I just read this thing about how a 15yo girl on Reddit posted a pic of herself and her new Carl Sagan book got a lot of sex, rape, and kidnap comments. Then I read comments from the article of apologists defending the comments as innocuous. As a feminist a

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I do get disillusioned and depressed, absolutely.

But I also get mad.

I think we can be the agents for change, I think we can use what tools we have to point out inhumane behavior.

We're not going to win every battle. We're going to lose a fair number. Innocent people will get hurt. And sometimes, WE will be the ones who screwed up, who didn't know all the facts, who picked the wrong side, who reacted defensively instead of compassionately.

But I still think we can win, I still think for every jerk out there trying to tear people down, there are others out there who have enough strength and character to try to help them back up.

I'm not Pollyanna, I get overwhelmed by the mean-spiritedness and lack of kindness out there, too, even in movements and philosophies I believe in and cherish.  We can't fix broken people, mostly likely. Odds are, they are pretty unhappy inside, and that's part of why they treat others so badly.

But I do believe we can do a bit of good for others every day, and that really is the cure for everyone involved. You can't save everyone, you can't make everyone feel better, but you can do a little every day.

And sometimes that helps.