Empathetic or Apathetic, that is the Question

By: Amy E

I am so disgusted by some recent events I saw online pop up online on someone's Facebook page.  What you will read today in my blog may shock you and it may not.  Maybe it has become the norm and people are okay with this behavior.  I know we have all seen this before online, some of us have been affected by it, been victims of it or have even been the aggressors of the situation.  And we are all aware of the effects of “cyber bullying” and “slandering”.  Adults and young people have killed themselves over things like this.  To see what transpired yesterday, which has now been taken down by the admin, was heartbreaking.  A group of fellow women and also mothers decided to make fun of another local mom.  They made degrading comments about her looks, her business and her family including her children.  In fact one of the comments was slightly ironic since they were conversing about a “selling” type page and made a comment about how she “can’t afford a bed for her son”, implying because she found a good deal online that she was poor or a bad mother.    

To pick on someone in a public forum (Facebook is a large public forum regardless of privacy controls) that potentially could reach thousands of people all of whom are local was disgusting and horrifying.  Why trash another mother like this publically?  Why damage her reputation, her businesses integrity and her family by calling them “inbreds”.  And not only did this group of women trash this mother, but they made themselves look like a bunch of crazed animals.  What was also shocking was the stunning SILENCE that echoed on this Facebook page and how almost no one stood up to these ladies. 

This behavior is nothing new, it just has grown as the digital age has grown.  As the problem has grown and this online “gossiping” and “bullying” has grown, has our apathy to the situation also grown?  Do we see it and choose not to get involved because it’s just drama and it is typical?  Has the CONSTANT need for being connected finally broken down and changed the way we communicate and empathize with one another? Good communication is one of the reasons that humanity has been as successful as it is and now that it is breaking down, what does that mean for us?

 We are all sisters, why are we fighting and picking on one another?  We should be encouraging one another and supporting each other.  Aren’t we all in this big job of “parenting” and being “moms” together?  We have one of the toughest jobs on the planet my fellow sisters…. Raising the next generation, and we all know this is no easy task.  Personally some days I feel like I am banging my head against the wall I’m so stressed and overwhelmed.  But women are strong and we will persevere and fight to get the job done to the best of our ability even if it means sacrificing. 

We are supposed to raise our children to be courageous, kind, gentle, and empathetic.  We are supposed to teach them honesty and accountability.  We are supposed to inspire them to be even BETTER people than we are!   It worries me for the kids who may be learning this behavior in the home and who will someday “copy” it and try to hurt another human being.  Our children are a reflection of us and they will reflect the qualities we model for them. 

This really happened yesterday and it happened in OUR community.  Now what are we going to do about it?  Next time you see something like this happen, will you sit by and let it happen?  Or will you put yourself on the line and say: “Enough, this is our community and this person is part of our community and we will NOT allow this to happen, we will NOT allow our children to learn this behavior.”


Remember, we are fellow sisters.  Don't break each other down, support one another.  Women of the past fought hard for us to be where we are.  We are stronger together and together we can change the world.