The Führer wouldn’t like it

Recently, we read this trivial post on Facebook: „When you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It’s only painful and difficult for others. The same applies when you are stupid.“ We’ll get straight to the point before this turns into a political debate. How the hell do you respond to stupidity, aggression, intolerance and incitement without descending into polemics and adding fuel to the fire? The fact is that butting out is not an option. Especially not, if people are calling out to harm others, because…well, why exactly? Holding a mirror in front of idiocy has always belonged to the repertoire of enlightenment and, in doing so, leave it to its own devices and set in motion processes that by argument alone would not be possible. If you can’t change the system, use it. And use it to change it. After the Democratic Culture Centre (Zentrum Demokratische Kultur) organised „Germany’s Most Involuntary Charity Run“ last year, when Neo-Nazis, whilst taking part in a Commemoration March, gave an involuntary donation of 10 Euros for every completed meter to „EXIT“ (a scheme to help people opt out of the Neo-Nazi scene) they started up the initiative „Hass hilft“ („Hate Helps“). The idea is simple but ingenious: for every racist or xenophobic remark or comment reported on Facebook or to the Police 1 Euro is donated to the refugee projects of Aktion Deutschland and EXIT Deutschland. That is: all malicious people who stir up hatred are in fact making a donation against themselves. A classic Catch-22, experts might say. Because either the online hate-campaigners stop making their comments, or money is donated to support projects fighting racial discrimination. The website www.hasshilft.de has all the information concerning this project, a Facebook-Banner to download, and a Top-Ten List of the most eager and industrious „Haters“ (sorry, „Donors“!). The money, by the way, is provided by the St. Pauli Football Club, Big FM Radio Station, Sky, frisch+fleisch and Facebook itself. We wish you all „Happy Hunting“ and reporting! #nopegida #refugeeswelcome

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Initiative „Hass hilft“ | www.hasshilft.de