Week 11 Blog post

The Miller, Devitt, and Gallagher reading for this week initiated discussion regarding genre and its relationship to digital activism. It is valuable to know and understand the various levels of genre when it comes to activism and the functionality of each towards contributing to a specific cause. For example, the purpose of a social media or an event poster are going to contribute different outcomes for a movement but are mediums through which awareness can be spread. Genre extends beyond categorizing a given thing, but it presents an argument as to what type of work that thing will likely accomplish. This is especially important when considering the genres surrounding activism and digital activism as the need to achieve progress in a given movement is apparent. The updates in the March For Our Lives movement this week include the widespread news of the sentencing of the Parkland school shooter. The shooter was spared the death penalty and instead given life in prison causing outrage and disappointment in many people including the families of the victims. The University of North Carolina held its first March For Our Lives rally since 2018 emphasizing that the importance of change is still apparent and clear as ever. There have also been news stories released portraying the varying perspectives held by politicians on the gun violence crisis. There are viewpoints showing favor towards additional steps being taken to strengthen communities to keep its members safe, educated, and informed. Also, there is the perspective held by politicians that stricter gun rights do not decrease gun violence and that stricter regulation will only come across as violations of the Second Amendment.