than doing nothing at all. If you truly believe in what you are supporting, then even small actions such as promoting the cause by wearing a t-shirt or donating a small sum of money is transforming your belief into action, and I would argue this is meaningful.

What I find problematic, however, is when this type of movement occurs merely in accordance with the latest trend. Kony 2012 is a fairly good example of this, where people did very little to find out more about this cause and merely followed along because ‘everyone else was doing it.’

What are your thoughts? Is slacktivism the lazy man’s activism? If so, is that such a bad thing? I would love to hear other opinions on this.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court decided to hear two cases having to do with gay marriage and marriage equality.  While in a sense the same thing because gay marriage is marriage equality, it seems most people don’t share my belief…idiots what’s new.  One of the cases has to do with California’s infamous (famous, if you don’t agree with the position of gay marriage…I mean, you hate gay people).  The other case (you know, the one that actually matters) is if the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is valid.

For those of you who have an affinity for ostriches, DOMA kept homosexual couples from receiving benefits that heterosexual couples received on a federal level. I’d like to point out for those that want to blame one side or the other that in 1996 when it was passed, the Republicans controlled the legislative side of things while Clinton was president. Therefore, it’s both sides fault so shut the hell up, you’re letting your government decide if you can get married or not based on your sexuality.  Anyway, the case didn’t deal with same-sex marriage (why do we have so many different words for the same damn thing?), it dealt with the benefits provided to such couples.

Another case the Justices decided to hear was the case of “Hollingsworth v. Perry, No. 12-144, concerning whether the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.”  Most watchers have decided that given the Justices we have at this moment, that the decisions will come down to probably overturning Proposition 8 as well as DOMA and leave benefits up to the state. AGAIN, why are we letting the government tell us who we can marry?!  It’s your right to marry who you want based out of love or so we’re told, it’s not something the government can grant us.  Oh sorry, this is the disinterested meeting of Facebook socialites.

You’re So Gay:

I completely forgot what the gist of this post was not really but history is good for you.  Do you remember Kony last year?  Of course you don’t because it was a flash in the pan brought to you by Invisible Children.  And if you don’t remember correctly, the guy that created the video, Kony 2012, that Invisible Children picked up, ended up being detained after being found, as per wikipedia and TMZ, “a state of undress, interfering with traffic and screaming incoherently.”  Of course, exhaustion most likely drunk was claimed, blah, blah, just like Billie Joe when he raged at IHeartRadio alcohol, mkay?.

While this time there is no video there are these profile pictures on Facebook of an equal sign with a red background to support gay marriage.  There’s one for if you don’t support and there’s my favorite, the Libertarian one that is basically for “Get government the f&#! out of our personal lives”.  The moment this hit the Supreme Court the profile picture went up all over the place.  It reminded me very much of putting up pictures of something irrelevant for Child Abuse Month.  You know, since changing your Facebook photo will compel dad or mom from beating the shit out of you for doing something minuscule like forgetting to take out the trash.

I understand it’s about support. I support equality for everyone, even the KKK when they say they hate gays and Jews (why don’t was capitalize gays?) or when PETA runs ridiculous commercials about why hunting is bad.  It’s freedom of speech and same-sex marriage technically could be construed as a form of free speech, to publicly announces ones love for another.  Marriage is an expression of being tied down love, right (divorce rate, anyone?).  But you don’t see me changing my picture.

Why?  Because, I don’t need to tell EVERYONE what my position is.  If they care, they can ask me and I’ll tell them that I support marriage equality and human equality (except for Fred Phelps) and I also support the United States government butting out of my personal life and what I like to do between consenting adults in leather outfits with a ball peen hammer (If you don’t catch the reference then George Carlin is going to roll over in his grave).  Still, me putting my profile picture on Facebook isn’t going to do jackshit for the gay rights movement.  It’s just going to be saying “Hey, look at me! I’m part of the group too, I’m stimulating my ego!”

If you really support it then get out there in support of it in a more meaningful manner.  Facebook has made us lazy on such a large scale.  Instead of actively getting involved, we get passively get involved (I should really write a research paper on this for grad school).  Thinking you’re “politically active” with a Facebook photo reminds me of Christians that Brennan Manning claims are the single greatest cause of Atheism.  All you have to do is say you support it and post some shit when things get going and then do nothing.

This isn’t what Timothy Leary meant when he said, “Turn on, tune in, drop out”!  Facebook has done some amazing thing, look at what Ron Paul did! But that’s because it got people actively involved.  They weren’t changing their stupid pictures and going “Oh, see I support Ron Paul!” and then just not doing anything.

So tell me, Facebook, how long until you lose interest and change your pictures back and then put up the equal sign photos when June rolls around?  Your move social media and Generation ADD, impress me…

Hear those squeaky wheels, lushes and reprobates? That’s the sound of the latest bandwagon rolling into town. Its name: “marriage equality”.

Not that I’m bothered by queerfolk gaining the freedom to indulge in the socially endorsed BDSM ritual known as marriage. Actually, I lie: ideally, I’d love for the state to get ‘n’ stay the fuck out of the marriage biz (amongst other things), leaving folk – queer, straight, bi, poly, siblings – to sort out their own bondage arrangements. I have some sympathy for those who see “marriage equality” as a potential Trojan Horse for future state encroachments; and, of course, I completely sympathise with those who resent their peaceful, private affairs being subject to public and political approval. Nevertheless, seeing as the state won’t vanish anytime soon, I’m all for homogamous unions getting isonomy in the meantime. As long as the Anglosphere doesn’t go down the Denmark route of forcing churches to conduct said unions (a reason for the religious to support church-state separation, if ever there was one), it’s all good.

None of that, however, excuses the clone army mentality across the social networks over the past few days. Driven by an evangelical fervour matching that of their Bible-thumping, Prop 8-supporting counterparts, many of the pro-“equality” folk dispense with all nuance, mischaracterizing sections of their opposition as driven by “hate” (as opposed to rigid traditionalism and/or religious piety) in order to pass as shining heroes. (Incidentally, many of those assimilated into the equality Borg displayed the same erasure of personal identity a few years back in the name of atheism – onward, anti-Christian soldiers!)

As well as the abject demonization of the opposition in the name of “tolerance”, the  fundamentalists employ a marked bifurcation in an attempt to increase their numbers, upbraiding those in agreement with their goal who fail to break out in Borgasm.

Wanting to bind all into one uniform bundle? I suppose that fits the criterion for equality – and faggotry of an altogether different kind.

In many ways, this outbreak of point-and-click crusaderism shares many a hallmark with the Kony campaign that infested the Net this time last year. We have the zealous emotionalists, all too ready to submerge themselves in some Good Cause™; said zealots mirroring some of the worst traits of those they claim to oppose; the need to pin a Good Guy Badge to one’s proverbial lapel in a show of sanctity; the berating of the less impressionable as unenthusiastic do-nothings…

…and, of course, the delusion that a few clicks ‘n’ shares on a social network will somehow “make history”.

Makes me wonder when and what the next contagion will be. I, for one, hope (against hope) for a mass inoculation before that time.

Just don’t expect me to make a fucking meme of it.

~MRDA~