Haters Shouldn’t Be Surprised By Hate [Opinion]
Over the Fourth of July, a woman in Pennsylvania chose to use her freedom of speech to post a video on the social media site Facebook. In that video, she is depicted as urinating on the American Flag. She has received death threats because of that video and by all accounts seems to be genuinely surprised that people would react that way.
Surprised? Really? You think that because you chose to desecrate a symbol that so many of us cherish you wouldn't get a strong reaction? I find that to be odd. Obviously, someone of your extreme intellect (sarcasm on full) should have realized that we the ignorant masses of freedom loving Americans wouldn't take your squatting, sitting down.
Just to be clear, you are within your rights as an American to voice your opinions out of whatever orifice you choose. While your actions offended me greatly they did not inherently damage my rights. So you are within the guidelines of the Constitution. A plan of government that many men and women have died to defend. Just so you could piss on the symbol of their sacrifice.
I do realize that a threat against your life is crossing the line but to not think that could happen is absolutely assinine. Like many people on social media, you are an attention "rhymes with door". You got what you wanted. Congratulations. Now deal with the harvest of the seeds of hate that you have personally sewed.
I don't agree with your form of protest. I don't agree with the death threats that were made against you. Where I do think a lot of us totally agree is this. The hate has got to stop. So has the senseless sensationalism that has gotten and will get others killed. You did what you did not as a form of protest but as a way to shock the system.
Then when you got the attention you were craving you had nothing of any real substance to offer. Maybe that's why some people feel the planet might be better with you no longer on it.
In Jamaica, a common greeting is the word "respect". That basically means you be you and I'll be me. Together we can coexist and offer ideas and thoughts to make our situation better not tear it down.
I remember a time when respect was commonplace in our country too. That was before everyone was on social media and everyone had a camera in their hand. It's pretty hard to reach out to find a better way when you're too busy filming with the expectation of likes and shares as the only measure for your efforts.