The Season for Dreaming

Everybody take a deep breath.

radioactivemongoose:

I am so thankful for the internet right now— it’s fantastic that people are spreading word of the atrocities happening right now.

But people are also being sort of manic on Tumblr right now. Blogging and reblogging and liking and changing your profile picture, and getting furious when someone doesn’t. Getting mad at everyone you know who isn’t as upset as you are. Getting mad at the media for not covering it as much as you’d like them to.

You all need to get your facts straight before you act. Is the protest you’re signing legitimate? Is the charity you’re donating to going to a cause that means anything? Calm down. Analyze the situation. Then act. Lots of these petitions are for things that are already going on, or can’t for a reason. For instance, the US military intervening. The United States is already all over the Middle East, and may well already be doing all that they’re capable of.

People are getting very angry at the mainstream US and UK media, and I made a post about this before, but I’ll say it again: they are doing all that they can. There was more coverage for Egypt because Egypt was a much safer place to cover. Not because the media is full of heartless bastards that only care about one section of the Middle East, but because there was a much better chance of not endangering our own countries by being there.

Aid is going out. We are dancing as fast as we can. And, believe it or not, our own lives also go on during tragedy. Seeing people getting mad at their friends for reblogging non-Libya posts is sick. They’re just as worried as you are— they’ve probably signed the same petitions, and read the same articles. They just don’t let it consume them, and can still appreciate humor and beauty while terrible things are going on.

Please. Continue to reblog to spread awareness, and help out as you can. But don’t act on anger, and understand the situation before criticizing other people’s behavior. Remember that not every source on Tumblr is legitimate.

(via reachingfortheday)

rogerwaters-:

I think the thing that’s most unnerving about the situation in Libya is that it’s happening right now. While I’m sitting here in pajamas and eating pizza, people of all ages and genders are getting slaughtered and raped for standing up against their oppressive government. On top of that, it’s happening here in 2011. Not in the 40s or 50s or 60s, not back in the past, but in a time where things like this shouldn’t be happening.

(via podey)

THINGS YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO TO HELP LIBYANS

abudai:

1. INFORM PEOPLE - Write op-eds and letters to the editor to your local newspapers. Blog about it. Use twitter, include #Libya hashtag. 
2. SUPPORT NEWS MEDIA THAT IS DOING COVERAGE OF LIBYA - CLICK CLICK CLICK on news articles! And comment on them! And share them on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr. This is how news media thrives. It’s a sad reality, but clicks and comments encourage editors to cover a stort more. Tweet “Thanks” to Anderson Cooper, AlJazeera, etc. Send them thank you letters.
3. SIGN THESE PETITIONS: BP, Pull out of Libya now! (Change.org); Sanctions to stop Libya crackdowns (Change.org); Send help to Libya! (PetitionOnline)
4. GO TO LOCAL SOLIDARITY PROTESTS - The Libyan people think no one outside cares about them. Sending them photos and videos of supporters would bring up morale. If there are no protests planned for your city, plan one! Stage one in your University’s free speech zones! 
5. DISSEMINATE ONLINE RESOURCES - There is a lot of helpful, crowd-sourced material online right now. Like this crowd-sourced list of the dead. Or this number for free unmonitored Internet. Or even these instructions on how to control bleeding of a wound. 
6. MIRROR VIDEOS - Many videos are being taken down- especially Facebook videos. If you know how to, mirror the video, upload it yourself. 
7. TRANSLATE - If you know Arabic, help translate things like tweets, videos, audio, etc. The more people this information is accessible to, the better. 
8. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL STATESMEN AND WOMEN - Tell them you want the U.S. to acknowledge what’s happening in Libya. Tell them you want them to call for the resignation of Gaddafi. Tell them you want them to send aid to Libya. Tell them to support freedom. Tell them to support democracy. Tell them to freaking CONDEMN THIS MASSACRE. Look here and here.
9. SEND AID - Muslims Without Borders is organizing a medical convoy from Alexandria, Egypt to Libya. Send them money “earmarked” for Libya.  

(add to this list)

(Source: abudaii, via captain-sonic)