On Humanity, Part II

Today I learned of a most intriguing trend: from today and into tomorrow, Facebook users are being asked to change their profile pictures to images of cartoons in order to raise child abuse awareness.


While I find nothing wrong with this premise or action, I staunchly refuse to change my image in this fashion.


Allow me to explain: 


The idea behind this movement is to replace human images on Facebook with images from a nostalgic past, when we were all children. This is intended to raise awareness for those children who have no nostalgic past to look back to, only memories of pain.


Indeed, this is all well and good. However, I believe that the solution to child abuse- and many other issues besides- lies not in facing the past, but in facing the future. In this idea, I argue that Facebook users should be encouraged to post more human faces rather than less.


Referencing an earlier post of mine ["On Humanity", 13 November 2010], it is vital to recognize all people as inherently human. This includes both abuse victims and abusers alike. The trouble with this movement is that it skews public perception towards deifying abuse victims and demonizing abusers.

Now, realize that I am fully and wholeheartedly against child abuse and any other form of abuse. However, polarizing the public view against the abusers will cause exorbitant punishment and end up causing more harm than good in the long run.

Like Osama bin Laden, abusers are still human. They too have favorite foods, childhood crushes, special talents, and much more.

In light of this, the only complete solution to the problem of abuse is to recognize both sides as human. Abusers, as much as they seem to be, are not monsters, but likewise victims, as much as they seem to be, are not angels. The solution then is to reconcile both sides humanely, but absolutely.

Only in this way can abuse be solved once and for all.

And in this I say: Post human images. Post as many as you can. Inundate the Internet with human images, and soon we will learn to recognize all as human.