Skinning The Savior: The Capacity for Grace & Humility In Social Media

*Note: there is cursing in this post, some of y’all pushed me to it:

 

 

I can’t take some of you people in social media. I mean, really.

 

I was just reading one of the most outrageous posts I’ve ever seen on Facebook- and I’ve seen some really stupid shit. There was a time when I was an admin for a local news outlet’s page and I mean this even tops that crazy.

 

I cannot believe people are attacking Kerri Fickling on her personal Facebook page. It seems as if they don’t like that she is placing her husbands health (a developing asthmatic condition) over those of the dogs she’s trying to save. And there’s more to it than just that, it seems like neighbors have complained behind her back. And yet- she’s attacked by people who are basically calling her a sell out.

 

I can’t even read any more of it because my blood pressure is high enough. It’s a fantastic example of people taking an issue that is WAY TOO FUCKING COMPLICATED  FOR A SIMPLE FACEBOOK STATUS UPDATE AND BLOWING IT OUT OF PROPORTION. Christ Almighty some of y’all friggin kill me.

 

Aside from the fact that this is her personal decision, and I’m guessing she posted the status out of frustration for her situation and also as a way to network and ask for HELP- a method we’ve all seen animal rescue groups use before.

 

And to top it off- people attack her for using her financial well being to save these animals as “just buying time”.

 

This is someone who I don’t know personally, but my father is friends with her husband, and just from what others have told me and what I have witnessed she has a genuine love for animals. But because she has been a vocal, public, and wealthy figure to help these animals people feel the need to get vicious.

 

But this is something that happens a lot in social media- I’m guilty as well.

 

We are seeing more and more these days on social media when people say things they don’t mean- generally surrounding a political topic. I feel like I am very lucky that I worked at a t.v. station here locally, and we were outright banned from making such comments- even on our private social media pages.

 

Some of you may or may not be aware of an exchange that I was a part of over Facebook regarding the county government cutting funding for two museums in Macon. It. Got. Ugly. I was no shining example of how one should behave either, though, let me say that from the jump. But it still went in a direction that was a little bit shocking. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a stranger refer to me by the “b” word or even refer to me as being like the Devil. Publicly, I maintained an air of not caring- even poking the bear in the conversation if I am honest. But inside, it really, really bothered me.

 

The conversation got so ugly that I felt the need to take screenshots in case it ever came back to haunt me, because I really felt like my defense of the Tubman Museum was backed in facts- as opposed to rumor and rhetoric that so many times plagues our city.

 

I would end up chalking it up to realizing who I don’t need to be friends with on Facebook anymore and trying to leave it at that- especially as others would attack me in the conversation. I still stand by the fact that the tone of this conversation is based in the racism that is still incredibly prevalent in our community. (I’m happy to address that in a later post- this isn’t really about that.)

 

There was a moment when I realized that someone in my Leadership Macon classes works with this gentleman, and I have a conversation with my classmate- who would ask that I send him the screenshots. And I did so.

 

I say all of this to lead up to the fact that I met the person who called me the Devil- someone who I had never met before- and I was scared. Scared for him, actually. You see, I had a conversation with our mutual friend who told me just how sorry this gentleman was. That he said he had a lot to work on and he never could have imagined our conversation would go this far and that I was connected to a co-worker of his. And I know these things happen, I’m lucky that I’ve never really been terribly penalized by something I said in social media. But I was nervous for him because I can imagine having to be in his position, coming to the realization that something I had said hurt someone else and angered another. And that perhaps it could affect my livelihood.

 

He was incredibly apologetic- and the first thing I said was I wasn’t perfect either, and that it was ok and I already knew he was sorry. He realized after that exchange that he could have lost his job, and I realized it as well, and I was scared for him: I don’t want to be any part of someone losing their livelihood.

 

All of that said to point out, we have all got to increase our capacity for grace and humility. Just the other day, I started the process of rebuilding a bridge I had monumentously (I think I just made up that word) and permanently burned down. I did it on purpose, too. But, thankfully, gratefully, gracefully, this person reached out to me. I am humbled and blessed.

 

I wish all of you out there would just really, really think before you post something. Or if you realize you misspoke, apologize in the thread. Don’t just delete what you said, acknowledge that you misspoke. You don’t know what kind of effect your words have, on somebody else or even yourself.

 

 

Love to all y’all,

 

Molly