There have been many days I have been called an activist. I never really thought of myself that way until a couple of years ago. Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky? Could happen. I do get overly passionate about many things. I suppose that could be good or bad.
I heard an interesting term on the radio today… “hacktivist“. It’s an activist computer hacker, and one by the screen name Jester took down wikileaks for a few hours. If you combine words, I guess I might be considered a junktivist? Or maybe a resourcivist?
Here’s the definition of an activist:
ac·tiv·ist
[ak-tuh-vist]
–noun
–adjective
2. of or pertaining to activism or activists: an activist organization for environmental concern.
3. advocating or opposing a cause or issue vigorously, esp. a political cause.
I’m usually considered very active, in pretty much everything I do. On the third one, advocating or opposing, I think I do both. I prefer to be advocating, but sometimes to do that, I have to show opposition. Balance is they key? I think so anyway.
I don’t know enough about the wikileaks situation to have a strong opinion about it, but I do know this. If it puts anyone in danger, then it’s not a good thing. I’m not opposed to them bringing light to situations that need to be brought out of the darkness, and their methods are a little unorthodox, but the line here is very gray.
My point, why I’m talking about this in the trash society world is this: know who you’re following and why. Don’t do things because you hear them from me, anyone else or from a public news source. Use what you hear and see to better yourself and your own belief system. Did O. J. Simpson do it? I don’t know. I wasn’t there and with all the media hype, nobody but him and God really knows the answer to that.
Maybe this is why I listen to talk radio. They don’t sit there and download the news to you, as they see it, rather they make it interactive where people can call in and voice their opinions. You get to hear many sides of the story, and from different viewpoints. It’s educational news. It expands my thinking on any given subject, enabling me to see all sides of an issue.
American consumerism and resource wastefulness are issues I am studying, and issues I’m passionate about. If that makes me an activist, then I gladly accept the title. I don’t know if people consider it good or bad when they’re calling me an activist, but I’ll take it as a compliment.
I just want people to think outside the box, or better yet, to think outside the trash can. If your information is from wiki-anything, the news, word of mouth, talk radio, google, a friend or even trash society, form your own opinions and participate in your cause. Participation does help create awareness. :)