I'm a Civil Rights Leader!!! You Should Be One Too!!!

I may not have a perm (anymore) like Al Sharpton, and I can't come up with clever rhyming phrases like Jessie Jackson, but I do have win in my corner for the 21st Century Civil Rights Movement.

I was watching CNN: Special Investigation Judgement in Jena (excellent journalism. It was a week old though. This DVR thing is da bomb. My kid would kill me for saying that. Yes, I am now the mom who says uncool stuff while trying to be cool, but back to the subject.) when the reporter, Kyra Phillips, I believe, reported that a Neo-Nazi group had published personal information of the Jena 6 and was encouraging its members to "show them justice." I was appalled, yet my nosey (or journalistic, you pick) side got the best of me. I went to the website, and thankfully the website had been shut down. However, I was able to find the information on a blog.

I immediately emailed a nice, respectful letter to the site owner, and asked that they remove it. I even threw in some legal mumbo jumbo. One letter was cool, but I knew mass responses get people moving. I thought twice about my next step because I know how people feel about "junk mail," but I thought this was worth the risk of pissing a couple of people off. So I emailed list serves that I'm a member of and asked them to do the same. Within 6 hours the blog had been removed.

I was pretty proud of myself. At the same time, I was disappointed. I couldn't have been the first person to see this information and been disgusted by it. Why hadn't people made moves to remove it before hand? Only God knows the answer to that.

I say all of this to say getting involved really isn't that hard and it doesn't take that much time. It took me a total of 15 minutes to write my letter and email over 1,000 people. Don't let injustices happen around you. I used this as an opportunity to teach my son that you shouldn't be afraid to get involved and stand up for right. If not you, who? If not now, when? I hope all who read this gets that message and make moves on it.

While this isn't my first move and it won't be my last. I'm too crunk right about now. It's amazing to see the fruits of your labor blossom and ripe. This was a quick and easy victory, but I know most victories won't be that easy or quick. However, I am willing to stand and fight despite for the duration of the battle, and I encourage you to do the same.

On a lower note, the blog was restarted at a different address. While new hate messages have been posted, none of them can be seen as threatening at this point. But you best believe as soon as they slip up and print something that could seriously put individuals and groups in danger, I will be all on it and I will be encouraging you to do the same.

I love all you guys, and I encourage you to get involved, stand for right, correct the wrongs, and make a difference in your world today.

kiasmith.blogspot.com
butforrealthough.blogspot.com