Nothing has Changed: A rant concerning internet mob violence

Someone becomes a target.
Maybe they said something wrong.
Maybe they did something wrong.
Maybe they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But suddenly they become a target.
They become a hashtag.
They stop being human.

They are thrown into the gladiator ring by a bloodthirsty mob to be torn apart by wild animals.
They are the victims of a witch hunt, sentenced to death without hope of a fair hearing.

We think we are better than people in the past.
We are more enlightened - champions of democracy, social justice, and environmental care.
But deep down we have not changed.
Today we are a mob just as bloodthirsty.

We sentence people to social annihilation
Ruining their career and reputation without a thought.
Destroying someone to satisfy our fickle emotions.
There is no fair trial.
There is no one to show compassion.
No one to treat them like a human.
No one to give them a second chance.

There are only two options:
Pick up a rock and join in the stoning,
Or stay silent.
There is no free speech. 
No safety.
The only voice that is permitted is one that is in agreement with the bloodthirsty mob.
So we allow the destruction to continue.
And hope that we will not be the next target.

There is no compassion.
There is no humanity.
We are the bloodthirsty mob.
Nothing has changed.