You’re
reading this so you’re online. You may be on Facebook or other form of social
media. Remember, once it’s out there, it’s out there…and that includes pictures
and there is no age limit.
Yes, I’m being vague and I’m
sorry about that. But there’s an issue you need to be aware of and I’ve just
become aware of it. I’m part of the melanoma community. There are a multitude
of other communities where people come together around other diseases and
issues.
Beware: There are websites
that use the Internet for evil, they spread lies (cloaked under the freedom of
religion and free speech), and they use people’s real names…even the names of
minors. They have pictures. I’ve seen it firsthand and I’m beyond appalled. I’m
sickened by it. I’m not going to share a link to the website because I don’t
want to give them press, but trust me, it’s there and I have it on good
authority there are many more similar websites. This one is the tip of the
iceberg.
These people hide in
anonymity…they don’t want you to know who they are. And because of our
freedoms, they can get away with it. Experts, lawyers, who have dealt with
this, say the perpetrators call it “expressing their opinion.” They tell us
that it’s best to ignore it.
The site I’ve seen quotes two
verses in the New Testament, mixes it with their own religion…worship of the
ancient Egyptian god “Ra”, considers melanoma a curse from their god and NOT a
disease, and has an intense hatred of Whites worldwide. The entire site is
about this. The ENTIRE site. Post after post. They use pictures of people who
actually have melanoma, even children. And when they have a post that focuses
on a person, they use the person’s name in the title along with the word “execution”.
Many of us have reported wordpress (their host site) to them and we get a
quick, “canned” response letting us know that they aren’t going to do anything
about it. We’re not even sure they look at what we submit.
Remember, this on the Internet…not
Facebook. They can spread this garbage anywhere and, apparently, there’s
nothing we can do about it.
I have melanoma. It’s no
secret. I discuss it here, on the Internet at large, and on FB. I know what I
post and I knew that I could not control what happened beyond my initial post.
I never thought about the ramifications. Until now.
Pay CLOSE attention to what
you post ANYWHERE. Especially if children are mentioned. If your child has a
disease or condition, think about what you want to share. Do you want to
interview an expert for a news article? Think twice before posting their
picture in the article. This is the world we are in.
I’ve seen it. Recently, in an
online news article, a parent/also doctor wrote about this child’s experience,
complete with picture. Three days later, this child’s picture was on this horrible
website. Did I mention they use the word “execution”? And yet they get away
with it.
We want to educate others. We
NEED to educate others about our diseases and conditions. In articles, on
Facebook, any way we can.
Just BE careful! Know there
is evil out there and once you post something, you have really NO idea where it
will show up or how it will be used. You have NO control! None!
Yes, there are laws, even
with the FTC concerning children, but they are really hard to enforce and you
can take one website down and another can be put up. The Internet is a tool…for
me it’s a wonderful tool. I’m not cloned. Others use it for evil.
Go to google and put in your
name or your child’s name. Add the disease or issue. Search and search in
google images. Do that periodically, especially if you are active in a
community.
There’s a problem. We need to
figure out how to deal with it. Don’t run from it. Let’s deal with it. Things
like this have to stop. At the very least, know this exists. There are no
sacred cows.
charis
