Now I will admit, when I first saw the picture, I didn't pay much attention to it. Social media has desensitized me to the point that the most profane images can pop up on my timeline and I won't bat an eye; I simply shook my head at this girl and kept scrolling. Yesterday however, I learned the full story. Jada was invited to a party by some of her high-school friends; once there, she was given a beverage, after which she passed out. The picture of her on the floor is allegedly what occurred afterwards; she was stripped of her clothing and raped, then photographed and placed on the internet for the whole world to see and ridicule. Here's a video of her giving her account of the story.
Besides Jada being violated and thrown to the internet wolves, what really angers me is the fact that someone, somewhere thought it'd be a good idea to capitalize on the photo's popularity and take pictures mimicking her pose. Of course, the idea quickly caught on and spread like wildfire throughout social media.
I was speaking with a friend about the rationale behind this trend; how could people mock someone who had been subject to such treatment? After pondering on the situation, I reached a sobering conclusion; the internet removes personal attachment from everything. Think about it, if you saw an elderly woman on fire running down your street, you'd probably try to help her or at least call someone, right? But if you saw a video of that same lady on fire, it'd probably have hundreds of retweets and comments ranging from "Lmao!!" to "Damn! Hahaa" Either way, the lady would have suffered the same burns and would probably need surgery afterwards; after you scrolled past the video, her personal situation would remain the same. The same goes for Jada. After everyone has had their laughs at her expense and moved on, SHE will still have to live with what's happened to her. Years after we've all forgotten about this, she'll still be saddled with the stigma of being the girl in THAT picture back in 2014. I think one of the graver effects of social media is that it makes us forget that the people in these videos and pictures aren't actors. They aren't television characters. They are human beings like you and I. Jada is a MINOR who is being subjected to some of the most despicable treatment mankind has to offer; and I for one, am sad.
Fortunately, after searching the #JadaPose hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, I found that 99% of people had used it in protest of people making light of her situation. Thus, the little faith I have in my generation remains intact for now. Let us all keep Jada in our prayers. You think we all would have learned from the Steubenville incident a few years back, but apparently we haven't. I'm not naive enough to think that rape will ever completely go away, but surely we can each do our part to lessen how often it occurs in this country. It seems a shame to say that boys need to be TAUGHT to not rape; but men, it is our responsibility to make sure that this upcoming generation of males knows the importance of respecting and honoring women. Likewise ladies, it is up to you all to educate the upcoming generation of girls. Mentor them, teach them that a real man would never force himself on them, and PLEASE stress to them that they should never get into cars with strangers or take unidentified drinks. The future is in our hands, everyone. Yall be blessed.
-Nick G.
P.S. Peep this too. Let's pray for our young men also...for many of them are lost.
