1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

#20Acts

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by 21, Dec 16, 2012.

  1. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Seeing this all over Twitter today and it's making me nuts. Sorry to be cynical, but doing '20 acts of kindness' to honor the murdered children doesn't bring back the children, and it doesn't prevent more murders.

    Let those 20 Acts include 20 letters and phone calls to your government, demanding change and action. Honor those babies and teachers--and all the victims of gun violence--by demanding this isn't forgotten in a couple weeks, as it always is.

    And if we need a mass slaughter to be reminded to do an occasional 'act of kindness,' shame on us all.
     
  2. YGBFKM

    YGBFKM Guest

    Your last sentence is especially true. But I suppose if things like this help keep the dialogue going -- even if it's just to express frustration over empty gestures -- then maybe it's a good thing in the sense that it will keep the tragedy in the public consciousness long enough for substantive change to come from it.
     
  3. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Agreed with OP. Too many people seem to equate changing their status on social media with actualy doing something ... and in a week they'll be back to posting pictures of puppies and George Takei memes. Not that your congresscritter is gonna listen anyaway, but at least its something.
     
  4. Lugnuts

    Lugnuts Well-Known Member

    Could not agree more. This may sound horrible, but seeing these candles on Facebook, I mumble to myself, "Fuck candles."

    The cynic in me sees these "acts of kindness," "prayers," and professed "condolences" as ways to make us feel better and move on more quickly from a disturbing event.

    Call or e-mail my Congressman? Nah. Why get involved in that mess? I don't do 'political.' My friends would get annoyed with me. Can't open up that can o' worms. I did my part. I lit a candle and did some acts of kindness. I can move on now.
     
  5. Norrin Radd

    Norrin Radd New Member

    Contacting a Congressperson, and ensuring the message is heard?

    That takes effort.

    Staying outraged about this and all gun violence, even during this time of year?

    That takes dedication.

    Changing a Facebook status? Hashtagging "20Acts!" (which are undefined and could thus include everything from opening a door for an old lady to giving someone a ride to church) and screaming "Look what a good PERSON I am!!!! RIP kids!!!!!!!!!"

    Those things are easy. And they mean less than nothing, except to the person who gets to pat themselves on the back. Like the people who say "I'm so sorry" not because they are truly regretful, but because they want to be able to SAY they expressed sympathy.

    People couldn't even verify that stupid Morgan Freeman rant before breathlessly posting it and saying "I, too, shall turn off the MEDIA!!!!!"

    That also would have taken a bit of effort.
     
  6. Lugnuts

    Lugnuts Well-Known Member

    I saw IJAG's post about the Morgan Freeman thing. Has it been verified that he didn't say it? (Not that we shouldn't first verify that he did, to IJAG's point.)
     
  7. Norrin Radd

    Norrin Radd New Member

    Her notation that it doesn't come up in Google sent me searching:

    http://now.msn.com/morgan-freeman-newtown-statement-is-a-hoax

    http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/newtown.asp
     
  8. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    According to Snopes, he didn't say it: http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/newtown.asp

    EDIT: Norrin beat me to it.
     
  9. Lugnuts

    Lugnuts Well-Known Member

    Yeeeaah. After I read it the first time, I was thinking: Why would Morgan Freeman attach this particular picture of himself? How weird.

    IJAG's right. All you really have to do is stop and think.
     
  10. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    What's the difference between this #20Acts thing and putting a yellow ribbon on your car or Facebook profile?
     
  11. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    America is great at symbolism. Light a candle, leave a teddy bear, post a teary oath on Facebook.

    Next week we'll have moved on to Another Great Cause. It's the easy way out, and that's another tragedy. We don't really fix anything anymore. We just blame other people and insist that they be fixed.
     
  12. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Probably nothing, but I think there's a difference between saying "I support the troops" and saying "I will now perform random acts of kindness because children were slaughtered."

    Here's the tweet that set me off, from NBC's Ann Curry: "Imagine if all of us committed to 20 mitvahs/acts of kindness for each child lost in Newtown? I'm in." Really? You're a highly recognized media personality with a massive platform. This is the best you can do? How about, "Imagine if all of us committed to changing gun laws and mental health care, not just until the fucking Facebook book candles melt but until we get some actual results?"

    But the fact remains, there was an identical outcry after Columbine, after VaTech, after Aurora, etc etc etc...we'll be lighting the fucking Facebook candles all over again soon.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page