Im going to take a moment and be frank...because we all know it is hard for me to express my opinion...we live in a community I have always been proud of. Not many suburbs in America can boast ethnic richness and diversity. And since social media has become such a driving force in this world, certain community pages and media outlets that are driven by this Arab community have risen. I appreciate them with caution, because recently I sense they have been used more for gossip and a mode to attack. It is the direct responsibility of any such outlet to consider what counts as a story and what will incite animosity and fuel gossip...especially when the given outlet is catering to a certain culture. There is a lack of sensitivity, a lack of compassion that I have noticed. You cannot state you are a source for community members or Arab Americans and than fail to account for cultural norms surrounding them. I think they lose credibility when they fail to consider these norms. A story should be a story when you are trying to ignite change and empower people and not simply a tell all. As humans, as Arabs, we dont NEED to know. If we do know, our opinions should be expressed in ways that empower us and not bring us down. That is what critical opinion is. People fail to understand the difference between opinion and gossip and that is a breakdown in society. I hate that people I love dearly have fallen victim to such reporting recently and hope they find the peace they desperately need. Maybe I am posting this because this is personal to me, but dont get it twisted, when it is not personal, I know when to keep my mouth shut and not fuel gossip. Just saying...I should post my opinion more often..
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:13:19 +0000