Raising awareness for fun diseases

[3D3N]

I didnt (my apostrophe key is broken) want to post this on the OM board because I dont particularly want to *do* anything about it, so it goes here. For some reason I thought it might have a place on these boards, seemed like a fairly interesting discussion... obviously I wont be using real names.

*cough*soimonfacebook*cough* and someone is encouraging others to repost something for one hour as a status, I quote (posts quoted in full for accuracy):

Towel:
"Please put this as your status for one hour if you, or someone you know, has or had, an invisible illness (Lupus, Crohn's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Kidney Disease, Fibromyalgia, M.S, Diabetes, etc.) My prayer is that in 2011 a cure will be found. Will you post it for just one hour? Do it for all who have an invisible illness... it's a daily CONSTANT struggle!"

Betty:
"Call me shortsighted, but I don't see how doing this will help? If I suffered from something like that and I went on facebook I wouldn't want it thrown in my face every two seconds if I was surfing pages, if you wanted to really help cure these diseases, surely it would be better if you actually learnt something about them and tried to find a cure? It would do a hell of a lot more. You're essentially just sitting around going 'gosh I really hope SOMEONE finds a cure!' Praying is fine - action is better. And by the way, its never Lupus."

Towel:
"I see it as awareness. I know that this isn't my field of research, there are scientists out there who have dedicated their careers to try and find cures who have a lot more experience and know how than me. I leave the cure finding to them.... But these scientists need funding to do their work and funding can come about through public awareness. The problem with invisible diseases is that out of sight out of mind holds true. If people don't see something wrong they don't account for it, they don't think of it. If seeing this post makes anyone think of these kinds of diseases, acknowledge them for a even a moment then the purpose of this status has been served. As for sufferers who see this, sometimes it's nice to know that people acknowledge, it won't hold true for every sufferer though so if anyone has seen this and feels exasperated with it then I'm sorry it was not the intention "

Betty:
"I get awareness, but unfortunately no matter how many people you make aware of the situation it wont make them *care* anymore about it. Has nobody else seen the ENORMOUS amount of advertising both in the physical world and the internet about these diseases ESPECIALLY Lupus? Its actually reaching the point of scare tactics i.e "If you have a cough YOU MIGHT HAVE LUPUS!" The harsh fact is, there are VERY few people who care without it affecting them directly. If you want to change things, do something about promoting widespread empathy. Doing it this way just causes over-saturation and makes people even LESS likely to care because you see it all over the place. Famility breeds contempt. I mean, everyone knows there are thousands of children being abused in this country alone as we speak, but whats changed? Nothing, because the fundamental problem isnt being addressed, just the symptoms."

Towel has made no response since but it seems enough to get the ball rolling.

[AFK]

So what are we supposed to be doing? 

I feel like I'm missing something here. 

[LMNO]

IT'S NOT LUPUS.


except for that one time.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Jesus.  Put it in your status!  That's better than volunteering.

And then people ask me why I am constantly oozing hate all over my pance.

[3D3N]

To be honest I didnt care enough to put it in my status. I thought "Fuck me, Mountain Dew is like Crack!" was more worthwhile.

[3D3N]

So what are we supposed to be doing? 

I feel like I'm missing something here. 

Chew on the bones I throw you, dog.

[Epimetheus]

So what are we supposed to be doing? 

I feel like I'm missing something here. 

Chew on the bones I throw you, dog.

[LMNO]

Just in case anyone is wondering, 3D3N is not Poptart.


Just putting that out there now.

[Adios]

Just in case anyone is wondering, 3D3N is not Poptart.


Just putting that out there now.

He's still coming across as a shit eating maggot.

[Jasper]

So he's another asshole.  Great.

[Adios]

So he's another asshole.  Great.

They all look and sound alike after a while.

[Epimetheus]

So he's another asshole.  Great.

They all look and sound alike after a while.

All assholes are emanations of one primal Asshole.
- Plato, I think.

[LMNO]

I'd agree that Plato was a real asshole.

[3D3N]

Im sorry, I wasnt aware I could hurt anyones feelings with what was intended as a flippant funny, or breaking any sort of social rule. Im perhaps finding it quite hard to understand some of the personalities on here. Maybe I could only ask for your patience?

I also am not getting the connection to Plato... 

[Epimetheus]

Im sorry, I wasnt aware I could hurt anyones feelings with what was intended as a flippant funny, or breaking any sort of social rule. Im perhaps finding it quite hard to understand some of the personalities on here. Maybe I could only ask for your patience?

I also am not getting the connection to Plato... 

We won't change for you. Like it or don't.