There are levels to “taking a stand”

When people are shot, when laws get reversed, when rights are violated, when tragedy strikes… people tend to take a stand online. With good reason, people feel emotionally stirred enough to share content, write op-eds, create infographics, call out hypocrisy, and share their beliefs. In such harrowing times, to do nothing feels immoral. Which means to do something must be inherently moral, right? 

Please remember that there are levels to taking a stand. There’s a difference between sharing a slide of a carousel post on your Instagram story, which disappears in 24 hours, and sharing it to your main feed, where people can comment. There’s a difference between sharing something someone else wrote, and being brave enough to publish your own thoughts. There’s a difference between making your voice heard online, and making your hands felt in real life. 

Let us never allow merely “spreading awareness” online absolve us from debating, donating, and volunteering in real life. We all have opportunities to engage on a deeper level, and a responsibility to do so within our communities. In all likelihood, no one is waiting on you to make a statement. In brutal reality, many people are praying you get involved and impact their lives for the better with your resources.