I watched a news blurb that scared me. Odds are you have probably seen the video I am about to talk about. A young girl was selling water on the streets. Selling things on the street usually requires a permit. A woman, who lived in the apartment above, was disturbed by the noise the girl was making. She called the cops to see if what she was doing was illegal. In the video, the older woman calling the cops seemed like a horrible woman out to crush every little girl's dream. You wanted the young child to be able to sell her water, but I knew there had to be more to the story.
The young girl's mother videotaped the woman and created her to look like the villain and the viewer of social media bought into it. What they didn't know is that the little girl had been yelling and screaming right under the woman's apartment for hours. The woman was simply calling the police to see if what she was doing was even legal.
But the public was quick to make opinions and assumptions.
First, it was assumed that this was a race issue. The older woman was a blonde white female the young girl had darker skin. Discrimination and racism should never be tolerated, but it also cannot be fabricated. The woman didn't even speak to the young girl. She simply wanted peace and quiet. This was not an act of racism, and it shouldn't be classified as such.
Secondly, the mother was in control of what was posted. Therefore, only one side of the story was told. The older woman has received death threats and older hate mail. But I myself have called campus police when people were playing music loudly outside my dorm at one in the morning. If we only listen to one side of a story out perspectives will always be biased. Social media dangerously.
The women was being filmed without her consent. Everyone has bad days. I have no idea what that woman is going through. Maybe she did have malicious intent, but regardless it is wrong to film others in a negative way without their permission. It violates privacy and individual rights.
The little girl ended up being the winner even though the world may never know the full story. Apparently, the girl was trying to raise money to go to Disney world. After this story went viral, the girl was sent tickets to Disney World. Reinforcing the manipulation of information.
I don't know the truth of what went down that day, but neither does the public. Yet, people make snap judgments based off of little information. That scares me. Anyone can be made the bad guy in a photo or video. The truth can easily be distorted on the internet, be careful what you choose to believe.
