Default Unchanged

If you'll take a moment to look at my Facebook profile picture, you'll see me on the left, standing at a podium, and my brother, Nick, standing off to the right. The story behind this picture took place a couple months ago at a Missionary Kid retreat where my brother and I participated in a talent show in which we performed a skit where I acted as a professor for Dating 101 and my brother was the teacher's aide. In this skit, I gave my lecture while Nick acted out the various things I was talking about. Hilarity ensued.

My reason for explaining the story behind my profile pic? It's what everyone's been doing on Facebook for the past couple of days. Nearly every one of my Facebook friends have been switching their defaults to a cartoon characters in honor of victims of child abuse. The idea is to remember what childhood was like, thus coming to the revelation of how awful it is to have it ruined.

Basically, if you are a good person and you hate child abuse, you WILL switch your default. Because it would be a travesty if you didn't.

Well, I plan on going against the fad and leaving the memorable moment of my brother and I wowing the masses with our comedic skills up for all to see.

Does this mean I am condoning violence against children and excusing pedophilia? Am I saying that I don't care about one of the biggest social issues in our country by not participating in a newly found internet meme?

Absolutely not. In fact, I am just as distraught as you are about this issue.

So why am I not doing this? It's ineffective. I'm not going to save children from having their innocence taken away by putting Bugs Bunny as my default. I can flood your news feed with statuses about how terrible child abuse is and beg you to copy and paste it if you feel the same way. I can even go the spiritual route and update about my God who is more powerful than any child rapist, but that would be a waste of Facebook space.

Like I said, this is an issue that I find horrifying. And yes. I do wish that no child would ever have to go through anything like that.

Now, don't go switch your default back to the original pic on my account. What you want to do with your profile is none of my concern.

I just would like to present to you a question: why exactly are you switching your default? Do you really have a passion to help prevent this horrible crime? Or is it because all the cool kids are doing it and you don't want to look like a stiff, uncaring jerk by not having Marvin the Martian up until Monday?

Well, here's a bit of good news: you don't have to switch your pic. I'm not and I can probably show you a couple of others who aren't either. It's NOT a big deal. And God won't smite you for not doing what's popular on Facebook right now.

The sad truth is that we cannot stop child abuse altogether. We can hide every kid and arrest and execute every pedophile we find, but we cannot stop this awful crime.

We can try to prevent it though. Churches and business can do background checks, more security measures, etc. There are many ways were you can get involved and do something to help the cause that Facebook is trying to promote.

I'm sure it was a good intention in the beginning. All I'm saying is don't switch your default just because everyone else is. If you truly are passionate about this and you want to make a difference, get involved. Don't go with the current fad and act as if you did your part.

That is all. Carry on.