Daily art 12/31, ComicThis is a redraw of an old comic I made. It’s about activism (being active, helpful) and whataboutism (being passive, not helpful). Everyone can do something, no one can do everything. Do something, don’t do nothing.When you see an activist doing volunteer work for a good cause that they have chosen to support with some of their own time and energy, don’t hijack the discussion at hand and take it to what other things you think THEY SHOULD BE DOING, instead think about what kind of activist YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS WORLD. You know nobody is stopping you from doing some good yourself, right?
It’s out of line when random people online think they know better what I should put my volunteer work efforts and energy into, or express their views of my actions like I’m some misplaced resource for exactly them to move around and relocate to something else entirely. I’m my own being, powerful, independent. My power is that I could be doing millions of other things, but I have chosen this. It’s important - to me - and I do what I can. What do you do?
This repetitive pattern, when it occurs, feels annoying like a death by a thousand paper cuts.
-> “Oh, I’ve never met you, but today I see you’re actively supporting your chosen cause by doing a thing! Let me gravitate the discussion on this platform directly away from that cause by implying that you, as a person, simply do not know or care about any other cause!” Boo.
Activism = The center of focus is on taking meaningful action.
Whataboutism = The center of focus is on a completely unrelated distraction.
Historically, and by definition, marginalized folks and their voices are less represented in society. Disempowerment is unjust action, it's not destiny. Derailing conversations from our rights to endless unrelated topics isn’t helpful towards ending oppression. It's marginalization in action. Often this is simply thoughtlessness, but it can also be a chosen rhetorical strategy to never acknowledge and address these issues directly. Anyone can make the choice to find their own way of doing good, learning, listening with heart, and their own way of amplifying marginalized voices.Oct 12, 2023
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Comments
This short comic summarises that counter-productive attitude so well! Congrats for making it so easy to understand:)
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