I need more information
Recently, someone told me that an amoral action that I should be concerned about was performed "all the time". They followed it up with saying "a lot" and "most times". I asked "How often does this happen?". I did not get a number. I will admit it became condescending when I explained how to get a fraction but I don't think that asking for a hard number is out of line. It's important to know to what extent "this" is going on. It also let's me know immediately how informed someone is about what they're talking about. There are statistics for everything and I do like to know everything about were those numbers come from and how those numbers were created. If you care about something soooo much that you are attempting to have someone agree with you, I would expect there to be some evidence of the rate at which this thing happens. Every cause has numbers I just want you to tell me what they are since you're the one who believes so much and it's my mind you would like to change.
Also, circumstance.
What people ask you to do when they ask you to believe that people are performing amoral acts is to judge them. In order for something to be "wrong" it must first be against the morals of the common man, the public... you. So when judging people I like to know the circumstance of their actions. This is the question of "is a man who is caught stealing for his family...." I like to put myself in the person's shoes and assume that their just a person going through their day when suddenly....You fill in the blanks and remove all doubt that my assumption of innocence is correct. This is the basis of our justice system by the way. I know you don't believe me but once we all really believed in innocents before guilt (unless they were black). Reasonable doubt needs to work for everyone, it needs to go all ways. That's why I need to know what happened. Why should I or anyone else judge any other human before knowing the whole story. Often times, because of the internet and technology available you are urged to make a snap judgment without hearing anyone's entire story. No. That is unreasonable. I wouldn't want someone to judge me or you as amoral without getting to hear my/your side of the story.
You are the thing you hate
Sometimes, I run into people who really want me to see a someone or something as just down right evil, they then tell me about their someone or something that is doing the exact same thing but it's okay because they are doing it against Evil. This argument is (loosely) used in activist groups (not all but some). Once the great Evil has been identified it seems that members of these groups are fine with any measure they deem necessary to alleviate it. For example... again loosely.. Sea Shepard cries any time the Japanese who they are pelting with bottles of stuff and whose ship parts they are trying to entangle cry any time they use any sort of counter measures. I have a feeling if I started pelting them with bottles of whatever they throw is, they would be quick to call me a terrorist. Maybe I just wanted to paint with the colors of the wind, calm down. Peta also kills animals. No matter what good these organizations may or may not do; is being just as bad as the people you're angry with really okay with you? Simply put it isn't for me and this is something that will turn me off from "your side". To go back to a previous point; You are asking me to judge someone else.
Okay, I'm in! But, it's responsible to judge you as well since you're providing me with all the information right?
I also have a problem with a solution being violence. I know I'm a horrible person like that. Regardless of what your issue is there is a way to resolve it that has nothing to do with being an asshole or beating someones ass. There are some cases where that solution may simply be your own education. That is always a possibility. Let's assume that your issue has won me over and I agree that you have the moral high ground. If you express to me that the solution is violence against people well then you just lost me because you very clearly just have the need to fight someone. Get into karate.
Fuck! That's horrible! NOW WHAT!?
Now we get the rope!
Wait? WTF I thought we were going to make a difference today. Change the hearts and minds of people so that all together we can make a change for the better! You just want to lynch someone. No.
All Crusades need to be over. History has proven that they aren't good for anyone and really we need to start acting like we are the product of 4 billion years of evolutionary success. I'm saying this because I don't want PETA to kill animals and I don't want Sea Shepard to use dangerous navel tactics against the Japanese. I want these people to talk to the people they have differences with in a reasonable open manner without each side throwing millions of dollars into advertising and instead throwing it into research that is actually reviewed and then letting the people who are the most greatly impacted decide on the proper outcome. I also want people to gain perspective of the opposition. I know... fucking dreamers.
I digress...
Is that even true?
This is the first thing that I ask myself when given any information. I feel that if your cause is noble and worthy of public attention it does not need elaboration or embellishment.
I'm a huge fan of magic and because of this have become very familiar with the idea of miss direction. I implore people to be aware of this. Good example is a video I once watched of "cat's getting skinned alive". That's gross right? FUCK!? I watched the video and became aware that the video was edited to show you living cats and then immediately an animal getting skinned. The video didn't show you them getting killed so you assume that they weren't killed. I'm not bringing this example up to say people should or shouldn't skin dead cats. I'm bringing this up because this video was very clearly edited in a way that makes you make assumptions about the cat but at no point was there a cat shown alive and meowing and someone picking it up to skin it. When you say that a video shows something it should show that something.... beyond a reasonable doubt. That is your burden of proof and I am going to ask questions about it.... a lot. If i don't find that information or feel that it's hidden from me I revert back to the statement of elaboration and embellishment.
I question everything. You should too especially when someone wants you to agree with them or see things they're way. We are natural sellers of things. We want people to like us and we sell ourselves to others to do that. Don't judge it's normal. Society and culture has been a huge reason for our apex predator status and I'm glad for that but rather people consciously do it or not... they sell. The most effective method of selling is true belief in a product but it doesn't make that method of miss direction any more noble.
Your Facebook page is not activism
People really love their memes don't they?! I give some organizations shit. I do. The thing is at one point in time or another one of these groups asked for my attention. Susan G Korman is a good example. Everyone has seen a pink ribbon. It's gotten onto all of our products. She's very successful. She asked all of us to do one thing; Pay attention to her thing. So I did... I didn't like what I found out about how she dose business and because of that I don't buy pink ribbon stuff and I often tell people why I don't. Sea Shepard had a T.V. show and they asked me to judge the Japanese.... I did and Sea Shepperd in turn. I think they are helping like my dog helps me when I'm trying to fold clothes, which is to say that she gets in the way. I don't like things but let's get one thing clear; They believe in something. It's important to them. They are angry and upset and are up in arms! They're up... in arms... They aren't sitting behind their laptop or phone all day arguing on Facebook. They took the most logical steps to them to correct what they saw as a problem. I don't agree with some organizations from jump street but they will always bee better than me because those kids did something with their feels.
I may not agree with someones idea of logical steps to resolving an issue but unless it is an all out dedicated cyber campaign you need to actually be doing something if something upsets you. You need to do it logically and you need to think about the ways that this can make an impact. All issues regardless of how obvious or weird are social issues. People need to be educated (going back to those facts and figures you should have) and they need to be brought to your side or in the case of gay marriage someone needs to be educated enough on your side to make a legal impact.
If you want something to change you need to actually do something to facilitate that change because there may be someone out there who likes the way things are. The problem becomes then who can be the most effective. Gay marriage didn't become legal in some states because it was voted in. It became legal because of courts and the only reason why it went to court is become someone got off their ass and brought it there. They didn't bitch about it all day to their friends, they didn't react violently and wave their middle fingers in the air screaming about how unfair it was crying face in the corner (don't get me wrong some people did do that but that's really all those people did). Those people who actually changed how people were treated did it with a set of skills they were able to acquire and by being motivated to make a clear change. This is how things actually get done to change. Sure there absolutely needed to be assholes like me who just sit back and bitch, I understand that to be awareness if you will but it's not taking a stand. It's not forming a protest. It's not being an active member in my community and it certainly isn't any kind of activism.
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