“We cannot continue in the direction we are going. This seething undercurrent of hatred and vitriol, that is bubbling up in horrific ways, cannot continue. The world we live in now is most often viewed through the lens our algorithms give us. And those algorithms are so powerful, and knowledgeable, that if someone even pauses to watch a video for ten seconds they will be fed similar videos. Parents and schools recognize the need to detach our children from screens, noting marked upticks in focus and comprehension when phones are banned from classrooms. Maybe, just maybe, we could learn a thing or two from our kids’ experiences; detach ourselves from the social media vortex, actually talk to one another, work on listening and comprehension, and learn to admit when we don’t understand something or that we don’t know enough about a topic to articulate an informed opinion. We might find that we don’t hate each other as much as we’re told we do, that there is less to fear than the monster we’ve created in our minds, and even learn to coexist. *Clearly, this does not apply to those who choose bigotry over loving thy neighbor. Bigotry, in all forms, must not be tolerated.”
Tag Archives: opinion
What’s Wrong with this Picture?
There have been two big discussions on social media in the past week or so; the execution of Marcellus Williams, who was almost certainly innocent of the crime he was convicted of, by the state of Missouri and whether retail workers need to be nice to their customers. Both merit further scrutiny and both can be boiled down to one basic idea. We need to be better to each other.
Have We Lost Our Humanity?
Or did we have any to begin with? Street art in Washington, DC. Photo taken by author. Let me start with this. Humanity has always been inhumane. Atrocities have been committed throughout history. And, while we aren’t experiencing Genghis Khan-level atrocities at the moment (though Ukrainians might disagree), the United States is certainly allowing smaller,ContinueContinue reading “Have We Lost Our Humanity?”
The Emotional Strength of Accepting Rejection
Somewhat Gracefully Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on unsplash.com. My writing’s been rejected a lot. Sometimes, it wasn’t the right fit for the publication or they had something similar in the works that hadn’t been published yet. Other times, editors have said the writing was good, but they just weren’t interested at that time. And, I’veContinueContinue reading “The Emotional Strength of Accepting Rejection”
The First Amendment Has Restrictions; Why Not the Second?
Photo by author. Art by Yasmin E. Rice, Syncottia, and Ebony Byrd. “And in the naked light I sawTen thousand people, maybe morePeople talking without speakingPeople hearing without listeningPeople writing songs that voices never sharedAnd no one daredDisturb the sound of silence”The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel This song became the one ofContinueContinue reading “The First Amendment Has Restrictions; Why Not the Second?”
Why Care about Strangers?
Mural in NE Washington, DC. Photo taken by author. I’m at a point where I almost don’t have the words anymore. Whether it’s draconian laws being passed in multiple states in the United States by those determined to drag our country back to the 1950s or the ongoing, horrifying war in Ukraine, it seems thatContinueContinue reading “Why Care about Strangers?”
Food for Thought on Ukraine: A Guest Post
Photo by Artem Apukhtin on Pixabay.com. Today I’m doing something a little different. I’ve handed over the writing reins to a friend from Madrid, Spain. He has some thoughts on the current war in Ukraine and I thought it would be interesting to provide one European’s perspective. Please join me in welcoming our guest writer,ContinueContinue reading “Food for Thought on Ukraine: A Guest Post”
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