“If you are not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” This is the caption below a photo of Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal and activist, who was killed when a car bulldozed into a group of civilians protesting the white supremacist and neo-Nazi “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Va. on Aug. 12. When we say that outrage is necessary, then we ignore entire groups of people, such as those who are not in a state where they can mentally support extreme emotions, or those whose family or surrounding belief systems do not allow for this type of response. I do not argue at all in favor of extremist groups, but I question the methods that we use to bring attention to the destruction that they create. While it is important to realize that outrage certainly is necessary to make a statement — that this is not tolerable — not every person can express that indignation in the same way.
Facebook activism skyrocketed following the acts of violence in Charlottesville, and those in Barcelona that followed shortly behind. The posts that I have seen most frequently are those condemning “alt-right” and other extremist groups associated with them. Of course, the actual definition of activism is up for debate — is sharing a post condemning “alt-right” and white supremacy affiliations as equally declarative as participating in a peace march in Boston?
There is a distinct difference here, but it is not only in volition: a direct effort such as a march for peace is more of a statement than simply posting something on social media, just as the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., was. Although marches and protests are more effective than simply posting on social media, sometimes posting is all somebody can do. It is more important to condemn the issue in some way than in no way at all.
I argue that there is not a black-and-white zone between what qualifies as indignation and what is not enough. However, this lack of clarity should not ostracize people who don’t have the type of outward expression that is deemed appropriate or that is expected. If, for example, an individual does not feel as if they have the freedom to freely express their anger, sorrow or whatever response they naturally would have, then this does not signify that they condone the actions of the opposing party. We must continue to fight to condemn bigotry and violence in whichever capacities we can.
Kara Bilello is a junior majoring in English.