Recently someone ‘posts’ an audio version of what turned it to be the castigating and even scolding of the poor. The poor were rhymed with black ants which once they put their teeth in you would not let go. That if it was actually said as presented is very irresponsible and unsocial. The narrative was not only vulgar and too shockingly amateurish it puts a wrong precedent in showering an entire society with those vulgar, ill-thought words and phrases. I mean claiming that. It was not only vulgar but also disrespectful which probably wouldn’t get more than a couple of pat on the back with things like, “That was a wonderful post, bro!” And even that would come from those of us who don’t care for the smooth running of societies and always try to put ourselves on the peak of the mountain while the rest of humanity remain stuck down there in the world that is anything but comfortable.
If it was, that was not very vulgar but also disrespectful to all. Why and how the person who reportedly made those comments said those things could go on unchallenged must have been misled by whatever wrong thoughts his mind was throwing around. The backslash was enormous as even those who were not regular of the social media world worked on their keyboards to make their frustration and anger heard. Of course in contrast to the usual very harsh and largely blasphemous comments we were used to this time many didn’t veer too far from the main issue. While the person who allegedly posted those controversial comments about the poor wasn’t able to dodge the strong and angry criticism there were much fewer as insults and character assassinations we are used to in other instances. That indeed is a positive development, and we can only wish a new trend when ideas and not insults and abuses dominate such events.
I mean the fact that people were more concerned about making their side of the story heard rather than throwing multiple mud balls against the person who was behind all this. It maybe some small sign that attitudes might be changing and also saner minds, which so far have remained behind the curtain refusing to be drawn into verbal skirmishes which do nothing except send the highly offended to the nearest watering holes! The well thought out and unbiased comments and suggestions play crucial roles in giving justice to good and mindful exchange of ideas which we seem to lack in many instances.
That said we can’t play down enough the original comments which spurred all the exchange which at the time of this writing continues with undiminished zeal. No wonder. The comments and reactions weren’t only jumbles of words and phrases quite a lot of them had some real meat in them. As already mentioned even it’s only partially satisfying the fact that more and more people with real ideas and the discipline that goes with them are coming out and making their voices heard could lead us to believe maybe the time for disciplined, logical and fruitful social media discussions might be nearer than we originally thought.
By the way, concerning the case we are talking about the person who reportedly made those crude and controversial statements claimed that the whole thing was faked and a ruse to make the public believe he had made comments which, according to what he said in his defense he, never ever said! If his words are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth then words and phrases were surgically removed from things he said in earlier times and reconfigured to give the meaning those behind the whole outrage wanted to put out in his name. Dismissing him altogether, believing him altogether are both wrong. Time however close or distant would tell!
Now there is nothing more unsettling than to hear the helpless being verbally battered for nothing in particular than being poor and life frowning on them. I mean when someone goes as far as suggesting poverty was the result of laziness, I mean you wonder how some minds work while the hard facts are there for all to see. In the face of the real issue coming to bizarre conclusions which don’t hold even a drop of water shouldn’t only surprise us but worry us too. When members of the community who supposedly are thought to be on the right and logical side of things, who are also thought to be rational beings not given to jump over every fence without doing their math go awry you just can’t shrug things off. Even if you are not active participant in the social media vocal carnival of mostly the wrong, biased and twisted comments and suggestions you in the least tell yourself thoughts that would have made more impact had you articulated them openly.
At this point one most important issue is the trend to verbally abuse and offend individuals, groups and entire society’s with impunity is scary to tell the truth. Being scared might not always be a negative reaction since at times it might lead us to quickly take action to correct something that has begun going wrong; like many things the earlier the better. We have a chronic problem of accountability as many things that directly or otherwise go against the interest and the wellbeing of society hit the air and somehow melt into the thin air leaving space for other far-from-good and even more dangerous verbal snippets and narratives. Failure to halt such processes might finally push us some point of no return and that wouldn’t bring the bread home for any one of us.
The case we mentioned above created so much outcry because the comments crossed all red lines. Perhaps if we had given such matters the attention they deserved we might not have reached the stage we find ourselves at these days. Things shouldn’t have come this far if only to save the society from abuses by those who have all kinds of nefarious goals and intents. To tell the truth, while the issue we raised is the foulest of the foulest there are those who abuse individuals, groups and entire societies with impunity and don’t seem to feel any heat.
Finally, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice.” Could anyone have put it any better!
BY EPHREM ENDALE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 1 JUNE 2025
