The Shame of It All

It's so easy to take a stand, but should you?

I did something impulsive on Facebook this evening.  On my timeline, I saw a sponsored post from Special Olympics asking people to take a stand on the recent horrific incident in Chicago, where an 18 year old mentally challenged young man was held prisoner by four individuals (I hesitate to call them "people"), who proceeded to torture him, live on Facebook Live.

They didn't even cover their faces.

The victim escaped and wandered the streets of Chicago, bloody and bruised.  The four were arrested and are facing charges of, among other things, hate crimes.  Bail has been denied.

It makes you wonder which was worse:  the torture, the live feed (complete with comments from others) or the fact that these individuals were so proud of what they were doing that they didn't even bother to disguise themselves.

So I impulsively clicked - I really did want to take a stand.  Who wouldn't?  The "sponsored post" looked to belong to Special Olympics, a most worthwhile organization that promotes understanding of individuals with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to compete in various athletic events, but doing a lot more. 

But now I'm wondering if I did right.  There are fake sites, and one of them may now have my email address and zip code.  It's something called Social Engineering - that something that reaches into your heart, and makes you click something Not Good.

We are cautioned time and again to "Think Before You Click".   I did investigate further, and I am comfortable that what I clicked really did belong to the Special Olympics.  But still....

What times we live in.  The shame of it all.