Social media mobs bully those who make mistakes
In place of the N-bomb, I would like to offer the P-word – p-r-o-p-o-r-t-i-o-n-a-l-i-t-y.
Nowadays, a person makes an error, uses a nasty word, commits some politically incorrect faux pas and the hunt is on! Go after the person’s job. Try to find their home address. Publish their photo. Not long ago Tracey Carver, a woman with no crowd-control training, attempted to break up a fight between two girls at the now-infamous Texas McKinney “pool party.” Witnesses say Carver used racial slurs and punched a 15-year-old girl, though Carver denies this. She was then targeted for public abuse — people who had never met this lady and were not there at the incident published her name, her photo, her home address, and pictures of her house; her phone number, her employer, her supervisor’s name, phone number and email, and much more personal data. She was wrongly accused of using racial slurs, her life was threatened, and social media posts encouraged the public to “rape that bitch,” “punch her in the face,” and “burn her.” She finally moved to another state, her life destroyed not by any well-deserved consequences of anything she did wrong, no, but by the utter aggression of a media-linked mob.
Now a local man, our neighbor, has admitted to an addiction and he has apologized for his nasty behavior, which he freely admits was distorted by the symptoms of his addiction (“N-bombs Away! Holyoke man blames racist text to client on addiction” Dec. 17, 2015). And what does the mayor of his town do? Call for a boycott of his business, and all but tell him to get out of town. Over a word he said. He didn’t steal, he didn’t assault anyone, he doesn’t have a gun or a knife at anyone’s throat. He said a horrible word to another person.
If you don’t like something nasty someone says, then tell them so. Or at worst, say something equally nasty to them, if you think that’s the way to go. The person isn’t trying to starve you, don’t try to starve them. They didn’t publish your photo and home address, don’t publish theirs. Making a page and a half article out of your neighbor’s addiction, plus the outside shaming and blaming and calling for a boycott is not proportional. It’s a cruel witch hunt that helps no one.
Don’t ditch Daylight Savings
I agree with almost all of your suggestions — or at least don’t have a serious objection to any (“The Advocate’s Wish List for 2016,” Dec. 24, 2015). Except one. Don’t eliminate Daylight Savings Time. Eliminate Standard Time and make Daylight Savings Time year round.
My hope for Northampton and the Valley is to have theater of the same high quality as our musical offerings.
What’s really going on with Puerto Rico
In Glenn Staniseski’s letter to the editor “Depends on what your definition of a nation is,” Dec. 24, 2015, he forgets to tell you, the reader, the latest development that directly impacts the conversation on Puerto Rico. Recently, the United Nation sub-committee for decolonization referred to Puerto Rico’s political relationship with the United States as one of subordination to the United States. In other words, a colonial relationship. CELAC (Comite de Estados Latino Americanos y Caribeños) overwhelmingly and unanimously support Puerto Rico’s inalienable right to self-determination. The people of Puerto Rico in 2012 voted to change the political relationship with the United States. They no longer want to be a colony. It is now up to the United States to sit at the negotiating table and agree to a political relationship that is acceptable to the United States. The independence party has proposed, and a faction of the colonial party supports it, a Status Assembly. On this assembly, elected delegates from all major Puerto Rican political parties will formulate a proposed political relationship with the United States. The U.S. Congress can then agree or disagree with what is acceptable. Once agreed relationships are completed, the options will be presented to the people of Puerto Rican for a vote. The results will be honored by both the people of Puerto Rico and the people of the United States. If you are going to opine, maintain your facts straight.
