My workplace has no social media policy. I'm never sure how far my authority extends on our Facebook. Mostly I post pictures of stuff. Easy.
But sometimes something happens outside my usual purview.
Like, the police murder a black man a mile from our store.
[New York Times article contains a video of a cop kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, while Floyd pleads for his life. I can't watch it.]
What do I do?
I use our Mission Statement as a guide:
I posted this, using the photo I'd taken at the protest last night:
As FB posts on this topic go, this was milk-toast. No "F.T.P." or anything.
Who would object to grieving violence and injustice?
Who? Well, ... have I mentioned we have a troll, "Thom"?
He lumbered out from under his bridge to object.
The replies --many good ones, but some started to bicker about the meaning of "racism". I wasn't sorry to let those go.
But sometimes something happens outside my usual purview.
Like, the police murder a black man a mile from our store.
[New York Times article contains a video of a cop kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, while Floyd pleads for his life. I can't watch it.]
What do I do?
I use our Mission Statement as a guide:
“A network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.”A network of friends building a more just world would say something about the murder of George Floyd, right?
I posted this, using the photo I'd taken at the protest last night:
Who would object to grieving violence and injustice?
Who? Well, ... have I mentioned we have a troll, "Thom"?
He lumbered out from under his bridge to object.
The replies --many good ones, but some started to bicker about the meaning of "racism". I wasn't sorry to let those go.
Some people have emphasized that George Floyd was a good man.
It's good that's going public, for Floyd's family, friends, and his reputation.
It's good that's going public, for Floyd's family, friends, and his reputation.
But in larger, more impersonal social terms, whether a person murdered by the police is a good person or bad is beside the point:
Even if a person is a monster, the police are not exterminating angels.
Even if a person is a monster, the police are not exterminating angels.
We do not want State-sponsored Death Squads.
A possible translation: “Perhaps we should focus on the welfare of the police and not on people they kill.” I think that’s what Thom is trying to say.”
ReplyDeleteI saw that on the news hare last night, the policeman kneeling on the man's neck. He doesn't deserve to be a policeman. I'm glad they fired him.
ReplyDelete