A free to share post by Post by Kimberly to use it to your blog , goup , fun page e.c.t
Today I was tagged in a set of very graphic images of animal torture and abuse that will stay with me forever. I hate when people do that. I understand why they do it – they're just as offended by the images and, without thinking, they share them on all the social networking sites in an effort to raise awareness and inspire people to stand up and do something.
This Tweet had my fingers racing to the “dial” button so that I could block the person. I tried to remove the images from my stream, but I couldn't. I wanted to report the person, but there isn't an option for “this person slapped me in the face with horrible images of animal abuse!”
Should We Share Images of Animal Abuse?
My answer is a resounding NO! I'm not saying that people shouldn't share this online to raise awareness. What I am saying is that we should think before tagging people in social media posts that depict or show graphic images of animal abuse.
- If you don't know the person with whom you're sharing the images, how do you know what type of impact those images will impact on that person?
- What if I'm at my computer with my niece or nephew? Do they need to be subjected to those images?
- If it's okay to send graphic images of animal abuse, should we also include images of rape and child abuse too? Why is one okay, but the others cross a line?
Some people see images of animal abuse, they get fired up to do something – this is fantastic. I want to crawl into a hole and deny deny deny. It's not an effective way to handle the situation, I know this, however, it's my reality and I'm not alone.
My Reaction to Graphic Images of Animal Abuse?
I freak out and unfriend, block, delete, and report. It could be my best friend, but if they share these images in a place where I can see it, then I don't want to be connected to the online. I can't handle the images.
Over the next few weeks…
- I go deeper into my depression, giving my power over to Leslie as I fall into a dark place of fear, worry, and misery at what is happening int this world. I feel hopeless and powerless and terrified.
- I'm going to be stressed about leaving home, because what if one of our dogs falls victim to one of these months.
- I'll have nightmares every night, which means I'll have to start sleeping in the guest room so that J can get some sleep.
- I'll finally just start “sleeping” with the dogs to have the comfort that they're okay.
- The lack of sleep will bring on migraines.
It all sounds like a ridiculous amount of drama surrounding a few pictures, but it's more than a few pictures. It's the thought that at this moment, someone is harming a dog. At this moment, a dog is afraid, a dog isn't being shown love, and that some monster is going to get away with doing this again and again.
What We Can Do About Animal Abuse
The person who tweeted me the images stated that we needed to do a media blast to stop animal abuse and not just donate money. I think we should do both – I just wish that she had been kind enough to approach me about this without the images. But she got her point across and I reacted immediately. I also blocked her, because I don't want to risk seeing those images again.
What about animal lovers who don't have a blog and a following?
- You can share this post.
- You can share your thoughts on what we can do to help pets.
- You can donate your time and money to rescues you support so that they can continue doing well.
- You can vote for politicians who will push for tougher animal abuse laws.
- You can continue giving your pets the best life possible, being a shining example of the human-animal bond.
I don’t think people should stop sharing this information. It needs to be out there. What I don’t like is when someone tags others in these posts – keep in mind that the person you’re tagging may not have the mental fortitude to handle the images.
Thanks for reading my rant. Post by Kimberly
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