by Zara Mustapha
A panel of Fox News contributors mocked the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag which has gone viral worldwide, slamming the Twitter phrase for being a useless “exercise in self-esteem.”
The #BringBackOurGirls was started on Twitter after 234 school girls were abducted by Boko Haram, Islamist extremist group, in Chibok, Borno state.
[READ:#BringBackOurGirls: 9 things you should know about Shekau’s audacious new video]
Celebrities, politicians and world leaders have united behind the cause in what is being called “hashtag activism” to bring the girls back to safety.
According to the Huffington Post, Fox News contributors got a laugh on “Fox News Sunday” in a conversation that began with Chris Wallace wondering if the hashtag could actually “make progress” or was rather simply a tool to make people “feel better about themselves.”
“Exactly that,” George Will said. “It’s an exercise in self-esteem. I do not know how adults stand there, facing a camera, and say, ‘Bring back our girls.’ Are these barbarians in the wilds of Nigeria supposed to check their Twitter accounts and say, ‘Uh oh, Michelle Obama is very cross with us, we better change our behavior’?”
“It’s trending! It’s trending on Twitter!” Brit Hume then exclaimed, which garnered a chuckle from the rest of the panel.
Watch the video below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhHv3PhKldY]
I think George Will’s comment about the hashtag “BringBackOurGirls” as useless and “It’s an exercise in self-esteem” is in itself an exercise of self-esteem, trying to be heard and at least noted for being the first person to say something contradicting to majority opinion (which i think is unnecessary and irrelevant). I don’t wanna believe he (George Will) lacks the understanding of social media campaign and its power, rather he’s just being dramatic. This hashtag has fulfilled its purpose which is, sensitize people and make people aware of what is going on in Nigeria and in turns get necessary help (which is also the case now, more international awareness, more country have offered to assist in seeing that this girls are freed). So if you ask me, i’ll stage 1 mission accomplished. If he (George Will) can’t take a pic with the HashTag or at least re-tweet the hashTag, then he should just hold his peace.
For those parents powerless against terrorism, and a government that turns a blind eye, I’m not sure the hashtag is all that useless.