Stabby

Twitter is an unusual arena in which to share one’s thoughts. The 140 character limit is a work of genius, based on a 160 character text message, giving 20 for the user ID. This restriction means condensing of thoughts to get them into one tweet. Any unnecessary adjectives might be removed, creative abbreviations are fair game. Punctuation is maintained by a pedantic few. A semi-colon may be used for more than just winking smiley face. Apparently.

And through The Twitter we happen upon every slice of life. I follow many with whom I agree and many with whom I do not. I believe this is important, otherwise I’ll have the same conversations with the same people about the same issues and agree with them about whatever is written in the Guardian that day.

Recently an excellent series of tweets by a US blogger caught my eye. Too complex for 140 characters, this series discussed the use of ‘rape jokes’. They argued, correctly and effectively, that while not only carrying huge potential for emotional trauma and distress to victims, the actual act of telling a joke legitimised that behaviour because, and I had never thought of this, rapists think all men are potential rapists. Rapists think all men are rapists.
Not enough to say ‘well I would never rape someone,’ because the guy next to you might- and they will interpret a joke as effective endorsement.

Bizarrely in my summary there I haven’t put it as well as this person did in a series of 140 character tweets. That’s blogging for you.

Instant follow for them.

Check their TL

‘…makes me stabby…’

Oh dear.

Stop reading this blog, go to The Twitter, and search on the word stabby. It’s depressing. Thousands of people,

‘Waiting for the train makes me stabby’
‘This wifi is so slow I’m a getting stabby down here’
‘Lol speakin to ex and getting stabby on the driveway’

There’s some #firstworldproblems out there.

I’m not going to write about why rape jokes are wrong, that’s been far more eloquently and succinctly covered by others. But I also wish to see an end to the casual nature in which the word stabby is used if someone is annoyed or frustrated.

‘I feel stabby’

Are you actually going to stab someone? Why is this an acceptable social media phrase? Try going up to a policeman and telling him you feel stabby. See where the hell that gets you.
Of course, I’m sure none of these people using this phrase would actually stab someone. Alright, most wouldn’t… But for those few who think it is ordinary behaviour to carry a knife and use it against another, every time we use that word we legitimise that feeling. We endorse knife crime.

The Who once sang about seeing their share of kills…
I’d like to see an end to people feeling stabby, for many good reasons.

——————————————————-

“I have looked into their eyes at the final moments, always asking the same question, ‘Why, why?’
I do not think they asked why they were dying, but why they had ever lived”