Reactivists

Dear Reactivists,

I’m getting tired of your hysteria-of-the-week syndrome. When not educated about the topics you are ranting on, you sound foolish. Granted, it’s good to be passionate about preventing suicides, but you’re a little too late. Where were you two months ago? How strong was your resolve to prevent the horrible from happening? Only now that celebrities are involved do you have an opinion? Please don’t be a sheep.

I challenge you to go deeper than the superficial and delve into the interconnections of race, class and gender to find root causes of these issues. Instead of attacking people’s First Amendment rights, how about attacking the lack of access to mental health care? Why not try to destroy the stigma of asking for mental help? Why is it now now, after young gay men kill themselves? (Perhaps it’s a race issue…)

If it makes you feel good to share your feelings, than go ahead. I’m not stopping you. Please, however have some backing to what you’re saying. It is much better to make a cogent argument than to merely vent your frustrations. “RARARAR I’M SO ANGRY!!! STOP BULLYING THE GAY BABIES NOW!!!” may sound powerful, but it is less effective than saying, “Increase education about LGBT issues, especially in middle and high schools, as well as increasing awareness of mental health services to youth so we can decrease teen suicide rates”. The latter will get you a lot further in terms of convincing the people who count: politicians.

Also, please do not trample on other’s rights to free speech. You may not like what they have to say, but it is their right to say it. Plus if it’s really ridiculous you can laugh at them being an uninformed idiot.

My attitude, as cliché as it may be, is to put up or shut up.

Honestly,

Scott