In the film "The Waldo Moment" there exist two entities trying to gain favor over Mr. Monroe. The female politician is depicted as running for office almost solely to further her career and while she holds cynical feelings towards politics as they are, she is too afraid to be radically honest. Waldo shares the same critical viewpoint of politics, but has no fear of being radical. Jamie, the man coerced into using Waldo for political statements, has no desire to be an agent of extreme change. These predicaments create an interesting political climate not so unlike that in the United States of America today.
One of the more interesting phenomenon in the film that likely transfers to today’s society comes when Jamie makes the decision to value his own beliefs higher than those that Waldo promotes. The people in the crowd are very easily moved to violence when Jamie opposes Waldo. This seems to be an expression of general frustration. In America today, it is clear to see a society filled with similar frustration. We are frustrated about a variety of issues, and divided in our angst. Many are exasperated with the idea of same-sex marriage, legal marijuana, abortion, civilian gun ownership, or even privatized healthcare. It is common to be dismayed over the state of the federal budget. All of these problems spark debates that in today’s social media age are usually less than kind and commonly misinterpreted, misinformed, and misplaced.
The internet allows us to consume information at a rapid (and overwhelming) pace. There is no “internet police” taming comments to be constructive nor are we required to only pass along information that is verified and accurate. Sources are left unchecked. In a frustrated population, we go online to join a global conversation where radical (sometimes only half-true) ideas go viral and we are often stuck reading a feed that does not do justice to the diversity present in our country.
In our frustration, we become mini-idols. We feel a burning need to contribute to the conversation, and carefully craft posts that often go something like this: I never post politics on Facebook, I don’t want to offend anyone, but I don’t care who I offend and here is my personal statement on the current events this week.
Who are we to need to publicly share our thoughts about everything around us? Who are we to need to convince others by our personal convictions? I’d also go so far as to ask: Who are we not to be?
We are social beings, and the desire to have immediate gratification is real. My hope for us each is to learn to recognize buzz words like “change, believe, challenge, better, and hope” as things crafted to urge us to action and emotion. My wish is that we can be courageous enough to have our honest opinions and be capable of holding them without the need for commentary by our peers. Be radical if that’s how you feel, but please, please, don’t be a jerk about it.
At the end of the day, we are all human. We are all broken. We are all capable of compassion, so let’s prove that.
In communities across the nation we see the desire for kindness, compassion, and understanding within the diverse country we call home.
3 comments:
It's understandable why there are so many arguments on the internet, whether political or not. Everyone likes to think that they're right, and anyone who disagrees is somehow wrong, no matter what evidence they might have to support their claims. People do have the right to speak their minds about things, but I think a lot of what happens is that people get tired of others bashing on their opinions. After so many hits to their beliefs, people will fight back, which is why conversations can get so violent verbally on the internet and even physically IRL. One of my friends had to constantly see her family and friends talk about politics, bashing anyone who supported Hillary. She avoided the conflict for a long while until she eventually snapped and insulted them just like they were doing to others. I've also had a friend who explicitly stated that she refused to associate or be friends with anyone who voted for Trump. While I understand her fear over him becoming president, it doesn't do anything for her now to lose friends over something like this. People really just need to calm down and even if they can't accept what has already happened, they should know how to treat others like human beings and not like broken toys that need to be fixed or changed via their opinions.
I agree with you, Carlee. One should be able to form and hold their own beliefs without need for validation from their peers. This search for validation and agreement only hurts us in the long run. Be strong in your beliefs and don't let anyone else change them. If someone can't remain your friend just because you don't believe in the same things, maybe they weren't that great of a friend to begin with.
I think you make a lot of good points here. I also find the thought of why so many people feel the need to throw their opinions into the mix quite interesting. I think, on some level, it is only natural to want to be part of the conversation, feeling as though you have a voice. I think this ties into the validation, too; when one sees the abundance of posts supporting or opposing issues important to them, it seems as if they want to do their part to ensure that single viewpoint is not the only one presented.
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