Facebook makes me happy, mostly. On today’s News Feed alone, NPR reminded me about Mark Twain, and I got to spend some happy, thoughtful time recollecting the great man’s razor-sharp observations about writing. I got an update on my 7-year-old buddy’s dangling-by-a-thread front tooth. I mentioned a gluten-free recipe I debuted for breakfast, for anyone who cares about what I cook (which I admit has to be a limited audience).
But tonight I’m rattled, and it’s because more than one person I like and respect has given an electronic thumbs-up to this:
Dear Lord,
This year you took my favorite actor, Patrick Swayzie (sic). You took my favorite actress, Farah Fawcett. You took my favorite singer, Michael Jackson. I just wanted to let you know, my favorite president is Barack Obama. Amen.
Deep breath.
Let’s never mind that somebody, somewhere, thought this was clever. Let’s never mind your politics, either, or mine; it wouldn’t change a word of what I’m about to write.
For one reason or another, three-quarters of a million people are now affiliated with a page that declares to the (Facebook) world, “It’d be a great thing if America's president were dead. Lord, hear our prayer.”
My question is this: How is that different from what John Wilkes Booth wanted? How is that different from what Lee Harvey Oswald wanted? Hundreds of cells of Islamic extremists would cheer with jubilation to see this – or any – American president shot in the street.
Out of office? That’s one thing. You want to wish the president out of office, do it every day on your Facebook page.
Dead? No, no, no. Not him, not anyone. Because here’s the thing: One or two of those 726,396 people may truly mean this. And when you think about it, that isn’t funny at all.
I found this post through a friend on Facebook and I couldn't agree with you more. I'm sure this was someone's lame attempt at humor, but it not only sickens me, it scares me to death. Kathy
ReplyDeleteFortunately, if you drill down into those numbers more closely, it turns out that it's not really that cut & dry. TONS of people clicked "like" just so they could post to the wall of the Facebook group to say they DIDN'T like it one bit. So that drags that number back down to Earth a bit.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why Facebook needs a DISLIKE button already!
Great clarification, Ed. Thanks for this truly relieving bit of news. I saw the page briefly, but found the images and language so disturbing I didn't hang out long. So glad you dug deeper.
ReplyDelete