I’m a bit saddened about the fact that I am writing this post.
This post is going to be a bit of a rant, a bitch and an accusation.
To everyone who has ranted, bitched, moaned, sworn and threatened me on this blog, where are you now? To all the people who have asked me for answers and who have begged me to wake up and leave SA, where are you now? And to all those of you who say you want to help and make a difference but don’t know how, where are you now?
Where are you when the I ask you to join me in a march? Where are you when I ask you to take a stand for your country and take ownership of its problems? WHERE ARE YOU?
I’ll tell you where you are – Nowhere. Because there is nowhere and nothing that will make you contented and get you involved. You like to bitch and that’s where it stops. You want to bleed the problem and expose the wound but you want nothing to do with the bandages that heal it.
Why am I ranting? Here are some facts and stats to help you see my frustration:
The first lot come from Facebook, not the best tool I suppose, but it has been used in the past by various groups to rally support for various protests, causes and people suffering around the world.
I created a Facebook group about the Million Man March about a month or two ago. I invited every single one of my 536 friends. The overwhelming response from people was a whopping 300 or so ppl joining the group. I even blogged about the group and the event yet none of the people bitching about SA felt the need to join and try to make a change. Why?
In contrast a group about “BOYCOTT! “Artist” GUILLERMO HABACUC VARGAS.” has countless South Africans and some of my friends clammering to show their support. A dog vs a population suffering at the hands of criminals? What’s wrong with you people?
Then I started the event for the Million Man March on Facebook. The event stats as of this morning:
47 people might show up.
149 people are missing out.
329 people are MIA.
And the part that makes me sad: This event has 15 confirmed guests.
Out of over 500 people invited to the event most couldn’t be bothered to even respond, then the rest are not pitching, another small group felt too guilty to say no, so they said maybe but don’t care either way and 15 people managed to show a public committment to change. Shocking.
I know I sound like some higher than thou preaching-preacher-man. But when I deal with naysayers all day long on this blog and then an event is provided wherein people can get involved, stand up and try to make a difference, NO ONE IS INTERESTED.
Moving to the blogosphere:
Let me ask another question, where is the blogging hype? We can talk about the latest website buyout, who Bolton Deventer might be, and what the A-listers are or aren’t doing but as bloggers we feel no responsibility to expose our readers to the march and the reason for marching? It bugs me because bloggers are always quick to blog about the crime they have experienced and rant and moan (myself included) but we choose not to blog our support for the event and committ to it.
On SA Rocks:
Most commented on posts:
- Protest against crime in SA to be held in LONDON?? (64)
- South Africa’s most influential Blogging personalities (58)
- Lucky Dube shot dead (45)
- Ashley Callie has died (34)
- South Africa, Murder Most Foul (29)
Out of the above posts not a single one is a positive discussion. In fact, in three of them I was lambasted for calling people to action and having an opinion.
More recently I posted a contribution from a reader wherein she was destroyed and picked on for being “privelaged” and writing from that perspective alone. This post received 16 comments.
Yet my interview with Desmond Dube, organiser of the Million Man March received almost no feedback, positive or any other. This post received 1 comment.
Now tell me, what are you doing? How are you getting involved and will you be putting your feet where your negative mouths are? Is crime an important enough issue for you to stop bitching and moaning and actual walk for the cause?
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