Forgive me as this is less of a blog, and nothing more than a rant.
I understand the gene pool and the survival of the fittest. It is how we as a species have managed to put a man on the moon, heart transplants and numerous other magnificent achievements. Granted many of humanities most advanced and remarkable achievements have come out of advances in war and waging war. What I cannot accept however is that survival of the fittest has anything to do with online bullying. Bullying on a one to one basis is one of the most basic of human instincts to loured power and strength over an opponent or challenger to the gene pool. Bullying online strikes me as THE most cowardly of past times. The bully never gets to increase their chances of spreading their genes, thank goodness, their ONLY function is to gain a cheap laugh at someone else's expense. Generally the person who happens to be the butt of the bullying, also happens through their own adversity, is often, if not always SO much stronger as a character and frankly although this is rather clichéd, they are invariably more beautiful people who you would want to be around.
What has caused me to write about something as puerile as online bullying? I cannot even bring myself to write what it is they have inflicted on this woman, and will leave you to read the attached BBC article.
Lizzie Velasquez
BBC article written by Kathleen Hawkins
One can't help but be moved to anger by the vile, and not just one or two, but millions of people out there who do not have the inner strength and spine to put an end to this abhorrent practice. This young woman who has from birth overcome, continued to overcome and will for the rest of her life have to overcome challenges that these scum have never had to. They add nothing to a civilised society. Probably most have quite comfortable lives, only to waste the life they have been given, with the denigration of someone with such poise and beauty they can only dream of.
I have no doubt that Lizzie Velasquez does not wish people to feel sorry for her, as she has never known any other life, and no doubt is surrounded by those who love her very much, as is the same for millions of others, whether with physical deformities or mental disabilities. BUT, as someone who has had a pretty easy life in many respects, I can only admire this young woman, but feel sorry to my gut that she has had to go through such inhumane treatment.
The internet is in its infancy, but it will come to a juncture that will require decisions to be made. Because if our species is to advance beyond where we are at present, with knuckle draggers making genuine attempts to destroy someone they have never met, then really it is soon coming to the time when we MUST advance as a society, as a social construct. Rather than chucking a few pounds/bucks into a bucket to make ourselves feel better, we really need to move on in an inclusive way to keep pace with our intellectual knowledge. Otherwise there really will be no point in having technology and knowledge of where we have come from or where we are going. It will be simply pointless.
When I posted this to my FB timeline, one friend wrote this "It's hard to believe at times that we are the higher primate species." I'm sure there is a psychologist out there who can explain this behaviour, but really who doesn't know how to put an end to this! Who, having grown up in a family and abided by the rules of that family, does not know what respect for one another is. Yes I blame the parents, plain and simple. We in the UK have recently been hearing parents blame the Police for this and that. I'm worried to have heard little from the media who just allow these diatribes against authority and ignore the plain and simple fact that it is the parents who are at fault.
Why is it I feel the need to want to apologise for those who have acted in such a way!