Tuesday, April 17th, 2007...2:23 pm
One-Day Blog Silence - April 30th 2007
Update:
Why has something so simple become so controversial? There was alot of discussion on Lorelle’s blog when she wrote about it and she’s also done a follow up. I read through the comments and it seems to me most of the people questioning this believe discussing the issues is more important than silence. Fair enough. I wouldn’t haven’t have a problem with them if they actually spent less time attacking this idea and more time doing what they have so strongly argued is the better alternative.
If you want to discuss these tragic events now is the time to do it, before it fades from peoples memories. Unfortunetly I fear we have already fallen into this trap.
In honor of the victims who lost their lives at Virginia Tech there will be a One-Day Blog Silence on the 30th of April 2007.
Take care everyone.
13 Comments
April 17th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
What do you mean “there will be”?
Who says? I won’t be.
How about one day of not selling guns - if the US can’t manage longer than that.
How about several days of silence for the 600,000 who have lost their lives in Iraq.
As tragic as these event are - why are American lives worth so much more than the lives of non-US citizen?
On the website it says:
“All you have to do is spread the word about it and post the graphic on your blog on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect, reflect and empathy.”
No words. No comments? Bollocks. How about talk? Ideas? A way out of this? A strategy to stop this kind of thing happening again and again and again.
No words - no comments. Whose was that idea? The NRA?
April 17th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
I agree with ourman here.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:25 am
ourman - The words are being written right now. The discussion is happening and will continue for quite some time to come. To suggest that taking one day to be silent, is in some way going to gag discussion of this topic is ridiculous. It is a sign of respect for the dead and a show of solidarity from the blogging community.
There will be a day of silence. Whether people choose to participate or not is up to them. It will depend on how much this event has impacted you personally. I know so many people who have been really upset by what’s happened I thought it would be nice to let people know about the day of silence.
Who is suggesting American lives are worth more than any other? I’m Australian and I don’t get that impression. Americans tend to try to deal with grief with grand gestures and this is one of them.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:56 am
You know, if there was any suggestion that this was just aimed at US blogs then that would be fine.
But as far as I can tell it is aimed at the blogosphere in general.
So - do we stop every time another 30 people are killed? How often then do we stop blogging for a day for Iraq? Most days? Putting aside whatever you believe about the war - do their 600,000 casualties not deserve a day?
Or like I said, are they worth less?
There are 30,000 people killed every year by guns in the US. So what happened in Virginia is 1/1000th of that. Perhaps we should have 1000 days of silence to commemorate them all?
Grand gestures are great. March on the capital demanding gun control? Fantastic.
But a day of silence? With the apparent suggestion that the whole world takes part? Is that is not insulting to other countries such as Iraq?
Or where is the blog silence for Darfur. I don’t recall a day for tsunami victims?
If there is a blog movement then lets use it to affect change. Blogs should be used for what they are good at - campaigning.
On the other hand, if anyone wants to set a day for “Worldwide victims of guns” - then I am fully behind it.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:45 am
How about the next time you are at a funeral, walk up to the closest relative to the deceased, and ask them why they are bothering with the funeral when there are thousands dying in Darfur?
The person who started this, Steli, is an educator so he has a strong connection to the event. He didn’t force this on anyone or make any of the suggestions of the relative value of life you bring up. All he was trying to do was reach out to others who felt like him, whether they were American or not, so together they could take a moment to remember the dead. It’s that simple.
No one is suggesting the issues should be ignored. There should be a discussion, and the time to do it is now, instead of wasting time bickering over such a simple act of mourning.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:39 am
By arguing that because Steli is an educator he has a strong connection to the event, you can also argue that I, as a father, also have a strong connection. Your logic just doesn’t stand up. Is Steli an educator at Virginia Tech? If not then your argument, that those opposed to this particular expression of grief is like someone walking up to the closest relative of the deceased at a funeral and question their motives when thousands are dying in Darfur, is simply laughable. Talk about an over the top attitude!
The real problem with the idea, which is fine in itself, is that it takes the murder of 32 people and the suicide of 1 in the world’s wealthiest country in order for an idea like this to come about. The tens of thousands who die through violence everyday throughout the world are on the whole ignored by the media. Only when something like this happens in one of the major Western nations do they make such a big deal of it.
If we must have a day’s silence then it should be for all victims of violence, not just the ones from media hotspots!
…and before you condemn my response, I truly feel for the families of those lost in Virginia, just as I do for the countless others who I have never heard about!
April 18th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Graeme - My main issue is with people who are attacking the idea with such venom. Surely their time could be spent more productively.
I never argued that Steli had a greater connection to the event than anyone else. I was stating a fact, and explaining why he felt the need to start something like this.
And you’ve completely misinterpreted what I meant with the comment about a funeral. Yes, it’s over the top but only because it is a response to similarly over the top arguments from others, and it seems like it’s the only way to get the message across sometimes.
I’m not saying people opposed to it are the ones in the analogy, but rather the people who are attacking it viciously, and making out that by mourning a handful of dead, people are somehow ignoring or disprecting those others who have died through similar acts of violence. You wouldn’t do it at a funeral and it shouldn’t be done here. Mature discussion on the merits of the idea are one thing, attacking it and anyone who supports it is simply juvenile.
I agree worldwide violence doesn’t get the media coverage it deserves but whats wrong with a bunch of likeminded inviduals getting together to mourn and to show some solidarity? Why aren’t people questioning all the memorial services that will no doubt be going on across the country?
April 18th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Yes, I’ll go for this in honor and respect for the victims of the tragedy at VA Tech and the rest of victims of violence throughout the world.
Let’s just do it and stop arguing the issue till were blue. A test of will if I may to shut our trap for just one day does not make much of a difference but doing so in great number will show that bloggers can do things in solidarity is indeed empowering.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:04 am
http://unknowngenius.com/blog/archives/2007/04/17/one-day-blog-gimmick/
I thought that may interest you Dan..
April 18th, 2007 at 10:17 am
No more Vics.
I’m am completely worn out with this. I really don’t want to argue anymore. I’ve read so many discussions today that were just plain ugly. Here at least we disagreed but we never insulted one another or made personal attacks. Some of the other places I visited weren’t so civil.
If you check out my post on the life cycle of a blog post I’d say I’m at #8 and the guy that wrote that post is at #9.
The end can’t come soon enough.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
[...] Amazingly a simple campaign such as this just One Day of Silence get’s into so much analysis causing paralysis leading to inaction if we just give up and listen to detractors and non-conformist of all shades and color, I hear ya Dan: [...]
April 27th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
[...] started this post the other day after reading Dan’s post on the One-Day Blog Silence proposal followed by Dr. Dave’s response to [...]
April 28th, 2007 at 9:07 am
[...] Wrong Advices, who plans to be silent on Monday, asks, “Why has something so simple become so [...]
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