Community pages on social media serve multiple purposes. They can be a hub for fostering support and building engagement. They can be a source of entertainment, a resource for information, and at their worst can turn into a cesspool of whingeing whether it’s about an individual’s experience at a business or a Friday afternoon pointed humiliation of an individual. It was around noon when a post containing a picture of a property appeared along with commentary suggesting the individual who lived there needed to mow and clean up the property.
That would prompt Silver Barnes of McLeansboro to get involved. She says the first thing that went through her mind after she got over her initial irritation with the person who posted it was Corinthians 13:1 which states, “If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” She says it’s about humanity.
And if he’s already depressed and if he’s already down on his luck which he obviously is…why does it make you feel good to kick him while he’s down. What do you get out of it? Can you take his dignity that you took away from him with that post and go and hang it up on your wall and say look what I got today…aren’t you proud of me?
Barnes, her husband, and a handful of others came together as the sun rose Saturday morning to help the individual out. She says the man who lives there was reluctant to accept assistance, but that he told her he wouldn’t run her off if she felt compelled to help. She then made her own facebook post asking if others would help. And folks answered the call. Barnes herself isn’t from Carmi. She lives in McLeansboro and hails from a holler in West Virginia. In a couple years, she’ll be moving to Eckerty, Indiana to be closer to her children.
One of the individuals who came to help out is from Eastern Kentucky. He’s been here about 3 years and says reading the comments on the post, he just felt like he needed to help. He says…
“Social media isn’t the place to be airing grievances. If you have a problem with somebody you should go over and talk it over with them. And most of the time those people are just ***holes. I didn’t have an easy life. I didn’t grow up with money. I grew up wearing hand me downs and that’s what we do. We help each other.”
Another man that does live in Carmi and sees a lot of social media complaining says it’s natural to watch posts for entertainment, but it’s also important to help when you can. He says he’s needed help before and seeing Barnes take initiative made the difference for him.
“I’ve needed help before. You don’t always get the help you need or the help you want. Sometimes it’s hard to ask for the help you need. And sometimes if somebody steps up and takes that initiative, well I want to be the type of person to step up and offer to help regardless of the circumstance. We’re all human and we all need help.”
