repost: Destroyed in 140 Characters or Less: Witch Hunting in the 21st Century

Of all the posts I’ve seen in response to the latest uproar, only one has taken into account the big picture of the terrifyingly powerful impact of social media, groupthink & angry mob mentality (KILL HIM, SKIN HIM, LET HIM ROT!) that one single act has glaringly revealed.
The radius of retaliation stretches far beyond one man. ONE MAN committed an act, yet hundreds of innocents will be negatively impacted as collateral damage – lives torn apart, jobs lost, discrimination by virtue of association. Those closest to him will live in fear of hate and violence. Don’t kid yourself into believing there isn’t some seething, mentally unstable individual who would take such action. Energy feeds energy & hate grows when fuel is added to the fire. And whoa what a conflagration we’ve built.
Do I condone what was done? No. Agree with the practice? Nope. Should all parties face the very legal repercussions of what transpired? Absolutely.
But to sit here and let hate, verbal violence, and threats of actual violence engulf every aspect of our world is just as appalling as the act that ignited it. You can disagree, de-friend me, or whatever the hell you want to do. If it is all hate & condemnation you spew, you’re becoming part of a bigger problem. If your children are modeling this behavior (and, you’d better believe they are), then we are grooming generations of knee-jerk anger and retaliation. We are creating a culture ready & waiting for the next ‘big thing’; the next person to persecute. And, what if…
WHAT IF WE VILIFIED THE WRONG PERSON?
WHAT IF THE PERSON WAS LATER FOUND TO BE INNOCENT OF THE CRIME?
WHAT IF WE DIDN’T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY?
WHAT IF THE INCIDENT WAS A COMPLETE FABRICATION?
Lives ripped apart; damage we can’t take back; violence; homicides; suicides – these things happen NOW! Social media infects & effects. And, it goes unchecked. We have just witnessed one of the largest worldwide displays of unity through technology. Instead of discourse to stop the problem – through education, perspective, and adult conversation, we turned on the rage & swooped up all who were game for the ride.
Well, congratulations, folks, we’ve successfully regressed to the 17th century. And YOU are the only way we can find our way back to a more enlightened age. I can only hope you’re willing to see the big picture & journey back along this super highway.