Ignorance in America

I have been sitting in front of my computer for more than an hour trying to put into words how I feel about something I saw on the internet earlier this morning. For the most part, I use this blog for interviews and reviews, but I have been known to drop a rant or two every now and then.

I am sickened. I ran across a video on FB this morning that disgusted me beyond words. After viewing it, I immediately submitted to FB to have it removed. Considering the types of things FB feels the need to remove on a regular basis, I thought certainly this video would come down immediately. Instead, this is what I received:

“Thank you for taking the time to report something that you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making Facebook a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the video you reported for containing hate speech or symbols and found it doesn’t violate our Community Standards.”

Welcoming environment????

If you can tolerate being sickened by the blantant hate displayed by a child, here is the appalling hate Video by a 12-year-old. I don’t know if they will remove it if they continue to receive complaints. In that case, the provided link won’t work.

I was in shock. They allow this type of racial/hate post to remain on their site even knowing the heated and growing racial debates and tensions going on in our country. We have witnessed/read of how many deaths where the victim was black and the assailant was white (and often times, in the position of authority). We have had cities destroyed by riots due to these deaths. We woke to the news of a crazed (white) man having killed nine members of a black prayer group. We have seen (white) police shoot unarmed black men in the back. Choke holds, prison hangings, etc. How can we expect change when an outlet with the reach that FB has continues to support these hate groups. And by allowing them to post explicitly hateful videos targeting any one race is supporting it. Rather than to use their vast reach to help teach and spread the message of peace/tolerance/equality, FB is fostering an outlet for the racial tension that has touched every corner of our country.

If the post hasn’t been removed by the time you read this, I suggest you go to it and read over the comments left by others. Not a single person left a favorable comment. But, would you expect them to? Some might say that the comments left are hateful in their own right, but instead of being hateful toward any particular race, they are hateful toward the parents who taught their 12-year-old son to be an ignorant racist. And what does that tell us? Ignorance begets ignorance. Hate begets hate. Intolerance begets intolerance. It’s a vicious cycle.

Children aren’t born with these ignorant views. What kind of parents believe they are acting in a child’s best interest by teaching them to hate, to condemn, to be judgmental, racist and ignorant? And FB… I’m sickened by your dismissal of my concern over an issue that has always divided our country, but even more in recent months. As far as I’m concerned, by dismissing it and allowing it to remain on your site you are promoting it.

It wouldn’t matter if I were black, white or as blue as a smurf, I would not feel any differently. Scientists continue to warn us about global warming, but from where I sit, the world has never been so cold.

k.e. garvey 

Whether or not you agree with my views, thank you for letting me vent.

Things You Won’t Say… by Sarah Pekkanen

Today I finished a book I had previously heard nothing about. I had also never heard of the author, Sarah Pekkanen. I didn’t head straight to the Amazon reviews once I finished reading to see where my review fell in line with others, I will look when I’m through here and maybe surprise myself.

Things You Won’t Say

Things You Won’t Say follows Jamie Anderson through not only the daily life of a police officer’s wife, but also through the emotions. Her husband is faced with multiple tragedies within a short period of time and not only does it take its toll on him, but also on her. She feels as though her world is falling apart and she no longer has the support of the person she’s always counted on most, her husband.

I felt the book was well written. The main topic is current and controversial. The characters were rich and believable with real feel emotions and reactions. I realize that having Jamie’s kids run on the obnoxious side helped add to her circumstances and emotional overload, but I felt they annoyed me as a reader more than they lent credibility to the situation. Aside from that, I enjoyed the read and liked Pekkanen’s voice. The only thing that took me out of the story and broke an otherwise great flow was a few misplaced flashbacks. For example: when Jamie goes to the hospital to visit Ritchie, there is a sense of urgency in the visit, but a sudden flashback to a vacation they all took several years earlier breaks the flow of the scene. It didn’t make for a bad story or even bad writing, but those half a dozen flashbacks did break flow and feel completely misplaced.

Overall, an enjoyable 4-star read. I would definitely check out other works by this author.

k.e. garvey (formerly and regrettably known as Kathy Reinhart) is the author of the award-winning Lily White Lies, The Red Strokes, and her latest release, Cry Like A Girl, book one in the Like A Girl series.

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